Tung Oil
OK...new cocobolo grips and Homer Formby's tung oil. How many coats of the oil is "enough"? Does it eventualy build up and become a coating like a varnish, or does it just keep soaking in? Thank you for your comments!
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For me 3 or 4 is enough. You can do as many as you like but after a while it starts to look kind of thick like polyurethane. 0 -
Be sure your tung oil is "new" also. Once you remove the seal, it degrades quickly from exposure to the air.
I usually thin it with a little mineral spirits, to keep it from drying "tacky". I rub with 0000 steel wool between coats. I also use the steel wool after the final coat because I don't care for a high gloss finish.
Neal0 -
I like to cut it about 50/50 with mineral oil also, and then the first couple of coats I put on I use a postage stamp size square of 400 grit sandpaper to rub it in with. This allows the fine sandings and sawdust to fill the pores of the wood. After drying and before the next coat, I either use 0000 steel wool followed by a rub down with a micro fiber dust cloth or a light buffing with a 600 grit sandpaper and rub down with a dust cloth. Final coat is with rubbing compound lightly and then Butchers Bowling alley wax.
Allow at least 24 hours between coats. For a high gloss, I typically will put on between 10 and 15 coats. For a satin gloss I usually do about 6 or 7.
But that's me.
Dan R0 -
I should add that Formby's and most of the tung oil "finishes" you find at the hardware store are actually varnish with tung oil added. That way they build up a protective finish faster. Pure tung oil is a little harder to find. Like linseed oil the wood soaks up a lot more of it before it hardens on the out side to form a surface coating. When in doubt follow the manufacturers directions. 0 -
Thank you all! That answers all my questions and helps the process. 0
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