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How Do You Feel About Tung Oil?

#21
My process for using tung oil goes like this: If it is a new batch of oil and has good viscosity I will use it as is. If it has been sitting around for a while it may have thickened up so I will thin w/mineral spirits. I apply liberally and keep reapplying, watching the wood to see how it is absorbing the oil. I will do this for 20 minutes or more. Sometimes the finish gets a little tacky which is OK I will add a little mineral spirits to a rag and wipe of the excess till the wood is smooth. This process allows for good absorption. If the shop is hot (summer) the finish will get tacky pretty quick. Just use a little mineral spirits to the rag and wipe off excess. I found that I prefer the finish to get tacky, this is when it is starting to turn into a solid. I rub real hard to work the excess off. This is what a "hand rubbed finish" means - the heat and friction of rubbing dries the finish and produces a nice sheen
 
#23
I recently used tung oil to refinish mine. Lots of good info and advice in this thread -
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=514210

Made my cheap plywood Washburn look pretty -

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I applied only 1 coat a day, giving each coat about 24 hours to dry / cure before applying the next. I'm not a very patient person and the wait of finishing it killed me.


Thanks TB'ers for all the advice. Had it not been for them, I would probably never had refinished it.
 
#27
:cool:

I love it.

I have a custom P-bass. with one piece mahogany body.
It has 13 coats of tung oil on body.
Maple neck, with ebony fingerboard has 9 coats.
It takes time to dry in between coats.
But it feels, and plays great.
 
#31
roigmarole said:
as i am finishing a fretlessbass project right now, i'm wondering if tung oil will do nice with a stained body.

it's some ash which will be stained blue. will the tung oil "protect" the stain or do i have to be careful playing the bass with a white t-shirt?
Click to expand...

People here tend to use stain and dye interchangeably. They aren't exactly the same thing. What product are you using to get a blue stain? I don't like using oil over a stain as the stain tends to seal the wood somewhat, preventing the tung from soaking in completely. Using a dye is different as the dye does not seal the wood. But if you don't build up too thick a coat of stain you might be okay. The tung oil adds an amber tint to bare wood. It may cause your blue stain to turn a bit green. Experiment on scrap wood first.

Or, just ignore everyone's advice and jump in and do it and surprise yourself. That's what usually happens.

It really does help to practice first so you know what kind of results you'll get.

Make sure the stain is completely dry before applying the oil or the oil will cause the stain to pull away from the wood. Tung oil will seal it so the stain won't come off on your clothes.
 
#32
I've used a product from a small mom and pop operation based somewhere in the Carolinas. It is a mix of tung oil, linseed oil, pine resin , beeswax, and citrus driers. I'm a timberframer by trade and we put this on beams all the time. It is easy to apply and really brings the grain contrasts out. I used it on my first two builds and have been pleased with both the look and feel of this finish.
 
#33
It's cheap, easy to work with, and looks good. I used it on a tigerwood fretboard to give it some definition, and it looks gorgeous.

Just be sure to try it on a scrap piece from the wood that you'll be staining so that you can see if you'll like it or not.
 

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