Question on using Japan Dryer in Oils

[Bob Bergstrom]

I've used Formby's Tung Oil for years mainly because of it's drying time. The stores selling it are becoming scare and I have had to order it on line. I have mixed danish oil and polyurethane together and it builds well, but takes overnight to dry. My question is has anyone had experience using Japan dryer to accelerate the drying time. I know it is used in oil based paint so it should work, and understand it will give more amber color to the finish. What does the dryer do to shelf life? How much dryer/oil/ poly works well? Which oils are best, boiled linseed, so called tung or other?

[robert baccus]

I can add very little but here it is. Tung oil is the best and toughest of all the oils. It is the ingrediant in all traditional marine varnishes. Formby's Tung oil finish is reputed to have zero tung oil in the finish. Also Japan dryer works but is a poisonous heavy metal additive. Straight tung oil is not hard to find on the web and is usually used with 3 or 4 parts paint thinner to one part oil to insure hardening. All these oil finishes are a bit slow to fully harden--at least a day or two minimum and require several coats to look good.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Ouch, the heavy mental part is a big negative! I never know how my bowls will end up being used. Thanks for the heads up on that.

[Robert Willing]

I use JD with poly finishes but not on bowls. The reason I use it is to get a quick skim coat to minimize runs and dust. I apply the poly with a brush and follow with a foam pad to even out the finish. I use it on gun racks and gun displays. I finish all my bowls with Waterlox and keep it in a storage bag for over a year. The bag collapses to eliminate air.

[Robert Willing]

What does the dryer do to shelf life? How much dryer/oil/ poly works well? Which oils are best, boiled linseed, so called tung or other?

I have no problem with JD and poly shelf life have not changed.
Use just 1/3 cap full for a quart.
Give it a try for others no experience with them.

[Bob Bergstrom]

What does the dryer do to shelf life? How much dryer/oil/ poly works well? Which oils are best, boiled linseed, so called tung or other?

I have no problem with JD and poly shelf life have not changed.
Use just 1/3 cap full for a quart.
Give it a try for others no experience with them.




I use oil under cat lacqer and now now wonder what's in cat lacquer compared to water white lacquer. It doesn't seem like a lot of Japan Dryer compared to the oil. It would be nice to know how toxic the stuff is?

[Robert Willing]

I googled and found this and I would say don't use on bowl finishes.
https://www.gnhw.org/qaarchive/japan-drier
There are other compounds that speed the drying of oils. Lead is one of them but because of its toxicity is no longer used as such. Boat varnishes use Japan drier also perhaps because they are often varnishing outdoors in poor weather conditions and dirty environments. The longer a varnish surface stays wet to the touch,the greater the possibility that dirt and dust are going to land on the surface and stick.
Cobalt compounds are considered very toxic things. On a scale 1 to 6, cobalt compounds are considered a 5 according to the Scorecard (www.scorecard.org (http://www.scorecard.org)),a pollution information site.