# Wet sanding with Tung Oil



## gerryr

Somebody told me that wet sanding with polymerized Tung Oil was better than wet sanding with water.  Does anybody do this?


----------



## vick

Take this with a grain of salt I do not count myself as very knoweldgeable on wet sanding.  I only wet sandwood with BLO never water, which for this instance I would count as the same as Tung oil.  If I wet sand my finish I use water, however I do not wet sand my finish most of the time.


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

Wet sanding with tung oil is miles better than water, but expensive. 

When I wet sand bowls, this is the way I do it... sometimes... 
I wet sand with danish oil and when I'm finished with the sanding I let the bowl dry for a few days, then I apply Tung oil. 

Other times I wet sand with DO for only the first two or three grits and finish sanding dry. Once I'm done sanding I follow up with tung oil.

But most of the times I dry sand dry.


----------



## Thumbs

Waaay back when.......  We used to sand after wetting and then drying to raise the wood grain so that sanding could cut down the wood fibers to the most even flat surface you could obtain with any particular grade of sandpaper.  What is the purpose of sanding while still wet, with water or oil?  Is it just to cut down on flying dust or an attempt to pack the pores with loose material to try to flatten the surface?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Well, I do anyway..... [?]


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

Yes, wet sanding does cut down on dust. But as important, wet sanding will soften up the wood and makes sanding quicker and easier. 

On bowls, sometimes you will get tear out on the end grain, wet sanding will help take care of this while producing less heat, which can be a problem on larger turnings. To much heat from dry sanding can create hair line cracks in the wood. 

Some people leave the "sanding mud" in the small openings, I don't like the way that looks, MPO.

Wet sanding will also help pop the grain on highly figured woods. When you apply oil to the wood, the oil soaks in to the softer areas faster, by wet sanding the oils will soak in to the soft areas quickly and never really get a chance to soak into the harder areas.


----------



## Czarcastic

Gerry,
I always wet sand with Minieral Spirits, which dries very quickly.
Pure tung oil will need days or even weeks to cure before finishing, and polymerized tung oil (Tung oil varnish - which is what you are probably using) has far too many solids to be an effective wet-sanding agents. It will clog your sandpaper and become sticky.  The idea of wet sanding is to keep the sandpaper from clogging, to make it a more effective "cutter", and to keep the wood fibers standing up to allow for a smoother finish.

Try Mineral Sprirts next time you wet sand.


----------



## gerryr

I've never actually wet sanded with Tung Oil, it was recommended to me by someone.  I've always used water.  What does mineral spirits do to the MM sanding pads?


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

I've tried sanding with MS, it dries too fast for me.


----------



## Czarcastic

> _Originally posted by gerryr_
> <br />I've never actually wet sanded with Tung Oil, it was recommended to me by someone.  I've always used water.  What does mineral spirits do to the MM sanding pads?



when you wet sand with MS, keep a cloth or paper towel dampened (not dripping wet) with MS in one hand, and your sandpaper in the other.  place the sandpaper below the blank and the cloth on top (or vice-versa) and move your hands in unison back and forth along the blank.

The MS will not harm the MM, it reduces dust, and keeps the paper unclogged.

As far as it "drying too quick"... doing it the way described above will prevent that from happening.

HTH.


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

Thanks Steven, I'll give that a try.


----------



## gerryr

I think I'll try it too.  I hate waiting to make sure the wood is dry before starting to apply finish.


----------



## TomServo

Has anyone tried wet sanding with denatured alcohol? Are there any problems with wet sanding with solvents around the variable speed (brush) motors?


----------



## TomServo

Just to add, made a pen this morning and wet sanded with denatured alcohol - seemed to work pretty good.. I tend to use my low grits past where I probably should - I can't say I liked it much, really, as i'll need to wash my sandpaper now, but it worked okay and didn't raise the grain..


----------

