Well, I've just about talked myself out of refinishing my library with
pure tung oil based on the information I've been receiving here and my
own experimentation.

Why?

1) I applied some and it was not glossy enough to suit me

2) It isn't as easy to apply (and get right) as I had earlier thought

3) It requires refreshing every 6 - 12 months (!)

Actually 1 alone is probably a show stopper, so I've decided to use a
wiping varnish. Questions I have related to this:

1) How do Formby's Tung Oil (Low and High Gloss) compare in gloss to
Minwax's Tung Oil

2) (I'm getting educated just enough to become dangerous ;-) ) --
wiping varnish is a hardening oil combined with a resin and a thinner,
right? And the two most popular types of resins are alkyds and poly?
What are the pros and cons of one over the other and what is in the
Formby's and Minwax?

Thanks again in advance!

wrote:

1) How do Formby's Tung Oil (Low and High Gloss) compare in gloss to
Minwax's Tung Oil

Thanks again in advance!

I've never used the High Gloss version of Formby's. I use the low gloss
version and IT is too glossy for me. I apply 3 or 4 light coats, BTW.

Dave

Minwax makes a great wipe on varnish. Easy to use and a great product.
Just read the directions it's nearly foolproof(There is always some
fool that will screw it up).

don

Visit www.homesteadfinishing.com and look for "selecting a finish" for
some insights.

On 1 Dec 2005 09:39:26 -0800, wrote:

Well, I've just about talked myself out of refinishing my library with
pure tung oil based on the information I've been receiving here and my
own experimentation.

Why?

1) I applied some and it was not glossy enough to suit me

wrote:
Well, I've just about talked myself out of refinishing my library with
pure tung oil based on the information I've been receiving here and my
own experimentation.

Why?

1) I applied some and it was not glossy enough to suit me

No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. With enough coats
and some work you can get a nice glow out of it.

Note that the glossier the surface the more it will show
everything...poor sanding, non-flat surface, dust specks, etc. A glossy
surface is very hard to do (right)... it is time consuming and requires
considerable skill and experience.
_____________

2) It isn't as easy to apply (and get right) as I had earlier thought

I have no idea what you were doing but oil finishes are dead simple.
The only person I ever saw screw one up was my father-in-law - he put it
on too thick and didn't wipe off enough. Wound up with a sticky mess.
______________

3) It requires refreshing every 6 - 12 months (!)

No it doesn't.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Wow, thanks, this might cause me to do a rethink of my rethink. As for
how I screwed up an oil finish -- I didn't -- I have done one yet, but
I've *read* here that you can have problems with the oil not hardening
and also with it oozing out of the wood if you apply it incorrectly.
Sounds as if that's what your father-in-law did.

dadiOH wrote:



No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. .

-
dadiOH
____________________________



Not true.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Snip


1) How do Formby's Tung Oil (Low and High Gloss) compare in gloss to
Minwax's Tung Oil

I am clueless, I avoid both.



2) (I'm getting educated just enough to become dangerous ;-) ) --
wiping varnish is a hardening oil combined with a resin and a thinner,
right? And the two most popular types of resins are alkyds and poly?
What are the pros and cons of one over the other and what is in the
Formby's and Minwax?

May I suggest General Finishes varnishes. Arm-R-Seal in particular. Apply
with a rag if you like and the finish comes out great. Woodcraft and
Rockler both sell that product. Available in the sheen that you prefer.

Subject

If you truly want be be in the high cotton, use marine varnishes,
available from a marine chandler.

Beautiful stuff, but pricey.

The consumer stuff available from the typical DIYs, would not be my
choice, but then I'm in California.

There are some very experienced people on this list when it comes to
finishes.

Some of them will share their secret skinny, some won't.

Lew


Lew

David wrote:
dadiOH wrote:



No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. .

-
dadiOH
____________________________



Not true.

Which one is? Not tung oil...not linseed oil...

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

wrote:
Wow, thanks, this might cause me to do a rethink of my rethink. As
for how I screwed up an oil finish -- I didn't -- I have done one
yet, but I've *read* here that you can have problems with the oil not
hardening and also with it oozing out of the wood if you apply it
incorrectly. Sounds as if that's what your father-in-law did.

No, he didn't wipe it off well. One reason I suggested thinning it is
that less - but sufficient - gets on and it is easier to wipe off.

Oil never gets hard. Not hard hard. It gets solid but is still sort of
gummy. Not sticky, just something that can be easily dented with a
fingernail.

Sometimes, after wiping, oil will reappear here and there. No big deal,
wipe it off. Even if it has hardened, still no big deal...you are most
likely going to be applying numerous coats anyway. If you aren't, it
can be sanded.

There are really two ways to do an oil finish. One way is a couple of
coats a day or so apart. That gives you a basic oil finish. Second way
is with many coats each a day or so apart. If the wood was well sanded
originally, that will ultimately give you a very pretty, smooth finish
that glows but isn't glossy like a glossy top coat material. Rubbing on
the last coats with #0000 steel wool will help. Once it has dried, one
or more coats of wax will shine it nicely. Still won't be like a glossy
top coat though.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thanks for all that info. This is for my library/study. Do you think
the oil finish will be okay for books to sit on -- or will they pick up
the oil?

dadiOH wrote:

David wrote:

dadiOH wrote:



No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. .


-

dadiOH
____________________________


Not true.


Which one is? Not tung oil...not linseed oil...

wrong AGAIN! some tung oil formulations are glossy. You've got to get
out more.

Dave

wrote:
Thanks for all that info. This is for my library/study. Do you think
the oil finish will be okay for books to sit on -- or will they pick
up the oil?

It will be fine, they won't suck up any oil. And for that purpose I'd
just do a couple of coats.

dadiOH

David wrote:
dadiOH wrote:

David wrote:

dadiOH wrote:



No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. .


-

dadiOH
____________________________


Not true.


Which one is? Not tung oil...not linseed oil...

wrong AGAIN! some tung oil formulations are glossy. You've got to
get out more.

Dave

If it's a tung oil formulation it is no longer tung oil. So there

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

That's right -- even this newbie knows that a tung oil formulation is a
wiping varnish.

dadiOH wrote:

David wrote:

dadiOH wrote:


David wrote:


dadiOH wrote:




No penetrating oil is glossy. Or even close to it. .


-


dadiOH
____________________________


Not true.


Which one is? Not tung oil...not linseed oil...


wrong AGAIN! some tung oil formulations are glossy. You've got to
get out more.

Dave


If it's a tung oil formulation it is no longer tung oil. So there

If the label says "Tung Oil", I see now reason for you to nit pick and
call it something else.

Dave

David wrote:

If the label says "Tung Oil", I see now reason for you to nit pick and
call it something else.

Dave
spell checker is useless for many of my typos: should have read "...I
see no reason..."