Mrankin Posted February 11, 2015 Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 Hi there. I'm working with an oak slab aprox 4in thick & 47in around and a piece of camphor approx 9in thick and 58 inches around. Both have dried out for a little over a year. I've leveled and sanded them down and I'm using Formbys tung oil finish on them. A few questions. 1) Is there an optimal amount of coats to apply? Possible to put too many? 2) Would you recommend applying a single coat of low gloss poly after the tung oil had dried? 3) Do you recommend applying tung oil finish to the bottom of the stump/slab? I was under the impression that it needed breathe and should leave the bottom alone. Yes? No? Depend on the wood? 4) Any opinions on drying times for pieces of wood like these? Any good websites that give a appropriate time frame for drying certain woods? 5) If I were to use BLO on these pieces, is that something that would need to be reapplied once a year? Would poly be a good choice to place over BLO? Thanks for any advice/info, and apologies if I'm repeating questions that have been addressed. Respectfully, -Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 11, 2015 Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 The rule of thumb I always see for air drying boards is 1 year per inch of thickness. Very thick slabs would likely require even more time to fully stabilize. Gunstock makers use blanks that are a little over two inches thick, and generally won't touch one until it has been drying for 7 to 10 years. No one wants their rifle stock to crack. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm not sure about a few of those questions but I definitely wouldn't use a poly over the top. The last thing you want to see is cracks caused by the wood movement on the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enclosed spaces Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Store them someplace dry, stickers, ends painted or waxed, check with a moisture meter or weight, get to work on them in 5 to 10 yrs. something to look forward to. Can't rush the drying process, even kiln drying takes time and costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Weigh them as accurately as possible. Record the weight and track it ,when the weight stabilizes for several months you can finish them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrankin Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks a million for all the insights. My tung oil finish looks a little smeared on both pieces. I think it's because I sanded with a 400 grit before applying the finish when I should have applied after a 150 grit. Live & learn. Any idea if its advisable to resand thru the finish and begin again with a 150 grit and reapply tung oil finish? Many thanks! -Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Wait until the weight stabilizes, then worry about the finish. You might have cracks to fix ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.