oil finish over sanding sealer

[John Nowack]

can I use an oil finish (perferably Tung) if i already used sanding sealer---worried the wood won't soak it up

[Gary Max]

Sanding sealer does just what the name says----seals the wood---all you could do is sand it off then go with the oil.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I don't use sanding sealer when I use oil such as antique oil or danish oil. Tried it once and had some bad luck.

[John Nowack]

i am basically sanding off most of it already---i only sealed the top and bottom to hide some cracks with turq and super glue (then sanded down flush)----would a few rubes with 320 to 600 work good enough you think

[Jim Becker]

If you mean "Tung Oil Finish"...which is just varnish...yes, you can use it over sealer. But if it's real, 100% oil, don't seal first. Tung oil, itself, isn't the best choice for finishing, either, since each application takes a long time to cure compared to other products including BLO. And...you'll never really notice the difference between the far less expensive BLO and Tung Oil in most cases.

[Gary Max]

John if you only did a light coat---sand it enough to raise some sawdust---that way you know you are back to the wood.

[Barry Elder]

If you use real 100% Tung Oil, you must dilute it at least 50/50 with Mineral Spirits. That way you can get a reasonable cure time. Pure Tung Oil gives less color change to the wood as compared to other finishes, in my estimation. It's not cheap, but it definitely has its place for certain pieces.

[Jeff Nicol]

I do it all the time, most of the tung oils we see are "Tung Oil Finish" and it is a varnish like Jim said. The same goes for Antigue oil and danish oil. I use very diluted shellac as a sanding sealer and it soaks in real good. I learned that from JImmy Clewes, who is a world renown turner. I figure is he does it, it is O.K.!

Jeff

[Allen Neighbors]

Using Sanding Sealer really defeats the purpose of tung oil or danish oil. The sealer seals the pores of the wood, inhibiting the permeation of the oil.
I use a Lacquer Wash before CA to keep it from staining the wood. I mix 60-65% Lacquer Thinner with 35-40% Lacquer to make the wash. I put it on with a piece of Tee Shirt, and immediately wipe it off with a clean piece of Tee Shirt. Then I blow it out of the cracks with a blast of air from my nozzle, seal them with CA, and then sand the Lacquer Wash. The lacquer wash doesn't fill the pores of the wood down below the surface like sanding sealer does, but it does seal the surface pores enough to keep the CA from staining the wood around the cracks. After going through the grits of sandpaper, the surface is prepared enough to take an oil finish. Even Tung Oil. 100% Tung Oil takes a long time to dry, and even longer to cure thoroughly, but it's hard to find a harder, longer lasting finish.

[Harvey Schneider]

I often use sanding sealer to stabilize soft end grain that just won't cut.
I dilute my sanding sealer about 50% with turpentine to get better penetration and faster drying.
I understand all the concern about the "oil" not penetrating, but the Tung oil finish that I use is really a varnish and I don't see any difference in the pretreated areas as compared to the rest of the bowl.