Need a top coat for "tung oil"

[Greg Cole]

I recently moved a piece into our bedroom that I'd had in my "man room" in the basement living room. All maple construction with some maple ply back panels... anyway I didn't expect to have drinks placed on the top which is curly soft maple with a few coats of Formby's satin "tung oil".
LOML has placed a glass of ice water on it a couple of times after being politely asked not to do so....:rolleyes:
What is good top coat for appliying over the borg version of "tung" oil? My first thought was a thinned varnish to wipe on the top (and bottom of the top).
I want to keep the curly maple as white-natural as possible, and I'd like to just add layer of moisture resistance to the top of the piece, not the whole thing IF it won't make it look like a red fender on a black car.
Steve, you seem to be the resident guru here... any $0.02???
Yes I know I can try it on a sample, but it would be a PITA to make a sample with 5 or 6 layers of finish, so I thought I'd ask.....

Cheers.
Greg

[Jim Becker]

To the best of my knowledge, the Formby's product isn't tung oil and doesn't contain tung oil. It's a wiping varnish. Unless the label specifically says, "100% tung oil"...it isn't. Given it's called, "Tung Oil Finish"...it's a wiping varnish. (Same goes for most other Sherwin-Williams brands like MinWax)

http://www.formbys.com/images/products/tung_oil.jpg

So...you can just add more coats or wipe on any varnish of your choice...and remember that wiping varnishes are thinned a lot, so it will take 3-4 applications to equal one brushed coat of un-thinned varnish.

[Bob Childress]

To the best of my knowledge, the Formby's product isn't tung oil and doesn't contain tung oil. It's a wiping varnish. Unless the label specifically says, "100% tung oil"...it isn't. Given it's called, "Tung Oil Finish"...it's a wiping varnish. (Same goes for most other Sherwin-Williams brands like MinWax)



So...you can just add more coats or wipe on any varnish of your choice...and remember that wiping varnishes are thinned a lot, so it will take 3-4 applications to equal one brushed coat of un-thinned varnish.

Agreed. I suggest Water-Lox as a good quality wiping varnish that builds fairly quickly. Forby's is all min spirits and little varnish IMO. :)

[Mark Engel]

To the best of my knowledge, the Formby's product isn't tung oil and doesn't contain tung oil. It's a wiping varnish. Unless the label specifically says, "100% tung oil"...it isn't. Given it's called, "Tung Oil Finish"...it's a wiping varnish. (Same goes for most other Sherwin-Williams brands like MinWax)

http://www.formbys.com/images/products/tung_oil.jpg

So...you can just add more coats or wipe on any varnish of your choice...and remember that wiping varnishes are thinned a lot, so it will take 3-4 applications to equal one brushed coat of un-thinned varnish.

You are correct that Formby's Tung Oil Finish is not 100% pure tung oil, but, it does contain some tung oil along with 'other' penetrating oils, according to the product label.

[Sandra Force]

This is so not right but if the LOYL is going to keep putting water glasses on this I would suggest having a piece of glass cut to size and using that to protect the top. That way if you move it out of your room and want to show it off the finish is all the same.

This comes from a woman's mind.

[Mike Dauphinee]

I love Waterlox for it ease of application and repair. But you wanted to keep the maple as white as possible. IMO WL will darken more than most. Why not consider lacquer? It will protect and is repairable. A spray can of Deft from the Borg is easy enough to apply if you don't have the spray equipment.
BTW, the glass is still your best protection from LOYL and water.

[Greg Cole]

Hmm....well... thinking maybe I'll just refinish the top and put the darn thing on my side of the bed. :D
Kind oumm...errrr made it for me anyway..... I'll post pics of it when I get it refinished. First piece of hand chopped mortises and all hand prepped surfaces... floating panel back, frame and panel drawer bottom as an experiment.... bookmatched curly spalted door panels and drawer fronts & ambrosia maple sides with a little curl too.
The glass just isn't something I want to put on the piece.

Thanks for the feedback.
Happy Turkey Day.

Greg

[Howard Acheson]

>> You are correct that Formby's Tung Oil Finish is not 100% pure tung oil, but, it does contain some tung oil along with 'other' penetrating oils, according to the product label.

If you look carefully at the label it will say it's a varnish. It's a varnish made with tung oil and a alkyd resin. To make any varnish a resin and a drying oil are mixed and then heated until a new compound called varnish is created. Once it's varnish, it is no longer tung oil.

Formby's is a thinned wiping varnish pure and simple. It's a pretty good, clear varnish, but it's a varnish. Applying 4-6 more coats will build up as much protection as 2-3 more coats of a standard, full strength varnish.