tung oil

[rfcbuf]

Can tung oil be purchased in a hardeware store or Home Depot?

 

[ol vern]

Ye

 

[ol vern]

Lets try that again.
yes you can find it at just about ant place that has a paint department.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

You can find the marketing gimmick tung oil finish (which is a varnish) most everywhere,.

Many find the pure tung oil hard to work with, correct drying in high humidity areas can oft be an iffy thing, (no such problem here in AZ) I sand after every coat, and it takes a lot of coats. For me, pure tung oil for outdoor wood protection is hard to beat, but it has become hard to find in the past few years, have to order it on line.

 

[Swampman]

Formby's or Minwax Satin Tung Oil Finish is what you want. Like most period finishes, it is a varnish.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings Rfcbuf,

My personal favorite is "Old Masters" Tung Oil.

Best regards,

John L. Hinnant

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

 

[Swampman]

As long as you avoid the pure tung oil, you'll be fine. If you want something that doesn't dry, linseed oil is cheaper.

 

[boar]

I just saw some at wall-marts in sporting Dept. Dilly

 

[LRB]

I have used pure tung oil, and had no problems with it drying. In low humidity it drys in a days time.

 

[anvil1231]

I have also used tung oil and linseed oil on ironwork and hawk handles and speeded up the drying by adding a little japan dryer. anvil

 

[Dave_B]

I have found Minwax Tung oil at Home Depot, Lowes and the local Wally World all at pretty similar prices.
Dave

 

[bioprof]

You can find the marketing gimmick tung oil finish (which is a varnish) most everywhere,.

Your comment seems to imply that pure tung oil is better than the tung oil finishes (like Formby's). Can you explain why? I'm not trying to disagree with you, just trying to become informed.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

There are many brands of varnishes out there that use tung oil. Spar varnishes for marine use are typically (and have been for a very long time) tung oil based, and they are extremely tough and weather resistant. The gimmickery employed by some manufacturers is the, "WOW, ours is a tung oil finish."

I much prefer the pure tung oil, maybe a bit harder to work with, but to me the result is well worth it. I love the fact that perhaps once a year (or if finish gets scuffed or scratched) after hard use I can hand rub in one light coat of tung oil and the wood is restored back into great shape.

Another reason for my preference perhaps, is the tung oil we used in the army a half century ago, it worked well on an M-1 then, and still does for me today.

With all that said, I doubt if a tung oil type finish of any kind was seldom, if ever used on original muzzleloaders in North America, I don't think it was even widely available in the US until the late 1800's.

 

[Swampman]

The only reason I've ever used Formby's and Minwax Tung Oil Finishes, is that they dry. Tung oil isn't a period finish for the guns we shoot. If you are willing to struggle with the long drying times, why not just use linseed oil? It's cheaper and produces an excellent (better)finish. If you add Japan Dryer to pure Tung oil, you have Tung Oil Finish. They one thing I don't like about the Formbys is that it's almost too fast. It's getting tacky before you get it smoothed out.

 

[navaho]

I have a friend who is a high dollar rifle builder. We often get into discussions about finishes. He says that he mixes a 50/50 solution of tung oil and mineral spirts. He says this increases drying time on pure T.oil. I have done the same using minwax and it seems to slow it down a little and allow you to work the finish a little easier.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

"Tung oil isn't a period finish for the guns we shoot."

Once you start down that period road, one may just as well chuck their present day muzzleloaders, there is actually very little period about them, except in their being somewhat reasonable looking facsimiles thereof.

"...why not just use linseed oil? It's cheaper and produces an excellent (better)finish."

In no way does linseed oil offer the weather protection of tung oil.

 

[Swampman]

Tung Oil offers very little protection either, it's not any better than linseed. I cut my Formbys with turpentine 50/50. Permalyn is probably the best, if historical accuracy isn't important.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings All,

The late, great master long rifle builder. John Bivins considered Tung Oil and Flecto Penetrating Plastic Oil Sealer to be considerably superior to ANY type of linseed oil and also excellant weather resistance finishes. finis.

His manuscript "The London Oil Finish" published in a 1970's RIFLE Magazine is a must read for those who want to learn about stock finishing from one the great modern Masters.

Best regards and good shooting,

John L. Hinnant

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

 

[spitfire]

The late, great master long rifle builder. John Bivins considered Tung Oil and Flecto Penetrating Plastic Oil Sealer to be considerably superior to ANY type of linseed oil and also excellant weather resistance finishes. finis.

Amen :applause: !!!

 

[brubincam]

my wife doesnt need any tung oil,,, :blah: :rotf: :blah: