I hand-applied pure tung oil to a cherry dowel I used in a simple towel-rack
in my bathroom. After three years of subjection to "rolling" as towels are
pulled off, and sitting under a wet towel for hours every day, it is still
as lustrous, smooth, and well-protected as the day I installed it.

That data point notwithstanding, the oils seem to rank fairly low on the
durability scale. I have a limited amount of experience in using it on
turnings, but so far the results seem okay.

Every piece of advice I've received about applying oil has been the
antithesis of spraying. It's best applied by submersion for the early coats
(wiping away excess periodically) and by hand for later coats, working it in
with vigorous friction to generate heat.

--Jay