I've made several dulcimers finished with tung oil. Been quite a while back so I don't recall the exact finishing method. I believe I just rubbed several coats on with a soft lint free cloth, by several, probably 6 or 8 coats. This left them already with a pretty glossy finish. Not the depth of a sprayed on finish. This also doesn't compare to a pore filled nitro lacquer gloss finish but still pretty shiny. I'm not sure buffing would improve it measurably. If you're looking for a mirror smooth gloss, tung oil is not what you want, if you want an easily applied, still glossy finish it will work without a great deal of effort or learning.