mixing oils failure?

allen levine

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I needed some dishes/small platter to hold some gifts.
I spun them out of blocks of sapele.
The first coat of Formsby tung oil mix, went on perfect. Put a second coat on, the sapele really soaks it up.
After the second coat, I intended on letting it cure for a week, then spraying it with some can lacquer, just for glossy look.
I didn't like the few sanding marks that seemed to show a lot more in the center after I oiled it.
I sanded out the center again and this time used Danish oil.
Its been a week, the coat of Danish oil on top of formsby tung oil is not drying properly.
Is it time to abandon them? Any tricks or did I make a big boo boo.
 
Don is correct Forbs Tung oil has a poly mix to it, so either way you can't use Lacquer at all . You can sand it down some an use Shellac dewaxed an then use your Lacquer
 
Al, you can stay with the tong oil, ? Mix it 50/50 with DNA apply thin coats. Brush each coat till tac after 6 hrs add another coat. Light sand between coatings. About 4 coats then 2 to 3 coats straght tong oil mixture, sand between coats with 320. Brush each coat till it starts to tac. Final coat you can leave or buff out. I can explai b the procedure we use to buff if you want to go that route.
 
I'm thinking it might be a different problem. According to Flexner, Formby's Tung Oil finish is simply a wiping varnish. I looked at the MSDS and it's 78% thinners, the balance presumably varnish. If by "danish oil" you refer to Watco Danish Oil (the most popular) that is also simply a wiping varnish (it's 75% thinner according to the MSDS). Neither have oil, except what was cooked into the varnish. So for the Watco (again, assuming that's what it is) to not be curing, it may just be bad.....the varnish in the mix may be past it's life. But maybe I should ask: was this Watco, a home brew, or something else? One trick that might be worth trying: the curing of these finishes is a reaction with oxygen after the thinners evaporate, so maybe just a little breeze blowing across it may make it cure. If not, you may be stuck trying to remove it, though I'm not sure that will be a sanding operation.
 
watco, and for the last 3 days Ive had it sitting on my recumbent exercise bike under the ceiling fan, running it on slow to keep the air moving.
(I don't use the bike, might as well be useful for something), its a bit more dry, but Ive never waited so long for any oil to dry.
I wont topcoat it with laquer, if it ever dries, Ill use some wipe on poly.......if it doesn't dry.....oh well, its only wood I guess.
dave, yours is a perfect process to start with, but I think I missed the bus with this already.
 
Allen, if it doesn't dry to your satisfaction, here is an opportunity to use shaped scrapers to remove the finish. Use two jam chucks to pin the bowl between centers on the lathe. Turn it very slowly and scrape off the finish. Fortunately you got a lathe that turns real slow when you want it to.

shaped-scraper-set.jpg

And learning to use the scrapers and keep them sharp is a great skill to have. It is one of those 'why didn't I do this sooner' things.
 
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