# pure tong oil finish



## liangzhao (Nov 9, 2012)

i got "The Hope Company 32TO12 1 Quart 100% Tung Oil" and want to apply it as top coat for my solid red oak corner cabinate. Any suggestions? Any link on how to apply tung oil?


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## Brink (Nov 9, 2012)

Tung oil is considered a wiping varnish. A wadded up, soft cloth would make a fine applicator. Just wipe it on going with the grain. 

I'm not sure if this particular brand would need to be thinned first.


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## liangzhao (Nov 9, 2012)

Brink said:


> Tung oil is considered a wiping varnish. A wadded up, soft cloth would make a fine applicator. Just wipe it on going with the grain.
> 
> I'm not sure if this particular brand would need to be thinned first.


Thanks, Brink!


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 9, 2012)

In addition I will add, if it is pure tung oil it will cure very slowly and needs to be kept warm during the process, 70 deg and up. Wipe the oil on with a clean white rag as brink suggest, apply liberally and let it soak in for awhile, like 20 to 30 minutes. wipe off the excess with a clean white rag, let it set for at least 24 hrs, wipe again with a clean white rag to see if the rag stays clean. do not apply more oil untill the rag stays clean. repeat this process untill you get the desired look you want. Pure tung oil cures from the inside out. Most pure tung oils that I have used dry very slowly and can take weeks to properly apply.

Another very important thing to know about any oil finish is that it will spontainiously combust if the rags are not layed out flat to dry, not folded or wadded up. fire danger is quite high with oil finishes.  Store dry rags in a metal container with a lid until disposal.


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## liangzhao (Nov 10, 2012)

woodtickgreg said:


> In addition I will add, if it is pure tung oil it will cure very slowly and needs to be kept warm during the process, 70 deg and up. Wipe the oil on with a clean white rag as brink suggest, apply liberally and let it soak in for awhile, like 20 to 30 minutes. wipe off the excess with a clean white rag, let it set for at least 24 hrs, wipe again with a clean white rag to see if the rag stays clean. do not apply more oil untill the rag stays clean. repeat this process untill you get the desired look you want. Pure tung oil cures from the inside out. Most pure tung oils that I have used dry very slowly and can take weeks to properly apply.
> 
> Another very important thing to know about any oil finish is that it will spontainiously combust if the rags are not layed out flat to dry, not folded or wadded up. fire danger is quite high with oil finishes.  Store dry rags in a metal container with a lid until disposal.



Thanks for the detail info. well, it is only about 50 deg now in NY. :(


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## RusDemka (Nov 10, 2012)

liangzhao said:


> Thanks for the detail info. well, it is only about 50 deg now in NY. :(



It's cold here in Minnesota too, so I apply the oil and leave them in the furnace room, away from the furnace Ofcourse.. :)


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## UpNorthWoods (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks for those tips on drying times Greg. I've used Tung Oil a few times and really like it. But they don't give you THAT detailed of instructions.


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## HomeBody (Nov 11, 2012)

I used tung oil one time only on a gunstock. Came out okay but it took a bunch of coats...like 20. The stuff is thin as water. Here's a pic of the wood.
Gary

[attachment=13359]
[attachment=13360]


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## davidgiul (Nov 11, 2012)

HomeBody said:


> I used tung oil one time only on a gunstock. Came out okay but it took a bunch of coats...like 20. The stuff is thin as water. Here's a pic of the wood.
> Gary


Conversion Varnish: 1 coat of vinyl sealer, sand with 220, 2 coats of finish, 1.5 hours, done. The only reason it takes 1.5 hours is that a minimum .5 hours between coats for drying. The finish product will look as good as that beautiful gunstock.


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## liangzhao (Nov 11, 2012)

Actually the reason I chose tong oil is food safety. If there is other options, please advice?


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## Brink (Nov 12, 2012)

From what I've read, once cured, all modern finishes are considered food safe. I wouldn't use tung oil or poly on a cutting board, mostly because it might chip. On a cabinet, I think any finish would work.


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 12, 2012)

Brink said:


> From what I've read, once cured, all modern finishes are considered food safe. I wouldn't use tung oil or poly on a cutting board, mostly because it might chip. On a cabinet, I think any finish would work.


Agreed, on cutting boards I use mineral oil and bee's wax. On furniture I like a tung oil, linseed oil, and oil based poly blend.


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## scrimman (Nov 12, 2012)

If food safe is a concern they sell a finish called butchers block oil; that's what I use on the spoons I carve. Its a polymerizing finish, which means its not safe until it dries...once dry the chemical reaction is complete and its perfectly safe.


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## liangzhao (Nov 12, 2012)

Brink said:


> From what I've read, once cured, all modern finishes are considered food safe. I wouldn't use tung oil or poly on a cutting board, mostly because it might chip. On a cabinet, I think any finish would work.



By the way, odor is another consideration. I use waterlox satin finish before, the result was good. But it took very long time to get ride of the odor. Any low odor oil based finishing?


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## liangzhao (Nov 12, 2012)

Odor is another issue. I use waterlox satin finishing before which took long time to get ride of smell. Any suggestion on low odor oil based finishing ?


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## Brink (Nov 14, 2012)

My go to finish has been minwax quick dry poly. Still has that oil and solvent based smell, but it lasts half as long as the conventional oil based poly.


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