# Had a Problem with Tung Oil



## Bree (Jun 28, 2009)

Last week I posted a pen that I had done out of some walnut crotch which I finished with tung oil and Crystal Polish. This was the pen:










It was finished to 12,000 MM then tung oiled and finally the Hut Polish was applied. When it was finished it was smooth as a baby's butt.

5 days later I was surprised to find that smoothness gone and a very rough surface in its place. I thought that the grain might have raised on it but now I am thinking that somehow the Tung Oil caused the wax in the HUT product to raise. 

Any ideas on what might have happened? Maybe I didn't let the Tung Oil dry enough??

I will pop the clip and refinish the pen by hand.


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## leehljp (Jun 28, 2009)

I don't know which "TO" you used, but if you used "real" TO - that has no driers (additives), it is recommended to take a week before waxing. 

• TO with additives and other finishes added in will take about 24 hours. 

• A few "TO" finishes do not have any TO in it. 

• TO is a finish that shows the wood grain in the sense that there is no build up or layers of finish as with polyurethane. Layer build up can occur if one is experienced.

Now - to your problem. What you suspect is probable. Also, light coats of TO soaked into the wood and left the wood without a "layer" as with poly, CA, etc. When this happens, it is only a matter of time before the wax evaporates or wears off and leaves a rough finish.

TO is NOT a "quick finish" material - at least when optimal results are expected.


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## hunter-27 (Jun 28, 2009)

I'd say that nailed it


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## Rifleman1776 (Jun 29, 2009)

Yep. Lee nailed it. Always be sure what kind of tung oil you are buying.
Those labeled "finish" have additives. Use only pure.


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## Bree (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks guys!  I used Behlens Tung Oil.  I did a little research and I think I understand better what happened.  The Behlens is very pure TO (91-100%).  For it to polymerize and dry quickly requires mineral spirits which I did NOT add.

So the TO was not dry when the waxy polish went over it and that caused the failure of the finish.

Does that sound about right???
:redface::redface::redface:


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## leehljp (Jun 29, 2009)

Bree said:


> Thanks guys!  I used Behlens Tung Oil.  I did a little research and I think I understand better what happened.  The Behlens is very pure TO (91-100%).  For it to polymerize and dry quickly requires mineral spirits which I did NOT add.
> 
> So the TO was not dry when the waxy polish went over it and that caused the failure of the finish.
> 
> ...



Don't worry about it. It was a learning experience and you are now ahead of the curve. I did some TO last weekend and opened a gallon of TO that I have had for 8 years. After looking at it, I realized that I had 100% TO and had to add some MS to it in a quart container. I had just used the last of a quart of Behlens. So it was fresh on my mind when you wrote.

I love the TO finish on wood and bowls. I haven't tried it on pens yet. TO, when done right, does give waterproof finishes - much better than lacquer, poly and shellac.


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## RussFairfield (Jun 30, 2009)

There isn't enough information to tell what happened, but you are describing what can happen when you put a shellas over an uncured oil. Shellac is the universal finish that sticks to everything, but the everything under it has to be fully cured and dry before applying the shellac.

All oil finishes take a long time to cure, and oil finishes takes longest of all, and Tung Oil is the slowest curing of all the oils. The time depenends on the wood and how deep the oil penetrated into the wood, whether or not there were drying agents in the oil to accelerate the cureing, the oil that was used, how thick it is on the surface of the wood, and the temperature and humidity of the air around it. I have always suspected that the phase of the moon was also a factor. Most of them say 24-hours on the can. The reality is that it could be no faster than overnight at best, to 2-weeks or more at the worst. 

You can check to see if the oil is cured by buffing it with the 0000-steel wool. If it comes off as a white powder that can be shaken out of the steel wool, it is cured and can be coated again; but I would recommend waiting one more day just in case. It it comes off a a gummy mess in the steel wool, it isn't cured and you need to wait at least one more day.

It could also be something as simple as not buffing the shine from the oil before putting the shellac on it. Always remove the gloss with 0000-steel wool or fine sandpaper before putting anything on top of a cured oil finish, or another coat of the oil itself

I have a question why you are putting the shellac friction polish over the Tung Oil. The shellac will pop the grain just as well as the oil if you are sanding to a at least a smooth 600-grit before applying the finish, and you won't have all of the problems.  OR, you can leave the oil as the finish, wait a couple days for it to cure, and buff it to a high polish with the Bealle or some other buffing system that uses Tripoli, White Diamoind and Wax.


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## Bree (Jun 30, 2009)

RussFairfield said:


> There isn't enough information to tell what happened, but you are describing what can happen when you put a shellas over an uncured oil. Shellac is the universal finish that sticks to everything, but the everything under it has to be fully cured and dry before applying the shellac.
> 
> All oil finishes take a long time to cure, and oil finishes takes longest of all, and Tung Oil is the slowest curing of all the oils. The time depenends on the wood and how deep the oil penetrated into the wood, whether or not there were drying agents in the oil to accelerate the cureing, the oil that was used, how thick it is on the surface of the wood, and the temperature and humidity of the air around it. I have always suspected that the phase of the moon was also a factor. Most of them say 24-hours on the can. The reality is that it could be no faster than overnight at best, to 2-weeks or more at the worst.
> 
> ...


 
I was testing it out.  No real logic or thought went into it.  Just an impulse that didn't work out as expected coupled with impatience. 
:turtle::turtle::turtle:


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## ldb2000 (Jun 30, 2009)

I use Teak oil (Tung oil in disguise) on some woods when I want a more natural looking and feeling finish , but I cure the oiled blanks in a kiln with low (90 to 100 degree) heat to help drive out the moisture and cure the oil . It takes about 2 or 3 days in the kiln for each coat to fully cure and I use 5 to 7 coats depending on the wood . I don't use any overcoat over the oil , just buff with tripoli and white diamond . The finish is hard as a rock if done right and will outlast the plating on the kits , but it takes a long time to finish this way so I only use it on very special custom pens .


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## Bree (Jul 1, 2009)

ldb2000 said:


> I use Teak oil (Tung oil in disguise) on some woods when I want a more natural looking and feeling finish , but I cure the oiled blanks in a kiln with low (90 to 100 degree) heat to help drive out the moisture and cure the oil . It takes about 2 or 3 days in the kiln for each coat to fully cure and I use 5 to 7 coats depending on the wood . I don't use any overcoat over the oil , just buff with tripoli and white diamond . The finish is hard as a rock if done right and will outlast the plating on the kits , but it takes a long time to finish this way so I only use it on very special custom pens .


 
Wow!  That's a lot of work!  I have some Behlen's Teak Oil that I use on some old Burma teak that I have.  Haven't made any pens out of my teak yet.  I do like teak oil finishes on teak.   

But I would have never thought about heating it up in an oven over the course of a couple of weeks.  Do you have some PIX of the finished product??  
:glasses-cool::glasses-cool::glasses-cool:


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## stolicky (Jul 1, 2009)

Tung oil, itself, takes a looooooong time to fully cure.


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