In woodworking and in the finishing area , the materials we use are so many and in the area of the pure and natural ones , the tung oil , is another basic and a totally natural oil , you can use .
The tung oil and the several versions we make , using its pure form , is a very versatile and capable wood finishing to any wood type we use and in any place we are in the globe .
Oils , waxes and the shellac aren’t used to majority of the industrial wood finishing products , you can supply in the markets , by luck .
Their properties are unique .
See some very top tung oil versions to buy , in HERE .
The 100% totally natural tung oil , is the liquid we take from the Chinese tung tree with mechanical ways , using the cold elision and water( as all the natural extracted oils ) as a spacer , in order to seperate the tree’s seed and the oil and it contains , esters , glycerol and several fatty acids .
What is the not 100% , Tung oil ?
The Tung oil , which isn’t 100% pure and natural from the Chinese tung tree , can contain many ingredients in its mass , other types of natural oils ( linseed oil , teak oil , et.c ) , several types of natural waxes or wax mixtures and several types of chemicals , as solvents , mineral spririts , turpentine and whatever else .
What is Tung oil , for ?
The tung oil , in its pure and natural or mixture version , it can fill – seal the wood pores , it can be a primer , a restorer and a top hydrate factor for dry wood , it can be a thinner for other oils and a top under coat as a top last wood finishing element .
What is the Difference between Tung oil and Tung oil Finish ?
When we speak about Tung oil finish , we’re talking about the heated or boiled tung oil , which because of the heat – boil treatment , it’s polymerized and it has become a very top and capable natural varnish , excellent for the last coating .
The process and approach is the same , as the linseed oil heat – boil process .
How Deep , does Tung oil penetrate ?
The tung oil is kind of a thick oil in general with a high viscosity( syrup has high viscosity compared to water ) , which isn’t so good for the very deep penetration .
You can overcome this feature , by heating a little ( not boil ) , the oil , making it more capable for deeper penetration .
Does Tung oil , Protect wood from Sun ?
In the pure , natural version of the tung oil , you won’t have serious sun protection , but if you heat it hard , boil it and make it a polymerized natural varnish , the protection from the sun is way better .
Does sunlight , Cure tung oil ?
Yes , it does and in general the heat dries tung oil , with extreme heat polymerize it .
What Wood is best for , tung oil ?
The tung oil can do its protecting – finishing job to any type of wood , it does better to the more open pores ones and the walnut and the cherry wood , are its favorite ones .
Remember something about the wood types in HERE .
Is tung oil , Waterproof ?
As all oils the tung oil can protect a wooden surface from water in a acceptable amount of time , but of course it doesn’t make wood totally waterproof .
How Long until tung , is Waterproof ?
A couple of hours , depending from the general weather conditions and the heat the place has , the tung oil can be very hydrophobic and a good water protector . But not for a very long time .
Do you Sand , between coats of tung oil ?
Yes , if you want to create a very smooth wooden surface and a glossy shiny shade and wood texture , as a final result . If you want to have very open pores , you don’t sand between the coats and you sand after the complete oil drying , to finally smoothen the surface .
What Sandpaper , to use on tung oil ?
If you want to have the more open wood pores possible , you use an “aggresive” sandpaper and if you want smoothness and a perfect final result you sand between the coats and at the end of the drying process , with a light sandpaper .
The most classical sandpapers and other abrasives to get , in HERE .
Can you Brush , tung oil ?
This depends from what you want to do to your wood project in general and what design appearance , you want to give to it .
You can brush before the oiling with the tung oil , to open the pores along with your sandpapers and have a more matte looks , as you can brush after the complete drying to have a specific shade and texture and general final result .
if you use a boiled tung oil and brush it after the drying , you’ll have a very nice matte result .
Does tung oil turn wood , Yellow ?
Yes , but only for a little because it provides more the golden – blond shade color to wood .
Does tung oil , Darken wood ?
Tung oil provides mostly a very nice matte looks to wood and doesn’t darken it very much .
Does tung oil finish , need to be Sealed ?
The tung oil is a very fine wood sealer in its pure form – in its mixed version with chemicals and in its boiled version which is like a varnish . If you want extra sealing , you may do so after the drying , it’s not forbitten .
Does tung oil , need a Sealer ?
The tung oil is a very fine sealer in all of its versions , but if you desire more sealing power and you have a specific result and shade you want to give to your design , it’s not forbitten to use more sealers and other stuff .
The most basic sealers for your extra sealing , are in HERE .
Do you Stain , before tung oil ?
No , you don’t and usually the stains , dyes , paints , et.c , are final coats for a wood piece . Of course we won’t “put you in jail” if you do that , for your reasons .
In the case of the boiled tung oil which is tranformed into a natural varnish , after your stain finish you can apply a coat of boiled tung oil , as the final varnish protector of the whole project .
What is best finish , After the tung oil ?
Natural varnishes , oil based varnishes , all the types and purity of waxes ( beeswax , carnauba , et.c ) and oil based paints , are some of the most suitable to “bond” with the tung oil and provide , perfect results .
Of course you can use , boiled tung oil which is a top natural varnish , along with the pure one , you’ve used before , as a sealer – filler , et.c .
For more natural & chemical finishing combinations , go HERE .
Can you Polish , a tung oil finish ?
Yes , of course you can and there are no limitations to the materials you may use to polish a well dried tng oil surface , even if the oil based products , kind of better .
You can also polish your surface using your polishing wheels , in very low revs of course in order to keep the temperatures low .
Do you put anything , Over the Tung oil ?
Yes , you can put whatever last coat , you like over a well dried tung oil surface , but i suggest you to prefer more oil based elements , to be more compatable with your oil undercoat .
Can you put , Too much tung oil , on wood ?
Yes , you can but have in mind that you’ll need way more time for complete drying and be aware of any uniformity themes , you may have ( and don’t want ) from the excess of oil .
Does tung oil , dry Hard ?
The tung oil needs more time in its pure and natural version as all the pure oils and the exact time depends from many factors as the weather conditions , the wood type , the quality of the oil , the air circulation .
When it dries it provides a solid , hard enough , but flexible result .
How Long should tung oil Sit , before wiping ?
This depends from how fast the tung oil will penetrate deep to your wood , the type of wood and how “thirsty” it is and when you’ll judge that the penetration is over , wipe the excess so the drying process , will start normally .
What is the best way to Apply tung oil ?
This totally depends from your personal preferences and the type of job you want to do , from the type of the wood , the time you have for drying ( too much oil needs more time ) , the pre-coats if they exist and the fiinal color – shade you want to have .
Should you Buff , tung oil ?
Yes , you can use your wheels to buff a well dried tung oil project and give the shiny texture you want to reach .
Is Tung oil , a good Indoor finish ?
Yes , the pure tung oil and the boiled one you’ve made yourself and have no chemicals inside , it’s a first class indoor oil for your furniture .
Is tung oil , a good Outdoor finish ?
No , the pure tung oil and the boiled one with no chemicals inside , aren’t so good for the tough outdoor circumstances , even if the boiled one is like a natural varnish , being more durable than the pure one .
For the outdoors , you’ll need more UV , weather , et.c , protection .
See some very basic only chemical finishing combinations , in HERE .
How Long does Tung oil , last ?
The pure and boiled tung oil have time limitations , way more shorter than the chemical enriched ones , but a couple of months , one or two years , are a reasonable time for an oil refreshing .
Always the general weather and other conditions , affect this approach .
Is Tung oil , Permanent ?
No , it’s not and it needs refreshing , reapplying , et.c . No element or process is permanent , not even the Shou Sugi Ban Japanese technique for wood protection .
See this Japanese method , HERE .
How Long , will Tung oil last on wood Outside ?
Surely way less than the indoor treated wood with tung oil and this depends to the general conditons, the heat , the UVs , the moisture , the wood type , the quality of the oil , et.c .
The mountain is different from the near the sea – salty place and the wear of the wood is different also .
Why tung oil Not recommended for Floors ?
It’s not recommended , because it has longer drying times than other stuff , but you can use it it’s not forbitten , if you’re willing to deal with the drying time .
Is Tung oil , better than Teak oil ?
There are different oils , maybe similar and maybe the tung oil is a glimpse better for the outside , but for sure the teak’s oil bugs – fungi protection , is unique for the teak oil and cannot be reached by no other natural oil .
What is better , Tung oil or Polyurethane ?
There are totally different elements , even if we take the tung oil with chemicals inside its mass . It’s still an oil , while the polyurethane is literally plastic .
Polyurethane has way more advanced protection properties from any natural oil material , no matter what else has inside .
How can you win , plastic ?
The best polyurethane stuff and more water based finishes , to buy in HERE .
What is best , Tung oil or Danish oil ?
The danish oil isn’t a pure natural oil , it’s a mixture of several types of oils . There is no danish tree , we extract , danish oil . The manufacturers , make it and they use whatever oils mixture they want for their needs .
Most of the time it contains tung oil inside . Many times it contains tung oil and linseed oil , or just boiled ( polymerized ) linseed oil , which they call danish oil .
I suppose this several types of oils mixture , can win the tung oil alone , combining the more oil abilities in one place .
Is tung oil , Like varnish ?
Yes , if you boil it yourself and polymerize it , it becomes a top natural and pure varnish .
Can i Mix , tung oil and varnish ?
Yes , you can and you may combine pure tung oil with boiled one , or if you want another type of varnish try to have an oil based one .
Is Tung oil , better than Varnish ?
The tung oil can be a natural varnish if you boil it and the heat makes it a varnish , keeping its breathing abilities and the flexibility it has to external powers , as expansions , shrinking , et.c .
The industrial varnishes don’t have these abilities so extended as the boiled tung oil .
The tung oil in its pure form and not boiled , is a material that penetrates deep enough and very deep ( if you warm it ) , while the varnish isn’t designed for this .
Varnishes are mostly for the last coating and there aren’t so versatile .
Can you add Beeswax , to Tung oil ?
Yes , surely you can and the result wil be a very strong and versatile wood finishing , natural or not if you use a tung oil markets mixture .
Warm the tung oil ( not boil it if you like ) , in order to melt the beeswax inside and you’re ready . The ratio usually is , no more beeswax than the 10% of the quality of the oil .
100 grams of oil , less or up to 10 grams for beeswax .
Some of the best wax types to supply , in HERE .
What do you Thin , tung oil with ?
You can thin it with other natural or chemical oil mixtures having lower viscosities , with several solvents , with mineral spirits and with vinegar giving to it , some antifungal properties .
Can i use Turpentine to thin , tung oil ?
Yes , surely you can and it’s a very popular mix you can find in the stores .
Is boiled linseed oil , the Same as tung oil ?
No , it’s not even if the boiled linseed oil becomes a natural varnish , too . These are different oils , from different tree seeds extracted , containing different esters and fatty acids .
Is tung oil , Toxic when dry ?
No , it’s not but always have in your mind that allergic themes aren’t very rare to happen if you’re allergic and be sensitive .
Is tung oil , bad to Breathe ?
The 100% , pure and totally natural tung oil , smells as all the natural oil smell from their fatty natural ingredients . This isn’t bad for the health . The industrial tung oil with several chemical additives inside it , of course needs attention and the safety measures , as face masks , et.c .
What is the Disadvantage of Tung oil finish ?
The totally natural oil finishings have limitations in their performance , compared to the industrial made ones and most of the times the natural oils are more expensive than other type of finishings .
The tung oil is another natural oil we use and create more oil and other finishing elements , taking advantage of the unique properties , a natural oil provides .
You cannot erase it , from your brain and you can use it in many versions you can find to the markets and target a specific wood result .
I like the natural versatile oils , much .
Keep woodworking and the happiness won’t abandon you , ever .