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Tung Oil Finishing Question

CAGIV | Posted in General Discussion on July 23, 2007 04:34am

Can I apply a Tung Oil finish over a shellac sealer?

My finish consist of a penetrating stain, a seal coat of 2lb shellac, a paste/glaze coat of darker stain and then finish.

I’d like a hand rubbed oil finish if possible, but I’m un-sure if the oil will take over shellac.

Thanks

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  1. RedfordHenry | Jul 23, 2007 04:43am | #1

    I'm thinking not but if you have any scraps you can test first.  Alternate finish would be a few coats of a wiping poly, or regular poly thinned about 50/50 with mineral spirits, wiped and rubbed in with an almost dry rag.  Steel wool (000 or 0000)between coats.  Save one of the rags and let it dry solid.  Crumple up that dried rag and use to burnish the last coat.  Finish with paste wax.

    1. CAGIV | Jul 23, 2007 04:52am | #3

      On the shellac can (Can't by flakes locally) it warns against using poly over it.

       

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Jul 23, 2007 05:05am | #4

        Did you use the Dewaxed?Seal coat is dewax.http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=72Bullseye Shellac is a finish coat.http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=31.
        .
        A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

      2. RedfordHenry | Jul 23, 2007 05:19am | #6

        You're right.  I always use de-waxed shellac (Zinnser is the brand currently on my bench) for a sanding sealer (which is good under any film finish).  I forgot about the regular canned shellac which, as you've pointed out, is NG under poly (the poly will flake right off).  I wonder if you can seal the first coat of shellac with dewaxed and then proceed with poly?  Just a thought. 

        1. JMadson | Jul 23, 2007 06:10am | #7

          wonder if you can seal the first coat of shellac with dewaxed and then proceed with poly?

          Yes 

  2. User avater
    BillHartmann | Jul 23, 2007 04:52am | #2

    TUNG OIL or a Tung Oil FINISH.

    Tung Oil I don't would work.

    A Tung Oil finish should.

    But even then there are two types a wiping varnish, which is just a thinned varnish.

    Or a varnish/oil/thinner mix.

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
  3. grpphoto | Jul 23, 2007 05:07am | #5

    Tung oil is a lousy finish. Most tung oil finishes don't actually contain much of it, and Formsby's doesn't have any at all. That means that you really don't know what a tung oil finish is, unless you buy Formsby's.

    Formsby's is an oil-based wiping varnish. It will work just fine over shellac, as any varnish will.

    George Patterson
  4. JMadson | Jul 23, 2007 06:17am | #8

    Like others have said, Tung Oil Finish is just a fancy way to write varnish or varnish/oil blend (both with a Tung oil base). Unless it says 100% tung oil on the can, it ain't pure tung oil.

    If you're still looking for a hand rubbed finish, just use a wiping varnish (avoid poly just in case you have a waxed shellac coat) and wipe off all of the excess between coats - don't leave a layer on the wood. After 2-3 coats, you'll have a decent finish and it will still look like wood, not plastic.

    What are you finishing by the way?

     
    1. CAGIV | Jul 23, 2007 06:43pm | #12

      Thanks everyone.

      It is a Tun Oil finish, not pure tung oil.

      I'm finishing the bed I made my wife for our wedding almost 2 years ago...

  5. DougU | Jul 23, 2007 06:18am | #9

    I've always felt that I could use shellac over or under any finish.

    I don't use that rule for absolutely every finish but a good share.

    I'm not a big fan of tung oil finishes because as someone else mentioned, there isn't a lot of tung oil in most of them.

    You might ask this question over at knots, Steve S____ (cant remember his last name is pretty knowledgeable on finishes and what you can and cant do.

    Doug



    Edited 7/22/2007 11:18 pm ET by DougU

  6. Scott | Jul 23, 2007 07:21am | #10

    Yes, I believe you can apply it over shellac, although this may prolong the drying process. Watch it and wipe as needed.

    I'm a great fan of pure Tung Oil, but will admit that it has it's limitations. Somewhere in my convoluted computer archive I have a Tung Oil FAQ that was written by someone in the old rec.woodworking newsgroup. Let me know if you are interested.

    Pure tung oil (not "Tung Oil Finish" or "Polymerized Tung Oil") is completely food safe, and waterproof; but for outdoor applications it can be prone to black mold spots in persistently humid climates like ours in the Pacific Northwest. I've had a few pieces of outdoor furniture suffer from this problem.

    Otherwise, it can be a very nice finish for tables, cabinets, butcher blocks, etc. Repeated coats develop a deep, satin lustre. It takes time (a lot) to dry, but many people (like me) think it's worth it. Be careful with Cherry wood, it can get blotchy.

    Scott



    Edited 7/23/2007 12:54 am by Scott

  7. Piffin | Jul 23, 2007 12:33pm | #11

    sand the shellac very lightly and rub it down with turpentine to cut any wax in it, then you are good to go

     

     

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