What comes after tung oil on cherry?

[Dana Berenson]

I've had fantastic success with tung oil on ash. I've put several coats of tung oil on a cherry bowl I turned and after a week of drying, it is still oily and dull. :confused: I think that the bowl would be fantastic if I could get a nice finish on it. Any suggestions for what I might do to give it a nice shine? Thanks!

[Steve Schoene]

At best, tung oil--assuming you have 100% or pure tung oil--will achieve a satin finish. It will take a good 5 coats to achieve that, and you must wait several days between coats (more if the temperature in the drying area is less than about 70°)

Also be aware that on each coat you must vigorously wipe off any oil left on the surface after it has had the chance to penetrate for a short time. Oils are not suited for building up a film on the surface--it will be soft and gummy. Sanding lightly with about 400 grit is recommended between coats.

I would thoroughly wipe the finish down with mineral spirits. That isn't likely to do much, but its worth a try. If the finish remains sticky then you may have to strip it off with a chemical stripper following label instructions and start over. I'd recommend a good wiping varnish such as Waterlox, using either the Original/Sealer for a mellow gloss, or Gloss for a higher gloss finish. If you want to go for the high gloss, you may need to thin the Waterlox varnish a bit to use for wiping. Remember gloss requires virtually perfect surfaces to look good.

[Jim Becker]

To clarify something that Steve points out...unless it says something like "100% pure tung oil" on the container, you likely have a varnish or varnish/oil product that also likely contains no tung oil. And to amplify his advise, with tung, you really do need to wait for each application to cure. You'll get essentially the same look using inexpensive, garden-variety, 'borg supplied BLO and you can apply light coats more frequently, especially if you are "pushing" the finish by buffing on the lathe to create friction heat.

(Do dispose of your rags correctly no matter which of these finishes you use)

[Dana Berenson]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the input. I'll know better next time.