Menu
What's new

Tung Oil Opinions--New Info

Cynthia White

Cynthia White

Member
Messages
3,220
Location
Vancouver Island, Courtenay/Comox Valley, British
For my own education,
reading.gif
I'd like to hear from anyone who has an opinion on Tung Oil:
kaffeetrinker_2.gif

interview.gif

Do you like it? Not like it?
Why?
Do you use it? Not use it?
Do you use the pure? The "Tung Oil finishes" (which may or may not even have any Tung Oil in them)?
What do you think about it?
What do you know about it?
What do you think you know about it? :rofl:

Thanks for any and all replies. :thumb:
 
Last edited:
I used to use Formby's tounge oil finish on bowls. It worked great, but it is quite a bit more expensive than danish oil with about the same results. Now I mix my own danish oil which is even cheaper...even parts of boiled linseed oil, mineral spirits and varnish. I've heard that pure tounge oil takes forever to dry, but never tried it.
 
Have used it.
Like it.
Pure only.
Like it, easy to apply, looks good.
Made from the tung nut, whatever that is and wherever it comes from. Is a tough finish that can be added to. It very moisture resistant. Idiot proof in applying. DAMHIK :eek:
I think it is made from the same Martian fish oil as WD-40. :saythat:
 
I like tung oil. It's easy to use, very durable, easy to repair/touchup.

First coat mix 1/2 and 1/2 with mineral spirits so it soaks into the wood better.

Does take a while to dry, but over a 3 day period in a warm shop I can get a good 4-5 coats (until the wood stops soaking it up, wood type depending). Does take a day or two or three before it stops seeping out of the poors and is ready to use. At least that was my experience on a rocking chair I rebuilt. .(maybe I put too much on?)

Also, it doesn't taste too bad when you get it on your hands and then get it on your P&J sandwich.:thumb:
 
Frank Fusco said:
Made from the tung nut, whatever that is and wherever it comes from.
Click to expand...

"Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree (Vernicia fordii). [...] The oil and its use are believed to have originated long ago in China, and appear in the writings of Confucius from about 400 B.C."

I've used it, but found it takes forever to dry. I'm likely just using it wrong... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Last edited:
I used Formby's on the kitchen cabinets at the other house. It worked well and was durable enough. Now I'm using the Waterlox. I think this is tung oil that is already thinned, am I right? Anyway, I love it. Easy to apply, easy to repair if need be. Jim.
 
I thought I used pure tung oil once, and liked it. Then figured out it wasn't really tongue oil, but a mixed finish. Gotta be careful on that stuff, probably more mixtures with little/no tung oil than true tung oil.
 
I've used the polymerized pure tung oil that Lee Valley sells. The polymerization process supposedly causes it to cure faster than unadulterated pure tung oil. I still prefer the results I get with Formby's Tung Oil Finish, and I think it's the varnish in the mix that helps me get a better, more consistent and predictable finish.

For me, I've found I get better results with any of the oil finishes if I wipe it on, then wipe all the excess up after a few minutes. The only times I can think of when I didn't like the results I got were times that I didn't wipe off the excess before it started hardening.
 
Since this thread hasn't exactly caught on fire, :rofl: let me rephrase my question and add some information.

I'm writing an article for a ww magazine on Tung Oil. Is there anyone out there, amateur or pro, would is interested in experimenting with Tung Oil, maybe finishing a couple of small things or showing me photos of already finished projects (with Tung Oil), and who would like to talk about it "on the record" and get some free press :D ?
 
In terms of drying time for tung oil. You can dilute it with Mineral spirits. Sam Maloof's finish is 1/3 pure Tung Oil, 1/3 BLO and 1/3 Mineral spirits. I have diluted both Tung Oil and BLO 1:1 with Mineral spirits and it really speeds up the drying time to less then a day.
 
Cynthia White said:
For my own education,
reading.gif
I'd like to hear from anyone who has an opinion on Tung Oil:
kaffeetrinker_2.gif

interview.gif


What do you know about it?
What do you think you know about it? :rofl:

Thanks for any and all replies. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Because it comes from a nut, I've always avoided using it when there is a possibility that food will come in contact with it. (Spurtles, cutting boards, etc.) This has been a subject of controversy on various forums and opinions seem to be all over the place. If you care to wade through it, the FDA seems to approve it for food contact in this document: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=175.300

It is referred to as 'Chinawood' in the document.

I'm still more than a little leery of it in this application.

Mike
 
Mike Cebula said:
Because it comes from a nut, I've always avoided using it when there is a possibility that food will come in contact with it. (Spurtles, cutting boards, etc.) This has been a subject of controversy on various forums and opinions seem to be all over the place. If you care to wade through it, the FDA seems to approve it for food contact in this document: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=175.300

It is referred to as 'Chinawood' in the document.

I'm still more than a little leery of it in this application.

Mike
Click to expand...

Thanks, Mike. Yeah, I know that. I mention an FDA document in this thread that says it's food safe. That's a lot of the reason I'm writing the article--because there's a lot of misinformation and conflicting "facts" circulating about Tung Oil. I plan on getting to the bottom of it with the help of the "Who's Who" list of sources.
 
Don Baer said:
...Sam Maloof's finish is 1/3 pure Tung Oil, 1/3 BLO and 1/3 Mineral spirits...
Click to expand...

I know Sam used poly and beeswax with tung and linseed oil, but hadn't heard of him using mineral spirits. :huh:

I've seen multiple references to one mix that's 1/3 urethane varnish, 1/3 boiled linseed oil and 1/3 tung oil, then his oil/wax mix of 1/2 BLO, 1/2 tung oil, and a couple handfuls of shredded beeswax, heated and mixed together.
 
Cynthia White said:
Thanks Steve. Well, in a former life I did some freelance writing, so it wasn't a big stretch to write about ww. I don't have to be an expert ww to research the history of tung oil. It's kind of a fluke--it kind of fell in my lap, but I'm happy. :) :thumb:
Click to expand...

You are quite welcome. You are up to the task. I have seen some of your writing work.:D
 
If you really want to try something different do 45 tung oil 35 BLO and 20 % Damar. I would 1st go 50/50 turps and finish the 72/25 finish turps and then full coat. The damar will speed up the drying time. Now if you have never used Japan dryers add a drop or to just to the amount you are planning on applying not to the entire solution.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top