Dan,  The wardrobe sounds like a thing of beauty.  I love tung oil and used
it on a number of pieces when I worked in a furniture shop many years ago.
Specific brands of Tung Oil do not matter as long as it has no waxes or
other ingrediants included.  Although, I'm told that many of these products
produce very nice finishes.  While Min-Wax does sell pure tung oil, as do
most other manufacturers, they have some products that are tung oil mixes
with any number of other things.

The process we used in this shop was to sand down to 180 grit and then apply
three coats of tung oil.  After each coat we hand rubbed it in by hand.  The
heat friction of rubbing it in, the theory went, let the oil absorb into the
wood much more efficiently. It does create a stunning finish, but you wear
several layers of skin off in the process.  In fact, with one particular
cherry wood pencil post bed, I seem to remember that the time between coats
was directly related to how severe the blisters were.

On some pieces we then took it into the spray booth and put a laquer finish
on it.  But, I always prefered a simple wax coat that could be well
buffed.------Original Message------
From: Dan Becker <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: November 12, 1999 3:29:27 PM GMT
Subject: Tung Oil


While we're singing (and panning) the virtues of oils, I guess I'll ask
about tung oil.

I have been planning on finally this weekend getting around to putting a
tung oil finish on the Craftsman-style wardrobe center we designed and had
built across the end of the bedroom.  (Which is by the way very cool and
beautiful; it's all quartersawn white oak with an ammonia-fumed finish a la
Stickley that we administered in a temporary plastic tent constructed in the
accessory building out back...truly a remarkable thing to have such a warm
finish with no muss, no fuss, just time).

Any differences in various tung oil products?  I had been planning on using
Minwax Tung Oil, which I've been quite satisfied with, but since we're
discussing oils, I thought I'd ask and see if anybody has any insights about
the products.
___________________________________________________
Dan Becker,  Executive Director          "What's this? Fan mail
Raleigh Historic                                   from some flounder?"
Districts Commission                           - Bullwinkle J. Moose
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