Formby's Tung Oil -V- Minwax tung oil

[got wood]

I usually use tung oil as a first coat on  almost everything I make and I almost always buy whatever is cheapest at the time. If formby's and minwax are priced the same I choose formbys because the can looks cooler.  Between these two versions of "tung oil" or anybody's other  brands including the "100% pure tung oil" , I really don't find the end result to be any different. Granted the viscosity is noticeably different when applying the pure tung oil and the drying times vary across the board but all the tung oils seem to take the next steps of my finishes equally with seemingly equal results.

So my question is, and I don't care what the material data sheet says, what would be the advantage of using one over the other ?

The reason for my question is that I was jsut told by a representative from TransTint that to get the effect I was looking for i should use BLO as a first  coat, sand and then use formby's as second coat before applying my die. That I should use Formby's not Minwax for this application. When I asked why, he simply said formby tung oil finish is a better product for this application.

Anybody ?  Anybody? 

[Guest]

I have no idea.  I do believe that neither is pure tung oil, they are both a blend of oil and varnish and may or may not actually include tung oil.  

Applying dye over oil doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but transtint is made by Jeff Jewitt and he knows what he is talking about.  If the advice came from Jeff or anyone at homestead finishing I would listen to them. 

[AceHoleInOne]

Here's a question for you. What is the effect you're going for. Talk about the colors and your finishing schedule, what is the project your working on? More than one way to skin a cat. 

 

-Ace-

[got wood]

Hi Ace. I was going to go into that detail in my post but then thought I was going down that "too much info" road.

I make benches, mostly outdoor stuff.  I have a 2 1/4" thick piece of western red cedar with incredible figuring in it that I'm going to use for the seat.  The seat is going to be dark, almost black (blackish) but I want the figure in the cedar to pop out. I want to give it that look of, what I call effervescence, I know wood finishing people have other words for that but I can't remember what that's called.

I use to be able to achieve this to varying degrees by doing this:

Sanding in a tung oil  w/400grit wet/dry over and over, wiping off the slurry as I go. Wait a couple hours, then repeat that with 600 grit and wiping it hard until it's completely dry to the touch.

Waiting only 3 - 4 hours I would apply my stain mix, (2 parts varathane Java, 1 part Varathane expresso and Red Oak and 1 part tung oil)

I would finish with 4 - 5 coats of Epithane Var..  The results were hit and miss, I guess depending on the wood itself, I don't know.

I have also tried this with transtint black over the tung oil  but it almost always turned out muddy and blotchy.  I also tried the dye over blotch control by Charles Neal but I still wasn't getting the , whatever, effervescence .

The almost Black finish is a great look, but only if the golden reddish figure comes though.

I just don't want to screw this one up. And that's my story.

[AceHoleInOne]

Wow, I don't know what to say. Those are interesting color combinations. Wester Red Cedar is red and a black dye? What's that, a maroon color? I think you hit the nail on the head and you have a recipe for mud.

I would take scrap of Cedar and play. Use an alcohol dye (black transtint and alcohol) to the cedar first, no oil. Get it dyed and sand back leaving the dye in the figure. Then play with the oil. The oil will take the dye down into the wood. 

Keep us posted on this one. Sorry can be anymore help, this is an original on me. Most folks just love the beauty of the Cedar for what it is. Blo and cedar is just gorgeous, but for outside, BLO is not a very hardy finish. 

-Ace-

 

 

 

 

[Pondhockey]

Newby here, so take with a grain of salt:

I've also been experimenting with pigments vs dyes, also with the intent of emphasizing grain (and fine grain, in particular.)

1.  I've acquire Formsby "Tung Oil Finish" while looking (unsuccessfully, in this mountain town) for Tung oil.  But I'm pretty sure that it's a mixture of stuff, some of which I hope is Tung oil.

2.  For the above reason, I've done my experiments with boiled linseed oil.  Dye mixes well (though I don't think it goes into solution) with BLO.   Another approach that I've read about is to mix the dye with alcohol or water, stain the wood, and THEN apply the oil or varnish.

 I agree that testing on samples makes a lot of sense.

 

 

[Pondhockey]

So, Wood, can you give us an update?

[got wood]

Hi pondhockey, The cedar bench seat come out fantastic, but kind of by accident. I had 14 things going on and I was on the phone and I accidentally squirted the black trans-tint into the my stain cup instead of my min.spirits cup and then thought what the heck and applied it to the cedar and immediately wiped it off. The stain (1 part varathane red oak and 2 part   minwax honey) lightly colored the wood but the black die went directly to the long grain and jumped out like you wouldn't believe.  Two days later I applied the varnish, 5 very thin coats actually and that blacked grain jumped out like I was wearing 3-d glasses.

This particular slab of cedar did not really have any of that color in it that you would associate with cedar but had remarkable grain, swirls and circles and strips that went off over the edges. I know it's not a look for everybody but every once in a while ya just have to go for "damn cool".

I wish I could send a picture but I'm just not smart that way.

[Pondhockey]

It does sound cool.

As a beginning woodworker I have unsophisticated tastes and am still taken with dramatic wood figure.  I'll have to try your method - but it sounds expensive!