Which Oil

Ptofimpact

Pete
User
My boiled Linseed is past using, and want to try another Oil, Mid priced, suggestions?
Just for mostly smaller projects I dont make furniture, Thanks.
 

Roy G

Roy
Senior User
Formby's Tung Oil finish gives good results for me. Also builds up on the surface so you can get a nice shine. Waterlox works too but it's much more expensive. Formby's is a wiping varnish and your boiled linseed oil is a penetrating oil.

Roy G
 

CrealBilly

New User
Jeff
My son makes up mineral oil & beeswax finish, lots of recipes on Google about how to mix mineral oil into bees wax.

His finishing schedule is:

1) Flood wood with just mineral oil and allow to soak in for 24 hours. Then wipe off any access with a soft lint free rag.

2) apply mineral beeswax mixture and buff with a lint free rag.

The finish is supper easy and non-toxic. I'll slowly coming around to the finish but I still like 50/50 gloss oil based Polyurethane/Acetone, I don't like gas off period at all. So I've been using mineral oil beeswax finish more and more.
 
Last edited:

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
Pete like me I know you do a lot of scroll saw work. I use WATCO Danish Oil or a similar product made by Deft called DEFTOIL. They contain BLO, poly and other ingredients. Unlike plain BLO they dry fully. Normally one or two coats are all I need. If I want more gloss I spray a light cost of rattle can lacquer after they dry.
 

sawman101

Bruce Swanson
Corporate Member
Pete, on scroll saw work I will sometimes use Old English Lemon Oil, purchased at the grocery store. I flood it on and let it dry overnight. A light wiping and then usually apply 3 light coats of semi-gloss lacquer. Other times I spray on a coat of rattle can Bulls Eye Shellac, then the lacquer. Most always lightly sand with 320 or 400 grit between 2nd and 3rd coats of lacquer. The shellac is a sealer coat that promotes an even finish. Happy sawdusting!
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
My goto Oil finish is Varnish Oil by Tried & True brand. Not exactly cheap, but it wipes on and you wipe off excess - very forgiving finish - it it gets scuffed just sand and re-apply. I use it on small pieces like scrollings and large furniture. A pint will last you forever on small pieces. One advantage of it is that it doesn't harden in the can like a lot of oil finishes do once opened.
 

PeteStaehling

New User
Pete
100% tung oil is nice. Also I like to use a hybrid finish. I mix 100% tung oil, urethane varnish, and mineral spirits in equal parts. I apply it from a 100 ml syringe, which also makes it easy to mix up small batches.

In either case I apply and rub in with a my fingers wearing a nitrile glove. After it is on a while I buff off any excess with paper towel. The hybrid version fills pores a bit more and cures faster. Both can create a beautiful finish if you bother to do the fine sanding and polishing. On stuff i want an especially nice finish on, with the hybrid finish, I use 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit between coats. It really brings out the beauty of the figure of the wood. Even with just a quick coat and not much sanding it looks pretty nice.

FWIW, I buy my tung oil from a local producer here in Tallahassee (Gulf Coast Tung Oil). He sells a quality product. Not sure if he has any available, I think he sells out the crop for the season pretty quickly each year. I stock up when he has some. https://gulfcoasttungoil.com/
 
Last edited:

Ptofimpact

Pete
User
Thanks I did kinda the same with BLO and that worked well, have Tung Oil , just got it recently. Will check your link, many Thanks
 

AllanD

Allan
Corporate Member
Pete, that link to the tung oil industry and its history was very interesting to me since it brings back fond memories. As a child in the 1950s we would drive from central Florida to south Alabama to visit grandparents and go through Tallahassee. This was before interstates and we would go up US 27 and I remember driving past the tung oil orchards east of Tallahassee. There was a processing plant in Capps if I remember correctly and you would smell the oil cooking. It smelled like restaurants frying food. We witnessed the gradual decline by the late 60s. I later lived in Tallahassee for about 8 years but by then all the orchards were gone.
 

PeteStaehling

New User
Pete
Pete, that link to the tung oil industry and its history was very interesting to me since it brings back fond memories. As a child in the 1950s we would drive from central Florida to south Alabama to visit grandparents and go through Tallahassee. This was before interstates and we would go up US 27 and I remember driving past the tung oil orchards east of Tallahassee. There was a processing plant in Capps if I remember correctly and you would smell the oil cooking. It smelled like restaurants frying food. We witnessed the gradual decline by the late 60s. I later lived in Tallahassee for about 8 years but by then all the orchards were gone.

Yeah, I found the whole thing pretty interesting. In addition, the owner is a great guy and produces a quality product. I like to source locally produced materials when possible. I was introduced to the product when he spoke at our local woodworking club and later got a tour of their processing facility. I think demand is still far outstripping production, but hopefully he will get production up as the orchards mature. I guess it is a lot better than having product and no demand though.
 

Premier Sponsor

Our Sponsors

LATEST FOR SALE LISTINGS

Top