Hi...Before you use any 'wood finish' do a MSDS search (Material Data Safety Sheet) on the product. Most are petroleum distillates with a bit of linseed and cobalt dryers..or a simple wax base that needs to be scraped off eventually.
Tung Oil....oh, yes, it can be difficult to use, if not done right. Use it like a 'french polish'. Thin layers...very thin. Leave on for 12 hours and then buff well. When satisfied that it is hardened, add another 'thin' coating....and repeat. The more layers you provide will add greater lustre and UV/weather protection. More layers the better. Easy to wipe on and to wipe off.....just do not wipe too much on ! Worthy furniture, over the years, can only get better with raw Tung I know a little bit about pure, raw Tung Oil ... 🙂
best regards...Ken/ Island Teak
Hey Ken,
I've successfully used raw tung oil (Enviro-Magic brand) on a cutting board, doing the same method you describe. Because it was a cutting board I didn't cut it with mineral spirits as a lot of woodworkers suggest. Just wiped on a coat, let it soak in for 20 minutes, wiped off excess, and let it cure for a few days and then buffed it with #0000 steel wool. Repeated that about 5 times. If the steel wool was gummy, I let it cure longer. The protection was really amazing. Red wine spills overnight on the board just wiped right up the next morning.
I tried the same exact thing on a walnut DCM, but with different results. I'm attaching a picture, it's hard to see, but toward the top edge, it's not nearly as "golden". This is after at least 4 coats, waiting 3-5+ days in between. I'm not sure what happened. It looks like I may have buffed through the coats, but I was very very light with the steel wool. Any ideas?
Just as an aside, I now mostly use walnut oil on cutting boards. Mineral oil is always oily, while tung oil actually cures. Walnut oil is somewhere in between and semi-polymerizes over time if you could call it that. It's not petroleum derived, it's non-toxic, and it's easy to use.
I was hoping to use raw tung oil on furniture and would love to hear any tips you might have and a bit more about your process.
-eric
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com