FW china oil over shellac

[la Huerta]

hi all. just a quick question , i did a search but could'nt seem to find an exact answer, so here it is...

can feast watson china wood oil be used over a finish like shellac (to give it some inexpensive protection)...the reason i ask is i have a feeling it may just sit on the surface and never dry, does these tung oils only work as a finish on bare timber...not as a top coat...?


La H

[thumbsucker]

Feast watson china wood oil is not a pure tung oil. As most commercial tung oils are only blends not pure tung oil they often contain heavy metals, solvents and resins to improve hardness and decrease drying time.

Tung oil, and all oils do not dry through evaporation but through exposure to oxygen. This means that tung oil can be added to wood, metal, and even plastic as it has been done so in the past and it will dry in a protective polymerized film.

As for your basic question, you can apply a coat of pure oil over shellac. However Feast watson china wood oil would most likely contain solvents that would dissolve your shellac and you could end up with a royal mess. It is also possible that if you a really good coat of shellac on your piece that the solvent will dissolve and blend the oil with the shellac.

Personally I would just, buy a good source of tung oil, go to bunnings you may have to order it, make sure to state that it MUST be pure tung oil. This will add a protective coat on top of your shellac.

However, shellac is a very durable finish in its own right unless you are using alcohol on it will last many years.

[ubeaut]

For a cheap protective coating over shellac try our Polish Reviver it helps to protect the surface against marking from water alcohol and heat and in most instances will remove damage already caused by same.

Cheers - Neil