Intergrain

[Roly]

Hi all,

Hope somebody can shed light on this.

Wanted a good finish and so I bought Intergrain Tung oil finish. Applied it as per instructions and was suitably impressed with the result. However it looks like just ordinary estapol finish where it has build up a bit, leaving some nasty little holidays (runs). I have been actively trying to get away from estapol and the like for the past year or so. Up to now a rubbed wax finish has been most appropriate and tactile.

It consists of "a blend of tung oil and resins to produce a highly desirable silky soft and lustrous hand rubbed finish"

I applied two coats, liberally, and left it to dry 12 hours minimum between applications. No difference when I put some of my favourite wax onto it and buffed it up a bit.

What am I doing wrong, if anything.

THanks in advance,

Roly

[Eastie]

Originally posted by Roly
It consists of "a blend of tung oil and resins to produce a highly desirable silky soft and lustrous hand rubbed finish"

Roly, I've used another brand fairly regularly and having read your message the above sentence rings true - only after hand rubbing will it be silky soft and lustrous. Build up a couple of coats, lightly sanding between coats and then have a look at Ubeaut cutting products like eee. I still use this method with tung oil products with great results.

Hope this is of some help.

[Neil]

Unless it says PURE Tung Oil it usually aint. Much of it is adulterated with linseed oil, cut with turps, or has some other thinner and may even have polyurethane added to it. Not much nowadays is exactly what it seems.

The problem with the dulling wax is probably due to the fact that there is still some oil on the timber that has not thoroughly dried.

Applying oil should be the easiest finish of the lot and gives good results when done right. However, only a very small proportion of people who use oils ever get it right.

In most instances a good oil finish takes something that most people of today don't want to give. Elbow grease and a lot of time.

Hand burnishing can be made a lot easier by using good a rendom orbital sander with 2000 grit abrasive or a felt pad. This heats the oil and brings it to the surface allowing for quicker curing and polimerisation. Wipe off any excess that may be left behind then leave the surface for at least a week or two before using
EEE-Ultra Shine, Traditional or some other wax (preferably not beeswax as it is softened by most oils and even the fumes, leaving it sticky).

Just a little bit more info.

Cheers - Neil.

[Eastie]

Agree 100% (not surprising really ), from what I've heard from talking to commercial paint suppliers most (if not all) of the tung oils on the diy shelves are an oil/estapol mix, along with some cheaper fillers in some brands.
In a lot of cases you really need to treat it like an estapol finish.

If you are looking at getting away from estapols and are into hand finishing as opposed to spraying, shellac(s) would be well worth some experimentation. Good luck - Eastie.

[Roly]

Gentlemen,

As per usual your advice has been spot on. A little (?) elbow grease and some rubbing has caused me to be satisfied with the end result and it does actually feel silky smooth. SWMB says it feel very good.

Eastie, you are probably right when you say it has a proportion of estapol because it seems to react like it. However I still managed to get a good finish in the end and am quite happy with it. I must be honest and state I have never used pure Tung oil but I may lookout for some and when I can find it give it a go. Any suggestions as to what brand name I should be looking for and its availability. I have no trouble whatsoever with a bit of elbow grease providing I get the good result.

Thanks again gents, your advice and a bit of judicious reading of the polishers handbook has won the day again.

Roly