Tung Oil

I have used mostly True Oil on my guns after staining them with aqua fortis.I think that True Oil is composed of Tung oil with other additives in it. After some reading on the matter I have purchased "pure tung oil" and would like to try it. Have any of you used it with stains or without stains or in some other manner? I would try any thing I used on scrap pieces first of course. Thanks for any suggestions you might offer.
Bunky

 

[Roy]

Apply it like you would the true oil. :thumbsup:

 

[Swampman]

I don't think it will dry. If I wanted something that didn't dry, I'd just use linseed oil. :winking:

 

It'll Dry, but if your north of the Mason-Dixon line, ya better wait til about April or May, as it needs Sunlight UV rays to dry properly. Thats why my .40 cal. may not make it's debut til then. We ain't seen the sun here in Northern Michigan since about the first of December. :haha: . That's the real trick, sunlight to cure the oil, both tung and linseed. Bill

 

[Zonie]

My experiance with 100% pure tung oil is it drys a little slower than pure linseed oil.

After the wood is soaked with several coats and will take no more, wipe it off leaving the oiled surface.

I believe the "Tung Oil" which drys rapidly, has dryers in it so it is not "100% tung oil.

 

[Swampman]

Correct, it is a varnish. Most of the muskets I use were finished with varnish in the 18th c. That's why I like Formby's Tung Oil Finish. It isn't historically correct, but it's cheap, and it looks correct. It's also a lot more water resistant than linseed oil, which I recently decided isn't worth the trouble. It took me 30 years to give up on linseed oil. I'm kinda hard headed.

 

[Dave K]

I agree 100% with Swampman. Each to his own, but I have done my last linseed oil stock along time ago. I use Formby's or even Tru-Oil and love it.

 

[Zonie]

I forgot to mention the fact that some people are very allergic to Tung Oil.

The Military once tried it on some Springfield rifles and after some of the troops had used the guns a few developed severe rashes from it.

I don't know for sure, but, for what it's worth, I was told years ago that Tru-Oil is Linseed oil with driers added.

 

[Roy]

I rub it in using several thin coats. It dries alot quicker when you make a heat box with a small fan to circulate the air. :thumbsup:

 

[bouldersmith]

too get tung oil to dry quickly, I like to add a drop or two of japan dryer and place the stock in my rusting box with the light on and no water. It really speeds things up. You can get a very nice deep finishing using tung oil, but its lots of work.
Steve

 

[BlackNet]

Personaly I have yet to see anything about tung oil NOT doing the dry thing. I have had very good results in under a day, two at the most, with old master 100% pure tung oil, no additives and 100% organic from the tung tree, no oil byproducts or the other manure in there. But then again im way south so that may make a huge difference. If you are in doubt as to the dryness then put some out on a clean rag and check it to see what it does over time.

When stains are to be applied I like putting them on over tung oil then a light sanding. You will find this will yield a higher contrast and makes the grain 'pop'. Another thing you can do is mix the stain with some tung oil that way you get a good smooth even layer of stain and it doesn't pool up in one place.

From what I have used of 'tru oil' I hated it with a passion. Seems it does not dry evenly the way I like.

Few other tips you may want to look at, mix tung oil with mineral oil, turpentine or the like.

Ed

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings All,

I prefer "OLD MASTERS" brand OF tung oil. It is applied with a one inch paint brush. The tung oil is soaked on the stock until the oil will not soak into the wood any more.

The stock is set aside until the oil starts to get tacky, then wiped dry. I use a dry box to complete oil drying. The stock is sanded with steel wool, and the tung oil is applied again.

This whole process is repeated as many times as necessary.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.

 

[navaho]

I have been using tung oil for years to refinish stocks. Haven't ever really had any problems, I use min-wax tung oil. I have even used it when it was like out of a 10 year old can, thick but still worked. I hand rub it on. Thin coats, somewhere between 10 and 15. Put it on, almost immeadately start working it into the wood and rub off any excess. Have found that t-shirts (white) are pretty lint free and work best for this operation. I also do not like a gloss finish so the hand rubbing helps in that respect to. Between every other coat I use 0000 steel wool and rub down the finish. This smooths it out if there are any problems. I have done some reading and the only thing I am going to do different next time is add a little linseed oil an sand in the finish using 600 grade sand paper. I have seen this done and the effects are really outstanding. It seals the wood and really gives it a fuller look, better then a just a stain finish. Thats my story and I am sticking with it....

 

[Swampman]

Tung oil is normally used in pretty much the same manner as linseed. Both should be applied after the stain is dry and by hand. If you use a few drops, no wiping with a rag is required. I use 0000 between coats and only very lightly. Please remember the rags with oil on them can burst into flames with no ignition source in just a few hours.

 

[bub524]

Watco oil finish had a problem with spontaneous combustion of the rags used several years back and almost went out of business. I think this was mostly someone leaving a pile of stain rags to smolder into a fire. But, I heard, at the paint store, that they changed their formulation somewhat after that. I've used their finishes and also Deft "Danish" oil and had good luck.

 

[Jon in MI]

I've uses pure tung oil on M-1 Garand stocks for years and love it. Never had any problems with drying. just put on a heavy coat let it get tacky and wipe, set it aside for a day or two and lightly sand... repeat as needed.

Jon

 

[Swampman]

I think if you're just wanting the wood to look oiled, that would be fine. I don't want to wipe the finish off. I want a satin varnish look like original guns had.

 

[Chiefs50]

I have used pure Tung oil on both restorations and new stock work. I prefer it over most finishes. It is more water resistant than a boiled linseed oil finish. If folks are having a problem with drying it is probably because it is being applied too thick and/or the excess is not being wiped off. I often thin it with Turpentine and after rubbing it in, I wipe off all the excess oil. I allow to dry for 24 hours and then buff lightly with 0000 steel wool before applying another coat. I apply repeat coats in the same fashion until I get the finish I want. After the first couple coats you can use the undiluted Tung oil - just be sure you rub it out well and wipe off all the excess.

 

[mwhitacre]

I love the finish and ease of tung oil. I only use it now. I just wish it smelled like linseed oil.

 

[BB61]

When I built my one and only rifle (not an expert), I rubbed a very very, very thin coat of Tung Oil onto the stock and left it to dry. I't was the middle of the Summer in Utah -- read NO humidity desert dry. After two days my stock was still tacky. After a week of messing with it, I stripped everything off and started over. This time, I put a very, very, very thin coat on each section and then hand rubbed the oil into the wood until it was dry and smooth. I then rubbed the stock down with a clean cotton cloth. I got several blisters on my hand over the course of two weeks as I slowly applied more and more coats to the stock until I had one that water would bead on the wood. I was striving for a satin finish which I got. I am NOT an expert and am right now printing Mr. Woods' tutorial for my next project. However, I honestly believe I got a very nice finish that is as good as I've seen -- kit screwups not included.