Thread: Tung oil finish recipe

An old friend of mine, Ian, who's a master woodturner put me onto a homemade Wipe-On-Poly a good few years back which I use for everything from toys to furniture...

The tung oil brings out the timber colour, figure and grain which the polyurethane gives the finish a hard surface.

30% Pure Raw Tung Oil
40% Clear Satin Polyurethane
30% Mineral Turps

I've even added a little stain at times but for the most is beaut as is mixing a small batch at a time...
I've also given a good number of small jars of the mixture away to other mates who also have had good results...

Cheers crowie

Thanks Crowie. From what I can glean from the videos and conversations re the Waterlox product, it does not seem to give a hard set finish, which may be the reason the Waterlox product doesn’t use poly urethane ?? I really don’t know. I did notice that on one item that looked like it would cop some heavy use, poly was used instead of the Waterlox.

maybe I should ask the question to the guys that use it, and Waterlox themselves, re the hardness if the finish?

added: just sent an email to Waterlox and a message to a prolific user re the hardness of the finish. Maybe the answers may help re a recipe?

Reply back from Waterlox. “Closer to a urethane finish than an oil finish.” No real detail. Very short on words

I did a bit of research and experimentation on various oil finishes. I discovered that once I understood what each component does in the finish, I can experiment and predict what the outcome would be like with a degree of accuracy. By modifying the types and amounts of these components, we can create a whole range of finishes.

I think phenolic resins are more flexible, making it suitable for outdoor use. But it's also more yellow which might not be desirable. On the other hand, polyurethane is a clear, colourless finish, but the polyurethane you buy has oil added to it, which affect the colour of the coating. So, if you are using it as an interior finish, get a clear polyurethane wouldn't be a bad start. The ratio of resin to tung oil in your finish will depend on the stages of your application and the desired effect that you are after. If a lot of tung oil is used, then the finish is more flexible, and penetration is more in-depth.

In addition, the gloss level of a high oil content finish would be more dependent on the nature of the timber rather than the gloss level of the polyurethane. Pine boards would absorb more oil and will have a lower sheen. Hardwoods absorb less oil and would retain a shinier coat than pine using the same varnish. In earlier application, I tend to use more oil in my mixture, like in a ratio of 2 oil to 1 poly because I want to a deeper sheen, and this varnish will take longer to dry as the oil requires much more time to oxidise. The poly component tends to have less effect in this mixture. Once it's dried and sanded, I use a mix of 1:1 for the final application.

The solvents that I use are mineral turps and white spirit generally, with white spirits being more preferred as it is a clearer preparation. I determine the right amount of solvent to add by looking at the finish and testing it on a small sample of wood until it is easy to apply with the method that I use. If it is wiped on, I use more solvent. I noticed that curing of the poly and oxidisation of the oil don't occur until all the solvent is fully evaporated.

Note: I have also used more volatile solvents such as the diggers all purpose thiner. It would reduce the evaporation time, but the curing time remains the same. This could be useful during cooler months.

Hi,

I've been using Organoil Hard Burnishing Oil (HBO) for about 15 years now and it is my finish of choice. It is basically Tung Oil with some proprietary additions, all of which you can find via the Organoil company. It is easy to use, hard to mess up and gives a beautiful finish, from a mirror type to a satin type depending on how you apply it and also, what type of timber you use. I've listed the method here several times, so you should be able to find a copy. If you can't, send me a PM and I'll send it to you. Also, justonething, if you want to see it done, send me a PM and we can tee up a time for you to try it out in my Work Shop. The finish is extremely resistant to heat, boiling water, spillages, scratching spray cleaners and has a great longevity, which of course is dependent on what you do with the surface you have treated it.

Regards,

Rob

IMG_0840 (1).jpgBZLM4701.jpg

I have used Crowie's recipe with good results. It can be brushed on if necessary where it is difficult to use a cloth eg, tight corners.

Thanks for the reply Rob (LGS) but the high gloss finish of burnishing the finish is not the look I’m after. It’s more of a low sheen finish which then has a Howard’s bees wax finish applied (see Tom Robinson Antiques on YouTube). A lot of the items I am working on are old and a high gloss finish is achieved with French Polishing.

Originally Posted by crowie

An old friend of mine, Ian, who's a master woodturner put me onto a homemade Wipe-On-Poly a good few years back which I use for everything from toys to furniture...

The tung oil brings out the timber colour, figure and grain which the polyurethane gives the finish a hard surface.

30% Pure Raw Tung Oil
40% Clear Satin Polyurethane
30% Mineral Turps

I've even added a little stain at times but for the most is beaut as is mixing a small batch at a time...
I've also given a good number of small jars of the mixture away to other mates who also have had good results...

Cheers crowie

Hey Crowie
Thanks for the recipe.
Have you ever used this on Camphor Laurel?
Cheers Matt


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Originally Posted by MattB2085

Hey Crowie
Thanks for the recipe.
Have you ever used this on Camphor Laurel?
Cheers Matt


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Sorry for the very late reply Matt...[been away o/s]
The simple answer is YES on my camphor laurel coffee table abut 2 years ago, still going great!!

If you live near the lower mountains I'm happy to give you a small jar to try.. Cheers, crowie

IMG_2359.jpgIMG_2358.jpgDSC01917.jpgDSC01916.jpgDSC01915.jpg

Originally Posted by crowie

Sorry for the very late reply Matt...[been away o/s]
The simple answer is YES on my camphor laurel coffee table abut 2 years ago, still going great!!

If you live near the lower mountains I'm happy to give you a small jar to try.. Cheers, crowie

IMG_2359.jpgIMG_2358.jpgDSC01917.jpgDSC01916.jpgDSC01915.jpg

Wow looks awesome!!
I’m on the Northern Beaches but not to worry. Thanks again for the recipe, greatly appreciated [emoji106]


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