Review of Polymerized Tung Oil from The Skin Boat Store

[trc65]

I mentioned in the other thread on polymerized tung oil (PTO) that I use it on a majority of my turning projects except pens and a few other spindle projects. To date, I've only used PTO from Lee Valley, which is rather expensive at $51 per liter. Although expensive to buy, very little is used per bowl, a quart lasts me the better part of the year. However, money is money and I'm always looking for a deal.

A while back, someone at the AAW forum mentioned PTO from The Skin Boat Store, https://shop.skinboats.com/100-Pure-Tung-Oil-32oz-polymerized-t100.htm

The PTO they sell is $21 per quart and is un-diluted. Just got some today, so will post in this thread as I test it and see how it compares to the LV brand.

The oil from Skin Boat Store comes in a plastic wide mouth tub, so the first consideration is getting that transferred to some Stop Loss Bags so it won't all gel before it is used up. It comes un-diluted and will need a solvent added before you use it.



I decided to try some of their citrus solvent and see how that compares to MS that Lee Valley uses (50% dilution). I have several bowls that are either unfinished, or have a single coat of LV oil and all of them are black Locust, so have good material for side by side testing.

I mixed up 2 - 20ml test samples of oil, one with citrus solvent and the other with naptha (my mineral spirits is in the shed, and I didn't want to hike out there and get it at midnight). Both were diluted 50%. First impression - you better like the smell of orange oil because it is strong smelling!

My usual method is to apply with a cotton cloth, and let the bowl sit for a minute or two before wiping excess off gently with white paper towels. Exception to this is with a first coat, I'll keep adding more oil for several minutes if the wood is absorbing it.

Consistency of the oil after dilution was very similar to that of LV, and seemed to wipe on the same. The big difference was how quickly the bowls with naptha became tacky, much too soon for my liking. The citrus solvent mix reacted much the same as the LV oil.

The test now is to see if this tung oil dries as quickly and has the same build/sheen as that from LV. More to come on that tomorrow.

 

[larry C]

Interesting report.....I've never used PTO, as I've used pre cat lacquer on most of my turnings and have been very happy with the results. That being said, I'm always interested in easy to apply finishes that are durable and repairable......from everything that I've read PTO may have these attributes also.....
Larry

 

[barry richardson]

Is the PTO similar to Waterlox?

 

[trc65]

The big difference with PTO and Waterlox is the additional resin in the Waterlox. They are both "in the wood" finishes that dont build a heavy film layer, and are easy to repair, but Waterlox will be more durable because of the resin.

I've never used Waterlox, but assume the application is similar to PTO, wipe on, let soak a short time and wipe off.

To my way of thinking, Waterlox fits in the category of Danish oils in that they all contain a drying oil, a resin, and a solvent. What sets Waterlox apart is that it uses tung oil instead of BLO or a soya oil.

 

[Maverick]

Watching with interest

 

[trc65]

That being said, I'm always interested in easy to apply finishes that are durable and repairable......from everything that I've read PTO may have these attributes also.....
Larry

PTO is definitely easy to apply and repair, durability depends on the individuals definition. It's not a film forming finish, so won't stand up to abuse like a poly or pre-cat, but is so easy to repair. Simply buff with some 0000 steel wool and apply another coat.

You are not going to get a high gloss "showroom" finish with PTO, but can build to a gloss, and buffing afterwards also increases the gloss.

 

[trc65]

Ok, 12 hours after application and it is not dry, so it definitely doesn't dry as quick as the LV oil.

I didn't think that the LV oil had any additional dryers added to it as the order page only lists 50% dilution with mineral spirits. However in the application PDF, it has a line that says "This product has no additives other than the thinners and driers needed to speed the drying process."

So, this oil from Skin Boats will not dry as fast as that from LV. The question now is how long it will take to dry, stay tuned......

Next experiment is to pull out my Japan Drier and see if I can get the Skin Boats oil to dry as fast as the LV oil, without congealing in the container.

 

[trc65]

24 hours and the oil is still not dry. Waiting now for some more stop loss bags before I start experimenting with Japan drier.

 

[T. Ben]

 

[trc65]

36 hours (roughly) and still not dry. Won't be back home till tomorrow night, so we will see then. My guess right now is its going to be 3 days before completely dry.

 

[trc65]

Forgot to update this. 5 days to dry with the polymerized tung oil from the Skin Boat store.

Finally got more stop loss bags today, so when I get time, will experiment with adding Japan Drier to get dry times similar to that of Lee Valley's oil. Going to start with the one ounce per gallon rate and go from there.

 

[Mike Hill]

Tim, did you ever get any results from adding the Japan Drier?

 

[trc65]

Thanks for bringing this up again Mike, forgot that I never updated it.

It took quite a while to get there, primarily as I didn't think it would take as much drier as it did. Just to summarize, my goal was to get the oil from Skin Boats to dry in the same amount of time as that from Lee Valley. For me, that's about 24 hours per coat.

The recipe: 1 quart polymerized tung oil from The Skin Boat Store, 1quart Citrus Solvent, and 3 oz Japan Drier (Sunnyside brand).

I'm happy with the way it is performing, as it's been the only thing I've used as a finish since Thanksgiving. I've used maybe a pint of it since then. My plan is to continue using this for now and into the future.

Disclaimer: this recipe is specific to the products I used. If you have tung oil from other manufacturers, or are using a different solvent, I'd start with lower rates of Japan Drier and up the rate until you get the results you want. I don't know how standard Japan Drier formulations are from different manufacturers, so that is another potential variable.

 

[Nature Man]

Thanks for bringing this up again Mike, forgot that I never updated it.

It took quite a while to get there, primarily as I didn't think it would take as much drier as it did. Just to summarize, my goal was to get the oil from Skin Boats to dry in the same amount of time as that from Lee Valley. For me, that's about 24 hours per coat.

The recipe: 1 quart polymerized tung oil from The Skin Boat Store, 1quart Citrus Solvent, and 3 oz Japan Drier (Sunnyside brand).

I'm happy with the way it is performing, as it's been the only thing I've used as a finish since Thanksgiving. I've used maybe a pint of it since then. My plan is to continue using this for now and into the future.

Disclaimer: this recipe is specific to the products I used. If you have tung oil from other manufacturers, or are using a different solvent, I'd start with lower rates of Japan Drier and up the rate until you get the results you want. I don't know how standard Japan Drier formulations are from different manufacturers, so that is another potential variable.

Would it be possible for you to post a picture or two of projects you used this formula for, just so we can get an idea of the eventual outcome we may expect with this formula. Thanks! Chuck

 

[trc65]

Will do.

 

[trc65]

@Nature Man

Chuck, these were all finished with polymerized tung oil mix I mentioned above. My process is to completely wet the surface on the first application, and keep applying it to "thirsty" areas for about 15 minutes. Wipe off excess with paper towel. Let dry 24 hours. Buff with 0000 steel wool or white 3M pad and apply second coat. Wipe off and dry for 24 hours, repeat. Some woods are very thirsty and may take 3 coats before it starts to build towards a "semi-gloss" finish and may take up to 6 coats for a nice soft shine. Others can achieve that level of sheen in 2-3 coats. You could also apply as few as 1-2 coats for a nice soft satin finish. You can apply enough coats to get a gloss finish, but if you want a true high sheen gloss, would be better off with lacquer, or poly.

This cedar has probably 5 coats in this picture. Cedar is one that is thirsty and takes many more coats.



The honey Locust looks really good with only 3 coats. Much more dense woods look good with only 2-3 coats.



These elm bowls only have three coats, but they were ones that I used a thinned epoxy to stabilize, so we're partially sealed before tung oil.




This mesquite has 4 coats and is somewhere between a semi gloss and full gloss. The Apple lid has 4 coats as well. The finial is walnut and had shellac applied.



Not quite a direct comparison, but here is the bottom of a walnut bowl finished with Minwax semi-gloss spray poly. It at least gives you a comparison of how the two different finishes look under the same lighting and background.



It would be difficult to get that sheen on walnut with tung oil, it's just too open pored to build a finish easily.

The most difficult thing with tung oil is figuring out how much of the oil to wipe off. When I first started to use it, I was wiping hard, and applied up to 10 coats with very little sheen. Finally started wiping off just enough so no excess could drip or run, but the object still looked slightly wet and glossy. That seems to be just right.

If you want to experiment with polymerized tung oil, you might consider getting a small container from Lee Valley. I think they sell it in an 8 oz size as the smallest, that way you can see if it fits your need. If you like it then you might want to go the route of buying the larger amount from the Skin Boat Store. I figure the two quarts I mixed from them will probably last me a little over a year.

 

[Nature Man]

@Nature Man

Chuck, these were all finished with polymerized tung oil mix I mentioned above. My process is to completely wet the surface on the first application, and keep applying it to "thirsty" areas for about 15 minutes. Wipe off excess with paper towel. Let dry 24 hours. Buff with 0000 steel wool or white 3M pad and apply second coat. Wipe off and dry for 24 hours, repeat. Some woods are very thirsty and may take 3 coats before it starts to build towards a "semi-gloss" finish and may take up to 6 coats for a nice soft shine. Others can achieve that level of sheen in 2-3 coats. You could also apply as few as 1-2 coats for a nice soft satin finish. You can apply enough coats to get a gloss finish, but if you want a true high sheen gloss, would be better off with lacquer, or poly.

This cedar has probably 5 coats in this picture. Cedar is one that is thirsty and takes many more coats.

View attachment 204551

The honey Locust looks really good with only 3 coats. Much more dense woods look good with only 2-3 coats.

View attachment 204552

These elm bowls only have three coats, but they were ones that I used a thinned epoxy to stabilize, so we're partially sealed before tung oil.

View attachment 204553


This mesquite has 4 coats and is somewhere between a semi gloss and full gloss. The Apple lid has 4 coats as well. The finial is walnut and had shellac applied.

View attachment 204554

Not quite a direct comparison, but here is the bottom of a walnut bowl finished with Minwax semi-gloss spray poly. It at least gives you a comparison of how the two different finishes look under the same lighting and background.

View attachment 204555

It would be difficult to get that sheen on walnut with tung oil, it's just too open pored to build a finish easily.

The most difficult thing with tung oil is figuring out how much of the oil to wipe off. When I first started to use it, I was wiping hard, and applied up to 10 coats with very little sheen. Finally started wiping off just enough so no excess could drip or run, but the object still looked slightly wet and glossy. That seems to be just right.

If you want to experiment with polymerized tung oil, you might consider getting a small container from Lee Valley. I think they sell it in an 8 oz size as the smallest, that way you can see if it fits your need. If you like it then you might want to go the route of buying the larger amount from the Skin Boat Store. I figure the two quarts I mixed from them will probably last me a little over a year.

Thanks! Very much appreciate the extended discussion on application methods, etc. This is very helpful! Will have to try it in the future. Chuck

 

[aag562]

As most of you know I am fairly new to this and after doing my due diligence in research the finish I went for and have stuck with has been mylands SS and shine juice since 95% of my bowls contain some form of epoxy/wood combo how would this application process work? I have come to the understanding that some finishes do not give equal sheen to both materials. Would this be one of them?

 

[Lou Currier]

With the additional additives, what is the comparable cost to the LV

 

[trc65]

With the additional additives, what is the comparable cost to the LV

1 liter polymerized tung oil from Lee Valley - $51

1 quart polymerized tung oil from Skin Boats $21
1 quart citrus solvent from Skin Boats. $19
1 pint Japan Drier ~$10

Total 2 quarts mixed and diluted $50

So, buying and mixing your own from Skin Boats gives you twice as much for the same price.