Tung Oil for exterior use?

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~


Spurred by Eric's comments on an earlier post, I finished these Shovin' Oars with Tung Oil. I had time for just a single coat - which I applied liberally to the White Ash with a rag - then let sit overnight before I wiped them down.



View attachment Shovin Oars 1 - Babiches on bench.JPG



My experience with Tung Oil has been limited to interior furniture - like Susan's antique piano stool I just rehabbed.


I will recommend a second coat to the new owners - followed by a coat or two each "off-season" when they are dry - as I have long done with Linseed Oil.


Any advice for alternative treatment when using Tung Oil? Any special prep needed?



Thanks very much,


SJS



 
Steve

A common technique is to thin with turpentine 50/50, which thins it allowing deeper penetration, and then apply multiple coats with a brush. Wait times between coats varies, say an hour or so, but you are looking for the sheen to soak in. When the sheen stops going away and the wood looks mostly glossy the wood has soaked up all it can. Now let it cure. You can wipe on a topcoat or two of tung oil over the next 30 days to make the finish uniform.

Hope this helps.

Eric
 
Good morning, Eric~


That 50:50 mix et cetera is pretty much how I learned to use Linseed Oil.



Thanks very much!


SJS

 
Very interesting, but I think I'll stick with the linseed oil, For my uses it has always worked, if not perfectly, plenty good enough. [cool]
 
Thanks for that article Steve, I didn't know that Tung Oil wad that great of a candidate for sealsing woods.


Question for all, how do y'all think teak oil and danish oil hold up against Tung and boiled linseed oils?
 

I am no chemist, but from what I have read, and learned. TUNG OIL is superior.

Years ago there was a article in Decoy Magazine that went into detail about the paint used on Mason Decoys.

Tung Oil was mentioned as a key factor in the paint, and Mason Decoys are all about the Paint.


VP
 
Teak wood is hydrophobic, teak oil is not very water resistant, far less than Tung Oil. I have applied plenty of it to Boston Whaler Outrage and Montauk Classics from the Dougherty design period. Danish oil is more hydrophobic and water resistant, but, again, I can reassure you that is not water proof- I built two pairs of Speaker Lab speakers, over the years, via their kits and finished both in Watco Danish Oil finish...both water spotted, requiring two to be refinished.

I was being facetious, partially, when I mentioned to Steve that a couple million Chinese junks serve as evidence of how waterproof tung oil treated wood is, since this agent was their principal source of wood treatment as a preservative and waterproofing for these craft.

After typing this, I found this piece...nice adjunct to the link Steve Sanford posted earlier:

https://teakpatiofurnitureworld.com/teak-oil-vs-tung-oil-vs-danish-oil/
 
I am a competitive shooter and we routinely treat our old M1-Garands with tung oil. the water beads off after an adequate amount of coats.
 
All~


As I am new to the world of Tung Oil-for-exterior-use, I will be using it on my Shovin' Oars - and thereby gaining experience. With any luck, perhaps I will gain knowledge as well - maybe even wisdom????


Thanks for all of the help - and stay tuned!


SJS

 
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