Thank you so much! I have been holding off finishing some raw poplar shelves my husband cut for me. I have the tung oil but have never worked with so I just wanted to make sure I did it correctly. This has helped tremendously!
Nice to see somebody who applies it undiluted with solvent. Am I wrong that it really comes down to patience in application and curing vs. a difference in the actual result?
The way I see it, these guys are just taking a shortcut....and not getting anywhere close to the best possible finish with pure tung oil. Tung oil has to be applied one layer at a time, with more than enough curing time between. No different than any other finish. If you don't do multiple layers with curing time in between, you will get zero depth to the finish. That's what these guys are ending up with. These guys are basically doing one well-absorbed coat...and that's it. It get the sense they really don't understand finishing concepts well.
@@joeidaho5938 Tung oil is patience or don’t use it at all. You must sand each, well cured coat and you need to layer it and know when the previous coat is fully absorbed. It’s an oil that requires time and dedication in order to get the proper finish and it literally takes months to build it up properly.
this is an accurate video as I have used this exact technique to get great finishes: Ive tried a first coat cut 50/50 with citrus oil but have found this is not needed except on very dense woods. For most woods 3 coats of pure tung oil thoroughly dried and lightly sanded with 320 or finer grit - or scotchbrite pad - between coats has resulted in beautiful finishes. once thoroughly dried - up to 30 days after the final coat - I then use a bees wax/carnuba blend wax as the finial finish. Beautiful and after three years I really have not done anything except apply a little more wax on heavily used surfaces.
IKEA has a solid pine table for $79bucks! It's plain pine without stain or finish. Is Tung oil enough? Or should I varnish? I'm not wanting to stain or paint. Just seal from food stains.
Question: Tung oil finishes look great, but ... usually after a month or so it seems the grain raises and it has to be reworked. Tips? Should I apply a coat of paste wax?
xs10tl1 after a month the surface tends to dry out a bit on a newly finished piece. I would recommend giving it a very light sand with 600grit paper until the surface is silky smooth and applying another coat. Make sure you buff off the excess with a clean dry rag and get the surface as dry as possible. Paste wax is fine too.
@@studiodubbeld7836 Just saw this. couple weeks ago I went over lightly with a scotch brite pad (grey is probably about 600) and rubbed in with a cotton cloth and a few drops of pure tung oil for every square foot. Thin coat seems to cure in about 5 days. Twice now and the finish is perfect...not glossy, leathery matte feel to the touch and a nice glow. (Walnut mid century checkerboard pattern) I really didn't want to apply anything over it and didn't have to. I've experimented with paste waxes over tung oil as well as shellac. Don't like them. I'd do a french polish with just shellac For the other newbies, I use an old stone coaster as a sanding block top of the pad. No pressure, just the weight of coaster to keep even pressure. 600 is spot on, I experimented even with 2500 - 4000 and you can get a high gloss but it's not what I wanted and anything over 800 tends to gum up the paper. Thanks-
My guess on the grey scotchbrite was correct. here's a link with steel wool, scotchbrite and sandpaper comparisons. www.finewoodworking.com/forum/steel-wool-compared-to-sand-paper
I start soaking my wood with a spray bottle of water, after 120 grit sanding. Then let it dry (air compressor to speed that up) and then sand with 150, stay again, soak let dry, 240, and so on. That raises the grain before hand and not after like your talking about!
@@studiodubbeld7836 2 years later....I was not using a high quality pure tung oil. Now I am. It's become my finish of choice....but it takes time and paience to build up a good finish. Using 400g sandpaper to scrub it into the pores is essential. After that sets up, the 600 or gray scotch brite is good. One thing that's different from what I've seen demonstrated is the idea that 3 coats is adequate. On maple, walnut, and mahogany I have not seen 3 coats fully penetrate the wood. Usually more like 5, and then I can do the light sanding and start building up the final finish. Usually another 3 light coats. Tung oil is non toxic, easy to apply, forgiving, spots with dings or needing repair can be blended in perfectly. And a couple times a year if I'm going out of town for a few days, I hit all the pieces with a very light application, and come back to furniture that looks as new as the day I finished it. The only negatives are the time to cure (but it's worth it), and on a few veneered pieces it darkened the test spots too much I went with a shellac finish. On other pieces of the same species, it did not darken them at all, so I think it's a function of the grain and possibly the wood having dried out over the years.
@@studiodubbeld7836 You really only recommend one coat? Most internet searches recommend two to three. I'm doing the interior cladding and some oak shelves of a campervan conversion I am building with tung oil. First coat a tung oil/ white spirit mix and then I was going to use pure tung oil (mixed with 5% walnut colour dye) for the next coats. From what you say only one more coat may be necessary.
I know right! I've just watched many videos and one guy used sand paper and pot scrubs of various grits, cotton cloth, and paper towels for each coat lol. I am all for the hands.
So a lot of advice wants me to cut the first coat with mineral spirits and do layers. So is that advice BS? I don't want to use chemicals. So you just soak it good over a day, wipe off the excess after 24hs and followup wiping of sweating. Then you just wait for it to cure over a month?
you could use an all-natural citrus solvent to cut the thickness of the oil. I believe pure orange oil can do the job. since tung oil is sooooo thick in its natural state, people believe that it doesn't penetrate the wood too much. so having a 1st coat that's thinned down a little helps. can't really say for sure, but that's the reasoning.
This is sarcastic but wouldn’t you always be applying to just part of a piece, or would you try to throw a bucket full. I would use gloves, but I have a sticky problem. Spreading jam makes me wash my hands twice. LOL
I really don't like your technique, as a standard method of finishing in tung oil. Building layers gives the furniture more depth. It's a no-brainer that your one coat will lead to a much dryer looking finish, even over a fairly short period of time. You need to build layers of cured oil....to get a nicer looking finish. Same is true of any kind of furniture finish. This is fodder for those who have done little furniture finishing and so are gullible, but it's no surprise that any professionals who talk about tung oil finishing always talk about building layers...at least 3 or 4, if not more.
Loads more! This video is ridiculous and there is no mention of using dry newspaper to take off the excess oil that seeps out of the surface and this needs doing every 15 minutes on the first coat. Layers, layers, layers, curing, wait a week and then you can start and all the sanding in between! Every coat, cure then sand, cure then sand! It takes forever and a day if you do it properly! Cure then sand! Wait. Cure then sand! There’s no other way and you can’t rush it!
Thanks, Aden here, I've been told im very gullible, Also believe I was 2nd-year apprentice in this video. I haven't tried many finishes; Only oil-based on, Pure tung, Osmo, Livos. I've found the number of coats of tung oil is usually dependent on the bit of wood itself. Since this video, we have started using alot more osmo. Thanks again.
@@studiodubbeld7836 The type of wood, on the whole, should not matter in the least. It still comes down to thickness...and depth of finish. First coat basically gets absorbed, on the whole...and starts to form a cured surface...and the next few layers give it more depth and protection. It's just basic science of finishes....and is true of so many finishes...and not just tung oil. A proper tung oil finish takes a good month or so to complete. This is so often why people shortcut the process....and get lesser finishes, as a result.
@@joeidaho5938 Cool. I'll do a bit more reading next time I do some tung oil - As we use osmo/livos for 99% of things now. Do you have any finished shots of some timber with tung oil with a month long process on it?
Do you REALLY think that oil is not crossing your skin and entering your body? Maybe...but I bet not, and I can't think of a single reason not to use nitrile gloves while doing that. Check back with me in 30 years of doing this, when you have liver cancer.
Thank you so much! I have been holding off finishing some raw poplar shelves my husband cut for me. I have the tung oil but have never worked with so I just wanted to make sure I did it correctly. This has helped tremendously!
Nice work! Glad this was helpful.
Just don't use your hands like this idiot did
Amazing grain. What type of wood is that?
Beautiful grain in that piece!
beautiful workshop
I just installed a pine tongue and groove wall in my cabin. Does the wall need and additional finish after the tung oil?
Nice to see somebody who applies it undiluted with solvent. Am I wrong that it really comes down to patience in application and curing vs. a difference in the actual result?
The way I see it, these guys are just taking a shortcut....and not getting anywhere close to the best possible finish with pure tung oil. Tung oil has to be applied one layer at a time, with more than enough curing time between. No different than any other finish. If you don't do multiple layers with curing time in between, you will get zero depth to the finish. That's what these guys are ending up with. These guys are basically doing one well-absorbed coat...and that's it. It get the sense they really don't understand finishing concepts well.
@@joeidaho5938 Tung oil is patience or don’t use it at all. You must sand each, well cured coat and you need to layer it and know when the previous coat is fully absorbed. It’s an oil that requires time and dedication in order to get the proper finish and it literally takes months to build it up properly.
@@joeidaho5938 I agree by the way! You are totally on the money!
Air flow on the curing is vital also! You can’t leave it in a stale environment! Air, air air!
this is an accurate video as I have used this exact technique to get great finishes: Ive tried a first coat cut 50/50 with citrus oil but have found this is not needed except on very dense woods. For most woods 3 coats of pure tung oil thoroughly dried and lightly sanded with 320 or finer grit - or scotchbrite pad - between coats has resulted in beautiful finishes. once thoroughly dried - up to 30 days after the final coat - I then use a bees wax/carnuba blend wax as the finial finish. Beautiful and after three years I really have not done anything except apply a little more wax on heavily used surfaces.
Thanks for ths
So basically they r on par with one another despite 5 years ?
Nice work.
Would tung oil be ok for yew burr veneer?
IKEA has a solid pine table for $79bucks! It's plain pine without stain or finish. Is Tung oil enough? Or should I varnish? I'm not wanting to stain or paint. Just seal from food stains.
Tung oil is fine for this, just make sure you sane up the grits to get the best finish. 120,240,320,400
I like it you just apply and leave it for the next and then wipe it off awesome I gotta try it looks really easy
Day
Question: Tung oil finishes look great, but ... usually after a month or so it seems the grain raises and it has to be reworked.
Tips? Should I apply a coat of paste wax?
xs10tl1 after a month the surface tends to dry out a bit on a newly finished piece. I would recommend giving it a very light sand with 600grit paper until the surface is silky smooth and applying another coat. Make sure you buff off the excess with a clean dry rag and get the surface as dry as possible.
Paste wax is fine too.
@@studiodubbeld7836 Just saw this. couple weeks ago I went over lightly with a scotch brite pad (grey is probably about 600) and rubbed in with a cotton cloth and a few drops of pure tung oil for every square foot. Thin coat seems to cure in about 5 days. Twice now and the finish is perfect...not glossy, leathery matte feel to the touch and a nice glow.
(Walnut mid century checkerboard pattern)
I really didn't want to apply anything over it and didn't have to. I've experimented with paste waxes over tung oil as well as shellac. Don't like them. I'd do a french polish with just shellac
For the other newbies, I use an old stone coaster as a sanding block top of the pad.
No pressure, just the weight of coaster to keep even pressure.
600 is spot on, I experimented even with 2500 - 4000 and you can get a high gloss but it's not what I wanted and anything over 800 tends to gum up the paper.
Thanks-
My guess on the grey scotchbrite was correct. here's a link with steel wool, scotchbrite and sandpaper comparisons.
www.finewoodworking.com/forum/steel-wool-compared-to-sand-paper
I start soaking my wood with a spray bottle of water, after 120 grit sanding. Then let it dry (air compressor to speed that up) and then sand with 150, stay again, soak let dry, 240, and so on. That raises the grain before hand and not after like your talking about!
@@studiodubbeld7836 2 years later....I was not using a high quality pure tung oil. Now I am. It's become my finish of choice....but it takes time and paience to build up a good finish. Using 400g sandpaper to scrub it into the pores is essential. After that sets up, the 600 or gray scotch brite is good. One thing that's different from what I've seen demonstrated is the idea that 3 coats is adequate. On maple, walnut, and mahogany I have not seen 3 coats fully penetrate the wood. Usually more like 5, and then I can do the light sanding and start building up the final finish. Usually another 3 light coats. Tung oil is non toxic, easy to apply, forgiving, spots with dings or needing repair can be blended in perfectly. And a couple times a year if I'm going out of town for a few days, I hit all the pieces with a very light application, and come back to furniture that looks as new as the day I finished it.
The only negatives are the time to cure (but it's worth it), and on a few veneered pieces it darkened the test spots too much I went with a shellac finish. On other pieces of the same species, it did not darken them at all, so I think it's a function of the grain and possibly the wood having dried out over the years.
Is that spalted maple?
Nah, its
Camphor laurel ( Aussie Timber )
Is it 100% tung oil or mixed with anything ?
John Smith 100% pure Tung oil
Good god, I had no idea you could just apply this with your bare hands.
Just make you are using the pure tung oil ;)
@@studiodubbeld7836 You really only recommend one coat? Most internet searches recommend two to three. I'm doing the interior cladding and some oak shelves of a campervan conversion I am building with tung oil. First coat a tung oil/ white spirit mix and then I was going to use pure tung oil (mixed with 5% walnut colour dye) for the next coats. From what you say only one more coat may be necessary.
I know right! I've just watched many videos and one guy used sand paper and pot scrubs of various grits, cotton cloth, and paper towels for each coat lol. I am all for the hands.
Very good info although I had a very difficult time hearing it very well bc you were so far from the mic.
So a lot of advice wants me to cut the first coat with mineral spirits and do layers. So is that advice BS? I don't want to use chemicals. So you just soak it good over a day, wipe off the excess after 24hs and followup wiping of sweating. Then you just wait for it to cure over a month?
My exact question too...
you could use an all-natural citrus solvent to cut the thickness of the oil. I believe pure orange oil can do the job. since tung oil is sooooo thick in its natural state, people believe that it doesn't penetrate the wood too much. so having a 1st coat that's thinned down a little helps. can't really say for sure, but that's the reasoning.
Face in middle of that wood grain
Definitely wouldn't pour directly onto surface. Any elapsed time will show- those lines/puddles start to soak in instantly
You want Tung oil to soak in.
The whole point of this is to soak the wood to saturation - it doesn't matter how quickly it soaks in.
This is sarcastic but wouldn’t you always be applying to just part of a piece, or would you try to throw a bucket full.
I would use gloves, but I have a sticky problem. Spreading jam makes me wash my hands twice. LOL
I just found this after spending double the price on tung oil. So bummed...
Did you not review this video prior to posting. Very bad audio. Loses all impact.
I really don't like your technique, as a standard method of finishing in tung oil. Building layers gives the furniture more depth. It's a no-brainer that your one coat will lead to a much dryer looking finish, even over a fairly short period of time. You need to build layers of cured oil....to get a nicer looking finish. Same is true of any kind of furniture finish. This is fodder for those who have done little furniture finishing and so are gullible, but it's no surprise that any professionals who talk about tung oil finishing always talk about building layers...at least 3 or 4, if not more.
Loads more! This video is ridiculous and there is no mention of using dry newspaper to take off the excess oil that seeps out of the surface and this needs doing every 15 minutes on the first coat. Layers, layers, layers, curing, wait a week and then you can start and all the sanding in between! Every coat, cure then sand, cure then sand! It takes forever and a day if you do it properly! Cure then sand! Wait. Cure then sand! There’s no other way and you can’t rush it!
Thanks, Aden here, I've been told im very gullible, Also believe I was 2nd-year apprentice in this video. I haven't tried many finishes; Only oil-based on, Pure tung, Osmo, Livos. I've found the number of coats of tung oil is usually dependent on the bit of wood itself. Since this video, we have started using alot more osmo.
Thanks again.
Thats alot of Exclamation marks.
@@studiodubbeld7836 The type of wood, on the whole, should not matter in the least. It still comes down to thickness...and depth of finish. First coat basically gets absorbed, on the whole...and starts to form a cured surface...and the next few layers give it more depth and protection. It's just basic science of finishes....and is true of so many finishes...and not just tung oil. A proper tung oil finish takes a good month or so to complete. This is so often why people shortcut the process....and get lesser finishes, as a result.
@@joeidaho5938 Cool. I'll do a bit more reading next time I do some tung oil - As we use osmo/livos for 99% of things now.
Do you have any finished shots of some timber with tung oil with a month long process on it?
It's just oil.
Do you REALLY think that oil is not crossing your skin and entering your body? Maybe...but I bet not, and I can't think of a single reason not to use nitrile gloves while doing that. Check back with me in 30 years of doing this, when you have liver cancer.
save me a google; does tungoil give you liver cancer?
Five minutes 😂
to save me watching the clip - should tell me min/second of where this is referring to?
Pretty informative but pull your pants up son!!!
I tell him everyday - I got him a belt for his birthday last year - its been pretty good since then
dad?
Wear gloves!
Awesome. Thanks.