Finishing Stock with Pure Tung Oil

[Springerpanhead]

Shellac is not a very durable outdoor finish.
Robin

Didn’t say it was. Only mentioned it cuz it’s the historically and tonally correct finish for a quality violin. Varnish is used on relative cheapies. Besides, most violins are not played outside in bad weather a whole lot. However, today you can purchase a carbon fiber one you can play in a thunderstorm if you are so inclined, with little or no damage to the instrument. But, they tend to fall a tad short on tonal quality when compared to a Guarnerius, or a Strad.

PS. Come to think of it the horse hide glue they are put together with ain’t exactly waterproof either.

 

[Robby]

Um, okay.
Robby

 

[Loja man]

So those of you who do use the polymerized Tung oil. How many coats would you say is the minimum? From reading through the forum I know many uses 8-12 coats of finish. Depending on the level of depth one is trying to achieve. Yet I’ve not see a “you must do at least x amount of coats” . Guess I’m looking for the base line….
So my 30 days for the raw tung oil is past! I did some sanding and re staining. I currently have 4 coats of Sutherland Wells polymerized on my stock.
Thanks again!

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Loja man, the minimum number of coats of the polymerized tung oil needed is the number of coats that provide the finish that you like. Some of us go rather crazy with applying and rubbing back to get that perfect depth of finish.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Loja,
You do want enough coats to fill the grain. That usually takes 4 coats or so of polymerized tung oil. Then it is up to you how shiny you want the finish. Just makes sure when applying the oil to let it sit for 10-15 minutes with the finish applied and then wipe off all excess oil. Every bit including build up in tight corners. Then let dry at least 24 hours before the next coat. On maple, it should only take 6 or so coats to have a nice satin sheen.

dave

 

[Loja man]

@Loja man, the minimum number of coats of the polymerized tung oil needed is the number of coats that provide the finish that you like. Some of us go rather crazy with applying and rubbing back to get that perfect depth of finish.

Hence my question! I know some people tend to want to take it a little bit overboard! ;-)
Dave that is super helpful. I guess that was the question I was wanting answered. What’s the minimum to seal the wood well and then after that it’s just depth of sheen. So I have been letting it sit between five and seven minutes before wiping off. That is the manufactures recommendation on time. Even in that amount of time though the tung oil is tacking up a lot. Per manufacturers instructions I then add a light coat to moisten and then wipe the stock. Since I’m having to moisten it with tung oil before wiping at 5 to 7 minutes would I could probably leave it 10-15 then moisten and wipe?

 

[Loja man]

After your final coat on a stock what do you use to buff out any roughness or tone down the sheen?

 

[Wolf75]

Unfortunately, I did not write down any maintenance/preservation instructions from my dad on how to care for his firearms. All I do know is that he said he never used oil on his guns, only Minwax paste wax. In fact, shortly before he died, he had me order some super fine steel wool, and I think he had made some attempt to work on some. I don't know if I should be doing anything to preserve and maintain his guns, including the wood, hardware, or barrels. I do know with antique furniture, you're better off leaving the condition as is, but you still want to care for it. So far, all I've done is take a tooth brush and brushed off accumulated dust and created a picture inventory.

 

[B P Arn]

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[Frontstuffer3491]

I have finished over three dozen gunstocks with Tung oil. For the Tung oil process I use, I start with at 50% or more mix of Stoddard solvent (mineral spirts) with pure Tung oil. I apply a generous coat and let the stock sit for 30 minutes or so, then wipe ‘dry’ with a rag. Note, be careful with how you dispose of any Tung oil soaked rags, they will spontaneously combust. I will repeat the about process every hour or so, until the wood doesn’t seem to be absorbing any more Tung oil, up to four or five times the first day. Each coat takes but a few minutes to apply, and the wiped down goes quick. The following day I’ll repeat with one or two coats. The wood will not soak anywhere near as much Tung oil as on day one. I’ll skip adding any coats on day three, then apply one or two coats on day four. If the finish looks good the next day, I’m finished, just have to let it full cure, which takes three to four weeks, though you can handle the stock well before that. Also learned not to put the stock out in the sun before cured, or some of the oil will bubble up onto the surface.

I have finished numerous stocks with this process and find it to be a durable and forgiving finish. It doesn’t blister or chip like some poly coats when scratched. You just apply a bit more Tung oil to the damaged area and it will blend right in, adds to the wood’s character. I started using Tung oil on Milsurp stocks that are up to 100 years old or so. These are competition guns that get used and abused in all types of weather. At times from rapid firing and the hot sun the wooden forearms get too hot to hold. The Tung oil finish comes through unscathed.

Here is a photograph of TC stock finished with Tung Oil 10-15 years ago. It has seen a lot of time in the woods and on the range. Any scratches, nicks or dings are covered with light touch up coats every so often and just add to the stock’s character

There is concern that some people may be allergic to Tung oil, as the US military decided years ago to stop using it because of than concern. Tung oil, by the way, comes from the seeds of tree’s fruit (like the seed in a peach pit for example), and are not nuts. In a British study of people with tree nut allergies, none were found to have a reaction to refined Tung oil. A Canadian study found the risk of allergy to Tung oil to be about 0.1% of the population.

The reduced sheen on your stock is more like what I get than the sheen on a stock posted on another thread I’ve seen today. I strive for the lower luster - just my take. I get the lower luster by using linseed oil and rotten stone to rub the stock down after it is fully completed.