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tung oil not enough sheen suggestions?
- Thread starter cbr900son
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
- Messages
- 13,348
Try permalyn gun stock finish. It dries to a very glossy coat, which you can take back with a fine polishing compound to a fine satin sheen if desired.
The walnut handle on this Dan Farr knife was finished this way.
Also, permalyn really makes the grain "pop" without significantly darkening the wood. It also very effectively seals the wood - blood and animal fat on a hunter will wash / wipe away with ease.
Roger
The walnut handle on this Dan Farr knife was finished this way.
Also, permalyn really makes the grain "pop" without significantly darkening the wood. It also very effectively seals the wood - blood and animal fat on a hunter will wash / wipe away with ease.
Roger
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2009
- Messages
- 627
Hi CBR900SON. Two coats of oil are not enough. The wood is still soaking up the oil and it will only get a nice sheen when the pores & grain get filled in properly. Just keep oiling, let it dry 2-3 days in a warm room. Wet-sand it, clean off with paper towel, apply more clean oil. Let dry again. And when you are done put some floor-wax or whatever onto some 0000 steel wool and scrub out any streaking, etc...
If you don't want to wait 2-3 days in between coats, try using Pro-Custom Gunstock oil from Brownells (Caffrey turned me on to that a long time ago.)
______________
ABS Mastersmith
www.raderblade.com
If you don't want to wait 2-3 days in between coats, try using Pro-Custom Gunstock oil from Brownells (Caffrey turned me on to that a long time ago.)
______________
ABS Mastersmith
www.raderblade.com
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Messages
- 301
I learned a tip from a hardwood floor guy. When using tung oil he goes for a 45 min dry time between coats. You add enough paint thinner/mineral spirits so that when you apply a coat it should dry in 45 mins.
I've done this to a few of my hand made blades with great results. After every third application dries I do a quick sanding with 600 grit and keep applying. I'll apply a half dozen coats a day for up to 5 days and it gets extremely glossy. YMMV. I wish I had a decent camera, I have pics but they didn't turn out anything like real life.
I've done this to a few of my hand made blades with great results. After every third application dries I do a quick sanding with 600 grit and keep applying. I'll apply a half dozen coats a day for up to 5 days and it gets extremely glossy. YMMV. I wish I had a decent camera, I have pics but they didn't turn out anything like real life.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2008
- Messages
- 7,187
What Michael Rader said.
You are stopping too soon. Keep applying coats of oil and let it build up more.
You are stopping too soon. Keep applying coats of oil and let it build up more.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,239
Yep tung oil is a a labor of love like Michael said and I have thinned it mineral spirits which will speed up the application but you will have to put even more coats on. I use Johnson Floor wax on tung oil finishes.
I also use Spar varnish thinned way down apply it the same way as tung oil and wax. I also wet sand this between coats using my spar varnish as the wet and make a slurry this will help fill the pores in the wood. Once dry I steel wool with 0000 steel wool, then repeat till I like it.
With any new process you should experiment on scrap wood of the same kind so you know what the finish is going to look like and do. Nothing like prepping a knife and put some finish on and decide that is not what I was looking for.
I also use Spar varnish thinned way down apply it the same way as tung oil and wax. I also wet sand this between coats using my spar varnish as the wet and make a slurry this will help fill the pores in the wood. Once dry I steel wool with 0000 steel wool, then repeat till I like it.
With any new process you should experiment on scrap wood of the same kind so you know what the finish is going to look like and do. Nothing like prepping a knife and put some finish on and decide that is not what I was looking for.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2009
- Messages
- 627
Great tip on the thinned Tung oil. Never heard of that. Anything to help it dry in-between coats is going to make life funner. The oil will still get great penetration and should not be degraded with the thinner. And, the advice to try it out on a scrap piece of wood is also key. Gotta do a little homework.
-M
-M
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 622
Tru-Oil is another gunstock varnish that lets you build up however much gloss you want from satin to gym-floor. Like the spar varnish you need to rub with steel wool in between coats and be sure to let it dry really well each time. It's also a favorite with instrument makers.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,239
Good point on the drying if you go at it to soon with the steel wool you will make one heck of a mess and you may have to start over.
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 411
Try permalyn gun stock finish. It dries to a very glossy coat, which you can take back with a fine polishing compound to a fine satin sheen if desired.
The walnut handle on this Dan Farr knife was finished this way.
Also, permalyn really makes the grain "pop" without significantly darkening the wood. It also very effectively seals the wood - blood and animal fat on a hunter will wash / wipe away with ease.
Roger
Great suggestion!
It also hold up better than most all the other options, you can check out my tests here: Handle Material Test
Cordially,
Eric
Erin Burke
KnifeMaker...ish
- Joined
- May 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,330
I'm definitely not an expert, but...
... I've been using tung oil for a while, and you can definitely get sheen. It just takes some time and a number of applications w/ sanding as the others have mentioned.
I've been thinning down my first few applications with turpentine and wet-sanding. I allow to dry for ~1hr in between the first few applications. I figure the thinned tung oil will absorb a bit more/deeper than the thicker raw tung oil. As I progress in applications, I dilute the tung oil less and add a bit more drying time between coats. I also allow the applications to dry before sanding. I'm working on a camfor burl handle right now... It's probably about 90% finished and is quite shiny. I figure one final sanding tonight with 2000grit and a fresh application of undiluted oil and I'll be done (after a few days of drying that is).
That said... I think I'd like to try some Tru-oil or permalyn one of these days for comparison.
... I've been using tung oil for a while, and you can definitely get sheen. It just takes some time and a number of applications w/ sanding as the others have mentioned.
I've been thinning down my first few applications with turpentine and wet-sanding. I allow to dry for ~1hr in between the first few applications. I figure the thinned tung oil will absorb a bit more/deeper than the thicker raw tung oil. As I progress in applications, I dilute the tung oil less and add a bit more drying time between coats. I also allow the applications to dry before sanding. I'm working on a camfor burl handle right now... It's probably about 90% finished and is quite shiny. I figure one final sanding tonight with 2000grit and a fresh application of undiluted oil and I'll be done (after a few days of drying that is).
That said... I think I'd like to try some Tru-oil or permalyn one of these days for comparison.