Tung oil?

[Anneh]

Hi all,
Well, I've finished cutting, sanding, etc on Bruce's Charlie's Angel pattern and now I'm ready to glue it up and finish it. However, I went to Lowe's trying to find the wiping gel that Judy Gale Roberts talks about and they didn't have any.
So now I'm wondering what would happen if I used Tung Oil? If I put that on and wipe it off, what effect would it have? Can I put it on each piece and then glue it together? And do I still need to put some type of varnish or polycrylic over it?
The "granny" teddy bear I did was a mess and I didn't mind if it ended up in the trash but this one is a lot better and I have this horror of spraying it with the same varnish I used on Granny and not liking it. It was gloss and very shiny.
Do you think an angel looks better shiny? Or natural?
Thanks for all your help to this newbie!
Anne

[Janette]

Do you have a Woodcraft in your area? They have General Finish clear satin gel. I don't much like the smell, but I think it would work better. I've used Danish oil on a few intarsia pieces and it works ok. The problem with white - if you used aspen for the robes is that it will likely yellow more because it soaks in more. I always glue first then finish. I used to finish first but it was so tedious finishing all those little pieces individually. I think Minwax may have a clear gel varnish now but I'm not sure. If you do try something else - test it on some scrap of the same wood (sand scrap the same way you sanded piece) to see what the effects are and make sure you like them.

[workin for wood]

You can do it. Tung oil is fine. It's extra good if you used any dense oily woods, as it's pretty good at penetrating those, although not as good as teak oil. A benefit of a tung or teak oil product is that it will not raise very much grain, so sanding is reduced in between coats. It'll pop the grain real nice. I would put the picture together first, but it's your call what you want to do. If the piece is assembled, the oil will drip down inbetween pieces and seal them up quite nice. Slop it on, wipe it off. After the first 3 coats or so, it will begin to build on the surface. There is no need for a topcoat if you use about 5-6 coats of tung oil. Otherwise, you can spray a poly over the top if desired. Stick with a satin or semi gloss..no high gloss for intarsia.

[Mick Walker]

Anne, are you talking about pure tung oil or tung oil finish? Pure tung oil will take weeks or months to dry. Tung oil finish such as Formby's or Minwax contains little or no actual tung oil. I would glue the pieces before applying any type of finish. Oil base products such as tung oil finish will turn the wood an amber color. Water base products will raise the grain and you will have to sand the first coat, they will not turn the color of the wood, (maybe just a tiny bit). I use Formby's satin tung oil finish for most of my cuttings, needs no other finish.

[Sue Chrestensen]

Or perhaps you could use a bee's wax finish..it would give the gown a soft satin look and can be buffed to a higher sheen in areas to draw the focus a bit..and as Mick indicated..glue it up first will help in that the glue between pieces won't hold as tightly if oil is present..most hardware and kitchen stores carry it..very easy to us
I look forward to seeing a picture of your finished piece

[Forester21]

I use the Formby's tung oil on my pieces. I like to actually pour the finish on the pieces for the first coat. After that, I will wipe the finish on using a rag.

I was getting the Formby's at my local Walmart - went there last week to get another can and they had clearanced them all out! Which means they won't be stocking it again.
T

[Anneh]

Wow! Thanks for all the help.
I have some Formbys Tung Oil finish here at the house and don't have to make another trip to town so I'm going to go for it. I think I'm going to put one coat on the individual pieces, then glue it down for the other coats.
My son is making a trip to Richmond next week and will stop at the Woodcrafts store to get me some wiping gel but I'm too impatient to wait for that.
Thank you all!
Anne

[Sandy Oaks]

I use tung oil finish on all my projects. I give two coats with a sanding between. I may follow up with Deft Claer Satin.

[scrollpup]

Theresa, I don't know if it would work, but try calling 1-800-WALMART and tell them you have to purchase it at another store (that sells groceries).They might restock it for that reason alone.Can't hurt to try...

Jerry C

[dankc908]

I asked about the Formby's Tung Oil and Danish Oil at my local Wal-Mart. They told me that they didn't carry it any more. I said that I'd have to go to Menard's for the same and they simply told me to "go for it". Since there is a Menard's, Home Depot, Target, and Hobby Lobby within 4 blocks of the local Wal-Mart I will limit (or eliminate) most of my Wal-Mart purchases!