Hello all , I dont have much practice with tung oil but is it supposed to have a very dull sheen after it dries or have I done something wrong . I sanded and cleaned the old laquer surface and layed 3 coats of thw oil . If its normal for it to have a dull sheen can it be brought up higher . Thanks Peter
From contributor De
Tung oil will not shine like a gloss film build finish, but I have had some success buffing it out - after it has cured for a few days. Keep in mind that it will be very easy to burn through whatever build you have managed to achieve, so go slow with the buffing.
From contributor Ro
Once the tung oil has cured, you might give it a good paste waxing. As Dennis has pointed out, go slow when you buff it. The heat generated by the buffing process could turn the whole thing into a mess.
Ive done quite a few tung oil finishes and they take time and patience but the results can be beautiful. Also important is what kind of tung oil is used. Some are so modified with drying oils and additives they aren't worth much. Look for as pure a tung oil as you can find. Google is your friend.
From contributor Pe
Im worried that its not going as I hoped , after I layed a forth coat and let it dry for a few days there shiny sections that travel the path of my brush strokes , so I wet sand with 600 grit and it looks like Im going through the previous layer and it has a different sheen . If I go with low luster Minwax water based poly will it help to cover it .
From contributor Ba
First off you're putting tung oil (which isn't even pure tung oil it's a mix of solvents and tung oil + varnish of some sort as real tung oil takes forever to cure not a few days) over a lacquer finish which is not a good idea. And you're about to have a mess if you put a hard finish over the soft tung oil. Never a good idea to put hard finish over soft. You should've just put on a few more coats of lac and call it a day? Looks to me like you should strip the tung and lac and start over with either one but not both.
my2cts
From contributor jw
I have 40 years of experience with t . o . I have applied up to 15 coats with sanding between each , 1 - 2 days between ea . it will have a sheen after it starts to build a film I never use a brush to apply
remember it takes 4-8 weeks to cure and even then it's a soft finish , but one of the most beautiful finishes you will ever see
From contributor Pe
Bart has summed it up . Thanks for the response guys , and Happy New Year .
