Finishing Question: Over Tung Oil

[steve-norrell]

Help!! I made some small boxes and finished them with tung oil (wax free, from Woodcraft) but the LOML now says that she would prefer a satin polyurethane finish .

I vaguely remember reading that polyurethane can be applied over the tung oil provided the oil was wax-free. Any comments and suggestions would be welcomed?

Thanks and regards, Steve.

[cabinetman]

Help!! I made some small boxes and finished them with tung oil (wax free, from Woodcraft) but the LOML now says that she would prefer a satin polyurethane finish .

I vaguely remember reading that polyurethane can be applied over the tung oil provided the oil was wax-free. Any comments and suggestions would be welcomed?

Thanks and regards, Steve.

Pure Tung Oil (100%) doesn't have wax in it. It can be topcoated once its dry...it takes a while. The overcoating you might be referring to (wax free) is shellac.

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[scmhogg]

When Cab says it takes a while, he's not kidding. Out here in nice dry SoCal, I waited a week to apply poly. The poly never cured. It was a nasty mess to clean up. Next time I waited 30 days and that was enough. An old wwkr once told me, that you should touch the work piece and another unfinished piece of the same wood. If the finished piece is colder than the unfinished, it is not ready.

Steve

[cabinetman]

You can achieve a very nice finish with just 100% pure Tung Oil. You can get it to look and feel like a film finish. I usually thin the first application 20% - 25% or two with VM&P naptha, and full strength after all those applications, each having a chance to dry. The thinned version will penetrate better, and dry faster. Lay it on and give it about 10 minutes and wipe off the excess.

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[Black wallnut]

Pure tung oil seems to cure best in natural sunlight. it also does take a long time to dry.

Have you considered a glossy epoxy spray on finish?