# tung oil question



## rdemler

I've just started using tung oil on my sticks.It really brings out the grain and looks great.Is it ok,or advised to use something to seal after using the oil??I used acrylic clear coat before and wonder if I should or could use it over the oil.....without reversing the grain effect that the oil brought out...If this makes any sense I'd appreciate any and all advise.Thanks for your time.. RD


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## Gloops

I have allways used this product with no prpblems, as it is made for gunstocks which are constantly in contact with skin there is no

tacky/sticky feeling with it.


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## MJC4

I do not use Tung oil so I can't comment as how the finish will look after a sealer. I use boiled linseed oil and it also "pops" the grain as do most oil based stains. As the BLO or stains I use are oil based I finish my sticks with an oil based spar (exterior) polyurethane. I used to finish oiled sticks with a water based polycrylic urethane with no adverse effects. The oiled piece must be thoroughly dry before using a water based product.

Now I use an oil based spar urethane for my sticks as I noticed the water based polycrylic gets cloudy at the hand grip area from skin oils and/or perspiration. The oil based exterior spar urethane doesn't seem to. I still use the polycrylic on carvings that are not going to be handled.

Finally, I suggest if you are concerned about how the Tung oil will look with an acrylic finish I suggest doing a test piece or two. Seems like a simple solution but I have ruined a few pieces because I didn't take my own advice!!

Mark


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## CV3

Are you using a 100% Tung oil product? If it is a high gloss Tung oil it most likely has a some polyurethane in it. When I use a oil finish I choose Tung oil. As a rule three hand rubbed coats. Depending on temp and humidity it can take 24 to 72 hours to cure between coats. You do not need to add another finish. If you want more luster just rub in thin coats until you are happy with it. There is also a marine Tung oil used on boats. Good product but high cost. You can use a varnish or urethane over turn oil that is well cured or dried. I would recommend it be a oil based varnish or urethane.


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## Sean

Good advice given above. The clear coat shouldn't reverse the effects of tung oil. As mentioned just make sure it's fully cured before putting on clear coat. I didn't and had a hell of a time with my sticks there for awhile. 
Also mentioned unless it's pure tung oil it will have drying additives and varnishes added. The tung oil I use is the latter and I've been burnishing my sticks after curing with a brown paper bag and it really adds a nice shine. Just an option to consider if you want.


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## gdenby

In general, it is not good to put acrylics over oils unless the oils are very dry. And that can take a looong time. The acrylic surface tends to crack, or pucker as the oils slowly oxidize, and off gas.

I started using tung oil when the spar varnishes coats I was using began wear off. I was happy w. the finish from the tung, altho it was rather yellow. I've since started using teak oil, which penetrates hard woods better, and is a little paler.

If you want gloss, the wood itself must be finely finished. A few weeks ago, I re-finished a balustrade newel. The varnish on the surface had mostly worn away, and I had never been happy with the surface. I sanded, then scraped, then polished w. a diamond honing plate. Applied a coat of stain (the same can I had used 30 years earlier) and then applied three coats of teak oil over a period of a week. Finished by buffing w. a 3M microfiber cloth. The results were as shiny as the original, but I hope more enduring as the oil sank into the wood.


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## Rustic Dave

Here's a summary of my research on various oils...which I started some time ago and I've been prompted to "finish" it now. The Westernwooddoctor has a nice write up on oils vs spar varnish finishes. With many of the oil products actually being blends depending on the source, one can't expect that they will always produce the same results even though they are of the same variety.

A recent post, "Question about a finish", mentioned Tru-Oil, which I was not familiar with, prompted more of my research into the various oils used on sticks. I was surprised that it was used on gun stocks...being a shooter myself. And, with a positive recommendation from CV3, it must be a good product.

On the Birchwood Casey web site it is described as "...unique blend of linseed and other natural oils...".
https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/Refinishing/Wood-Finishing/Tru-Oil%C2%AE-Stock-Finish.aspx

Linseed oil is of course a standard "drying" oil used very often by lots of users, made from the seeds of the flax plant. Interestly, modern "Boiled" Linseed Oil is no longer boiled, but is blended with other ingredients to behave like the boiled oil of Medieval times. "Today, 'boiled linseed oil' refers to a combination of raw linseed oil, stand oil (see above), and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying)". 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil

Another popular oil is tung oil, made from the seeds of the tung tree nuts. "Tung oil has become popular as an environmentally friendly wood finish, but it should be noted that many products labeled as 'tung oil finishes' are deceptively labeled...". 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil
I've purchased Hope's 100% Pure Tung Oil online with quick delivery, and liked the product.

And then there's Teak Oil, for outdoor use, and Danish Oil for indoor use. "Teak oil isn't made from the teak tree, it is so named because it is often used on teak wood." They are penetrating oils.
http://www.westernwooddoctor.com/teak-oil-vs-spar-varnish.htm

I've used linseed oil for decades, starting from my days with the M14 rifle...but not very often. When I started finishing sticks a few times a month my hands became irritated, and even being outdoors my lungs seemed affected. So I switched to tung oil, and maybe it helped a little, but not completely.

I finally had a epiphany...why not try pine pitch oil that I use on my leather boots for my piney sticks! It works well, and I actually use the oil as a lotion for dry hands...no more irritation problems.


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## rdemler

This is what I'm using on my sticks..I've been applying while it's on the lathe yet..I use a rag and hold it kinda tight while the lathe runs..It gets pretty warm while it's turning in my hand in the rag..It does say high gloss and also says it's a blend of tung oil and other penetrating oils..Thank you for all the info,it's greatly appreciated.


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## CV3

First formby,s high gloss gives nice finish. But it is a Tung oil base varnish. It is not a real Tung oil. If you want to do a tung oil finish look got products that say 100% Tung oil. Tung oil is more work than most other finishes. But you get a deep luster finish that I think is worth that effort. As has been said giving it time to cure between coats is important. I will thin the first coast by 25% using mineral spirits. This lets the oil pinatrate deeper and it will cure a bit fastet. It gives a good base to build up your finish with.


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## rdemler

Here is was thinking the traditional would have been the real thing..Pays to ask questions..And thanks again for the replies.I'm learning a lot here..


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## CAS14

Rustic Dave said:


> I've used linseed oil for decades, starting from my days with the M14 rifle...but not very often. When I started finishing sticks a few times a month my hands became irritated, and even being outdoors my lungs seemed affected. So I switched to tung oil, and maybe it helped a little, but not completely.


One day in October, 1967, a USMC CH-35 landed on a mountaintop OP in far western Binh Son Province. The unit armorer disembarked, carrying a M-16. He took my beloved M-14 and gave me that crappy M-16 (this was before they chrome plated the chamber, and they were impossible to keep perfectly rust free). I still give him a hard time about that.


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## yaxley

A little late on this one, but I do use tung oil. After the final application dries, I use a floor paste wax on the stick and buff it. It gives another dimension beyond just the tung oil. Any good paste wax, like Johnson's floor wax works well. JMO


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## Deltaboy1984

I used Tung Oil for years on Gun Stocks and I used spar varnish to top coat it.


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