Replies

1. 
   giametti | May 01, 2005 02:07am | #1

   Shellac is prized for its ability to adhere to most anything, and for most anything to adhere to it. With a scuff sand on the oil finish once it's cured, shellac should go on fine. I'm not sure about poly--this varies from brand to brand. It would probably adhere to a barrier coat of shellac over the oil. Make sure the shellac is dewaxed if using it this way.

2. 
   tms | May 01, 2005 02:45am | #2

   Hey Matt,

   If you don't need a high degree of protection, try just putting a coat of paste wax on a buffing it out. It will put a sheen on your oil finish, without adding a heavy finish coat, or over glossing.

   Tom

3. 
   Maret | May 01, 2005 03:08am | #3

   More Tung Oil. It's a great varnish finish, and very easy to apply and repair/recoat.

   I've got about 6 coats on a teak dining table and it's held up well for about 10 years. Just keep building coats until you get a smooth surface. You'll get a pretty high gloss. If you want a satin finish, buff the last coat with #600 wet/dry sandpaper and polish with auto body polish or an oil-based metal polish (such as Maas). Some people have good luck buffing the gloss down with steel wool, but I do not, and it leaves a BIG MESS where you're working.

   I have read that some companies are making satin gloss tung oil finishes, but the stuff they use to dull the sheen also makes the finish softer, so I prefer to use gloss and rub it to a satin sheen where the surface will have to stand up to a lot of wear -- like a tabletop.

   I saw no noticeable wear in the finish on my table after 6 years. We moved, so I left it alone until we were in the new house, and then scuffed the table top and put another coat of tung oil on it. I wiped it more than I did the original finish, and it "satined" very nicely without rubbing.

4. 
   lwj2 | May 01, 2005 04:03am | #4

   I used about ten coats of tung/linseed/turps mix to get a high gloss on the tote & knob of the No. 3 plane I was rehabbing.

   Leon Jester
1. 
   willy | May 01, 2005 05:15pm | #5

   Is your mixture 1/3rd of each Leon

1. 
   lwj2 | May 01, 2005 06:50pm | #6

    

   Is your mixture 1/3rd of each Leon

   4 oz 100% tung oil

   1 oz raw linseed oil

   ½ oz (1 tbs) Japan drier

   turpentine to make 16 oz

   This mixture can be used to make stains by adding a 37 ml tube of artists oil paint to it, to do this, first squeeze the paint into your measuring cup, then add linseed oil slowly, stirring until uniform. Add the tung oil the same way, then the Japan drier, finally the turps.

   You may have to shake it to suspend it if stored for some time.

   I store this in a Mason jar with regular lid and band.

   Regards,

    

    Leon Jester

1. 
   willy | May 01, 2005 11:53pm | #7

   Raw Linseed oil   - -  Not boiled?????

1. 
   AlanWS | May 03, 2005 12:11am | #8

   He's adding dryers, and my understanding is that the addition of dryers is what makes the linseed oil "boiled". It never was made by boiling, and with modern dryers, heating is not needed.

2. 
   lwj2 | May 04, 2005 04:15am | #17

   When I originally came up with the formulation, I was looking for something as close as I could get to a traditional finish. I'd given some thought to making a "true" BLO with a double boiler and decided that the flash point was too low to risk it -- at the time I had a gas stove.I use a non-lead Japan drier -- at the time, many BLOs on the market were made with leaded driers.So far it's worked pretty well.Tried & True oil finish is a polymerized oil, I haven't used it, but plan to give it a try in the future.Regards,Leon Jester

3. 
   user-343246 | May 05, 2005 02:44am | #22

   "Tried & True oil finish is a polymerized oil, I haven't used it, but plan to give it a try in the future."I've used Tried & True a lot and it is pretty good for certain applications. It works great for things which will never, ever, ever, get wet, like beds (don't leave the windows open) or picture frames. It takes a good month or two for it to cure. You can't beat it for a nice finish on cherry, and it lets the wood darken very quickly. Best of all, it is non-toxic, and it smells nice. Unfortunately, my dog loves how it tastes, and he's turned a few finishing projects into nightmares with his tongue marks.This brings me back to an offshoot of the original post question: "what to put over Tried & True to get a durable finish?"-Matt

4. 
   lwj2 | May 11, 2005 02:24am | #23

   Thanks for the info, Matt.I wasn't aware of the long cure time for T&T.In light of that, I'll be sticking with my tung-linseed-turps mix. So far it's performed well.Regards,Leon Jester

5. 
   lwj2 | May 04, 2005 04:03am | #16

   Raw linseed -- that's why I use Japan drier.Regards,Leon Jester

5. 
   cherryjohn | May 03, 2005 12:16am | #9

   Hopes Tung Oil and Varnish.  Should go on over it and with 1-2 coats should shine like a new dime.  I use it a lot and on bare wood like mahogany or cherry it gives a nice shine after 3-4 coats with lite sanding in between

   Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

1. 
   mkindpdx | May 03, 2005 12:51am | #10

   Thanks!

   In looking around the old finish cabinet, I have some spar varnish and some just plain old oil based poly. Do you think either of these would work? I'm just trying to save another trip to the woodworking store.

1. 
   cherryjohn | May 03, 2005 03:53am | #11

   if the piece is worth anything it is worth a trip out to get the right finishWicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

1. 
   phzuidema | May 03, 2005 04:24am | #12

   I built a cherry bookcase and finished with tung oil.  I used Formbys, which comes in satin and gloss versions.  I put about 10 coats on the top and five in everything else.  The top has a sheen like gloss poly but had a deeper chatoyance than poly.  By the time you get to the fifth coat, you can wipe another on in minutes.

   It's beautiful, but I have used other brands of tung oil with not as good a result.  Make sure it's fresh, too.

   Phil

1. 
   cherryjohn | May 03, 2005 02:17pm | #13

   Phil, thank God for Dictionary.com.  So your table has a deeper "changable luster" huh.  I see that Formbys Tung Oil all the time and I wonder about it.  Homer has done a good job of marketing his "down home" character and the Formbys products I have used have been good.  What I like about the Hopes Tung Oil and Varnish product is that it comes in a small container so I loose less of it.  Toward the end of the container the stuff can get pretty viscous if you haven't used it in awhile.  I am always looking for a easy whipe on finish that does a good job so Ill try the Formbys the next time.Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

2. 
   HowardAcheson | May 03, 2005 05:29pm | #14

   Contrary to what many believe, Formby's Tung Oil Finish is a varnish. Look closely at the label and it will say varnish. It's a thinned wiping varnish and contains no real tung oil at all. The "Tung Oil Finish" is "marketing speak" for a finish that will look like a real tung oil finish. But, what you are getting is a faux "tung oil finish". If you want a true tung oil look for the words "pure" or "100%" on the label. If if doesn't have one or both, it ain't.That said, it is a pretty nice varnish and will give you a nice finish.Howie.........

3. 
   cherryjohn | May 04, 2005 02:27am | #15

   I happened to be at the store today where I buy my finishes and there was no Formbys Tung Oil.  There was Hopes Tung Oil and the label said "100% Tung oil no fillers or petroeium adders" .  I guess if I was going to use tung oil Id use this but I still really like their Tung Oil and Varnish.

   Anyone ever use this product called "Brush Oil"?  I got some at the Massachusetts Woodworkers Show to try out.  I like this stuff too.  It gives a real nice satin finish to cherry in only 2 coats.  What i like was it seems to have a good shelf life even when exposed to the cold temps we see here in NH when stored in an unheated shop.Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

4. 
   Gretchen | May 04, 2005 02:37pm | #18

   I am always looking for a easy whipe on finish that does a good job so Ill try the Formbys the next time.

   Besides the explanation Howie has given why not just buy a high quality non-poly varnish such as Pratt and Lambert and make your own wiping varnish by thinning it 50/50 with mineral spirits.  On top of buying Homer's already diluted varnish at a higher price, it is also polyurethane (I assume).  Gretchen

5. 
   cherryjohn | May 04, 2005 03:09pm | #19

   I guess you missed the post where the Formbys "tung oil" was debunked as not being tongue oil at all.  That said if I was going to use tung oil I would buy something that was 100% ; not some marketing ploy.  Where would I get Pratt and Lambert?  Is it sold at hardware stores or do you need to go to a speciality place to get it?

    Wicked Decent Woodworks

   (oldest woodworking shop in NH)

   Rochester NH

   " If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"

6. 
   Gretchen | May 04, 2005 03:51pm | #20

   No, I didn't miss it at all. I referred to Howie's post in my post. It is pretty well known that Formby's contains no tung oil.  And certainly buy 100% if that is the finish you want. You seemed to not realize that point about Formby's  until Howie posted it.To get non-poly varnishes you need to go to a real paint store, not a big box and probably not a hardware store. McCloskey's also makes a non-poly varnish, as does Sherwin Williams, I believe.Gretchen

7. 
   lwj2 | May 05, 2005 01:35am | #21

   Cherry, Woodcraft sells 100% tung oil and I've also ordered it from the local PPG paint folks here. If either has a store near you, might check it out.http://www.prattandlambert.com/where/where.asp is the url for P&L's store listings.Regards,Leon Jester