Tung Oil vs Boiled Lindsay Oil

[Chris Barton]

My 7 year old was watching TV with me and heard them talking about finishes and asked "how do they get tounge oil and do they boil people named Lindsay to make boiled Lindsay oil?" After I finished laughing I explained it all but, then thought myself, when would one use Tung oil vs BLO? Any thoughts???

Chris

[Chris Padilla]

Chris,

Actually, it is Linseed Oil...from the flax plant. As far as natural oils, they are roughly about the same. I think BLO is by far the cheapest of the two. The both provided minimal protection, are very simple to apply, and very easy to redo.

[Roger Everett]

Blo isn't really boiled, it has metalic driers added. Of the 2 Blo will darken a pinch more when applied. Tung oil is slightly more moisture resistant, and is the one many time added in with exterior or spar varnish. Blo will cure (dry) quicker because of added driers. Both or either one is used in making homemade wiping varnish or your homemade oil-varnish-thinner blend for a wiping finish, although I most always use Blo, because of it's quicker drying, and ready for next coat.
Roger

[Ken Shoemaker]

I thought I heard that one or the other got tacky again with heat and humidity??? I thought it was BLO????

[Jim Becker]

Tung oil comes from the tung tree and as Chris indicated, BLO comes from the flax plant. They both pretty much give identical results and BLO is a lot less expensive and also cures a lot faster. Coating over tung oild "too early" with a film finish can wreak all kinds of havoc with your finish and it sometimes takes many, many weeks to fully cure. BLO will cure in a few days to a week, depending on the application, and can be safely overcoasted with shellac after only a few days.

Do beware when you see the word "Tung" in a finish lable. If it doesn't say pure tung oil on the container, or is labled something like "Tung Oil Finish", it may not even have any tung oil in it at all!. Marketing...

[Tom LaRussa]

After I finished laughing I explained it all but, then thought myself, when would one use Tung oil vs BLO? Any thoughts???
Chris

Chris,

First, what everybody else said.

Second, there is tung oil and then there is Tung Oil...

More specifically, there is tung oil and there is Lee Valley's Polymerized Tung Oil -- the 100% oil finish that sets in less than 24 hours, builds like a varnish, darkens the wood very minimally, and is capable of giving a much higher gloss than other oils.

At $12.50 for about a half pint it ain't exactly cheap, but it's worth every penny.

JMHO, YMMV, ETC.