Tung oil finish - any tips?

JamieFromOntario

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I've finished putting together my first stewmac kit and was looking at using a Tung oil finish.
From what I've read online, it looks like it's pretty easy to apply and doesn't seem to produce fumes (which is important to me since I only have a small, enclosed, non ventilated work space).

I've read that for the first coat, I should cut the tung oil with an equal parts mineral spirits.

The brand I have in mind is called "Circa 1850 Tung Oil."

Any thoughts?

Big thanks in advance,
~jamie
 
I haven't used tung oil on an instrument but the way the pro painters used it on the finish work of a 3 million dollar house I was working on is the cut the first coat with thinner, added a couple of more coats then wet sanded with thinned tung oil a forth coat then finished with a couple more coats. It made a very nice finish.
 
Get some Smith & Co. CPES "Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer" and do two thin coats followed with either TruOil or Waterlox Tung Oil...three or four coats. Just my way of doing it.
 
Chuck, it's much, much thinner...practically like water. Foam brush it on and get it even; let cure overnight, lightly sand and repeat, lightly sand and do however much of whatever kind of drying oil you like. You get a nice open pored finish that is really tough and is easily renewable. I do it "upon request" from some of my clients who want that really next to the wood feel, but I think the penetrating epoxy really toughens up the top ten or fifteen thousandths of the surface of the wood.
 
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