Tung Oil - Waxy Residue

[dr4g0nfly]

Guy's, this one has me stumped.

One of the guys in my office made a push along truck for his grandson. He decided to finish it with Tung Oil and as instructed on the can diluted the first 2 coats with White Spirit.

He tells me that as it dried, a waxy residue seemed to form on the surface. Just like wax it rubbed off but again repeated for the second coat and again on the undiluted final coat.

I've not met or heard of this before, even in the cold we are experiencing (it being winter here).

Any ideas appreciated.

[LGS]

Sounds bizarre!
What kind of wood?
Any prepping done prior to oiling (wipe down with some product)?
How was it applied. (Brush,cloth..)

It sounds like a reaction between the White Oil and some other compound in or on the timber. He may be best to try the procedure using pure Tung Oil on a piece of left over wood. But with no other substances being used before oiling.

Regards,

Rob

[dr4g0nfly]

LGS,

sorry, why is it you can never think of all the information that might be needed to help answer a question.

The wood is Steamed Beech - (yeah a UK timber I'm afraid) no base coat of anything, just sanded smooth.

Normally a fantastic wood to work with and takes almost any finish you can apply.

You're thinking the same as me, a reaction between the Tung and solvent, but I've never heard of it before.

[mic-d]

Did he use metho or shellite/turps?

[dr4g0nfly]

He said White Spirit, I've no idea if you have the same name for it. Definitely not Meths (Metho).

Wikipedia gives me this,, hopefully one of the names is the one you guys use, White Spirit, a Turps substitute.

[mic-d]

cool, as long as it was not metho. I think it's probably just the cool weather.

[LGS]

Hi Mic,

I was inclined to think it is cold weather as well and the more I think about it, the more I agree with you. Just one more thing, who's Tung Oil is it. Is it really pure Tung Oil or has it got additives? If so, the reaction may be cold + hardener in the Tung Oil.

Regards,

Rob

[JB]

That waxy residue could be just excess tung oil rising to the surface. Just wipe it off as it appears over the next day or so. Use less in subsequent coats.

[dr4g0nfly]

Rob,

Two questions I also asked. The Tung oil is from Liberon, and as he'd never used it before a new can. So I'm happy with the quality of the oil.

The spirit is a generic 'Big Shed' stuff but I don't think you can mess that up.

Like you all, I keep coming back to the cold & damp we've got, but again it's something I've never seen or heard of before - feelong really confused.com over this one!

[Dave Rowley]

Rob,

Two questions I also asked. The Tung oil is from Liberon, and as he'd never used it before a new can. So I'm happy with the quality of the oil.

The spirit is a generic 'Big Shed' stuff but I don't think you can mess that up.

Like you all, I keep coming back to the cold & damp we've got, but again it's something I've never seen or heard of before - feelong really confused.com over this one!

Hi, I know its a bit late but I have heard that some white spirit or turps substitutes have water in them which will not mix with the tung oil

[P.W.H.]

I thin tung oil with vegetable turps. Never had problems, but never tried it on beech.
Wish I could get beech here, for some purposes.

I believe there are at least 3 kinds of tung oil out there:
real untreated raw tung oil
heat treated tung oil (supposed to make it set faster)
tung oil with additives that are supposed to make it set faster
(not to mention tung oil that isn't tung oil at all).

I would not take any bets on what would happen with the heat treated and the additive rich stuff when thinned with {whatever}.
Should be ok if it says so on the tin though. (see below)

As I recall from my stay in England, white spirits was basically clean petrol, no? Or maybe I'm getting it mixed up with the white spirits in NZ which IS octane
without lead, dyes et cetera...
So frustrating when English speakers in different countries use the same name for different products, and different names for the same thing.

[Toymaker Len]

The main thing is to wipe then buff off the oil ten or twenty minutes after application, especially when it is cold. Any oil that doesn't penetrate the wood just sits on the surface and slowly sets/dries into a horrible waxy sticky stuff.

[soundman]

Lets get a few things straight ...White Spirit .... is clean white hydrocarbon ..... pretty much the basis for many things including petrol and turps..... generally not considered reactive and it dries without leaving residue ...... that is why you use it.

It is not hydroscopic.

It should not be confused with Metolated Spirit which is alcahol and is definitely hydroscopic and always has some portion of water in it ...... however you can commercially buy 95% metho, that contains 5% or less water.

It is also not Parafin oil ..... which is also a clean white hydrocarbon but more like an oil ...... good for cutting boards.

As has been mentioned the waxy residue is probaly un absorbed Tung oil and the rement after it has reacted with air. ....... Tung oil from memory is a nut oil and like most nut oils has some waxy component.

cheers

[Chesand]

So frustrating when English speakers in different countries use the same name for different products, and different names for the same thing.

Paraffin Oil is now officially called Liquid Paraffin in Australia, and in the UK, Paraffin is what we call Kerosene.