Tung Oil

[droid_ca]

o I'm building a table for my trailer and have been using tung oil on it...I think it's great stuff...But I'm wondering how many coats would a normal person put on a table top as I'm up around 15

[Shadow Catcher]

For those not familiar. Pure Tung Oil was and is one of the first truly "Green" finishes. It is all natural and contains zero VOC's. Pure Tung oil (China wood oil) is an all-natural finishing product that provides a tough, flexible and highly water-resistant coating or wood finish. It is classed as a drying oil along with linseed, poppy seed, safflower seed, walnut, soybean, oiticica and a few other oils. Although it is relatively new to the Western world, tung oil also known as chinawood oil has been known for centuries to the Chinese, and until this century, China was the main source for the oil. It comes from the seed of the tung trees, Aleurites fordii and Aleurites montana, deciduous trees that are very susceptible to frost damage. This vulnerability has restricted the cultivation of the tung trees to China and South America. Tung oil (china wood oil) received wide application in China: in the building trades as a treatment for both stone and wooden structures; in marine trades as a preservative and water repellant on wooden boats. It is said to have been introduced to the West by Marco Polo. From the 13th to the 19th century, tung oil had only limited use in the West. More recently, tung oil has gained favor over linseed oil for wood finishing because it is faster drying and does not darken as much with age.

It is a penetrating oil and I would say you are way past enough to do the job.

[aggie79]

It is a penetrating oil and I would say you are way past enough to do the job.

Agreed. At most all you will get is a very light sheen. Tung oil does not build up coats to produce a gloss or semi-gloss finish like shellac, polyurethane, varnish, etc.

[Hillmann]

This is a link about linseed oil http://www.christeck.de/wp/2009/07/14/f ... nseed-oil/

But since linseed oil and tung oil are both drying oils what applies to one applies to the other. I would be mostly concerned about more than two coats causing a gummy, sticky mess that won't dry for years and will get sticky any time it gets warm.



Edit: I just did a bit of searching and found that it is possible to use tung oil as a varnish as you have, it just takes a bit more care than with modern varnishes. So, just ignore what I originally posted.

[Roger W]

I redid an old cedar chest a few months back using tung oil. Applied 4 or 5 coats. Turned out pretty well.

[jstrubberg]

I've used as many as 20 coats to get a good smooth finish.

The downfall of tung oil is that it doesn't protect well, except for moisture, and it has to be redone fairly frequently. You want to re-apply finish at least once a year, twice a year if it's someplace that gets a lot of casual contact.

[droid_ca]

The tung oil that I'm using ...it probably isn't real tung oil put it sure does a nice finish I get disposable cloth gloves and pour it on my project and then use the glove t spread it around in a very thin coat and remember to give it a light sanding between coats as it will help it to adhere a little better one of the other things that I find is helping it a bit is to wipe down with a semi damp rag all the loose bits that come off of the sanding processes and I try to use as hot of water as I can handle...seams to work for me I have done 15 coats on the top of this project and would like to do about 5 more...from other projects that I have seen done with this stuff it is almost bullet proof stuff like tar and what not just wipe off

[droid_ca]

[img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?mode=medium&album_id=284&image_id=100952&display=popup[/img
Well this is after 16 coats

[aggie79]

Looks gorgeous! I say you're good to go at this point.