top 3 finishes

[Alan Lilly]

I'm thinking of using tung oil on some ash furniture I am finishing.
What brand of tung oil do you like best and where do you get it?

Speaking of brands... what are your top 3 favorite finishes and their brands?

MY CURRENT TOP 3 ARE:
1. bullseye french polish shellac
2. epiphanes varnish
3. tung oil waterlox original polymerized

[Jim Becker]

Pure Tung Oil is expensive and takes a long time for each coat to cure...and you do need to wait. You'll get the same look from BLO from the 'borg at a fraction of the cost. Generally an oil-only finish (or oil/wax finish) provides little protection of the wood, although it's a wonderful look.

"Tung Oil Finish" (regardless of brand) is pretty much a wiping varnish that most of the time only had "tung oil" in the name, not in the product. And even if one of the ingredients was tung oil, once it's cooked into varnish, it's no longer tung oil. Waterlox is an example...

There seems to be this "Mystique" about Tung Oil that makes it beyond special. It's really not a very good finish, IMHO, by itself and again, the "look" can be duplicated with less expensive and less time restrictive products.

[Steve Schoene]

Tung oil is a commodity product, with brands being essentially the same. (As long as we are talking about 100% or Pure Tung Oil). I wouldn't use pure tung oil--it takes too long to cure, requires more coats, and also can have bad things happen, like developing a "frosted" look. Tung oil finishes aren't the same. Some are varnishes and others are oil/varnish mixes.

I use shellac quite a bit. It's either mixed from flakes or it's the Zinsser Seal Coat.

I like Waterlox. It is a wiping varnish, not polymerized tung oil. It seems to be a very good well behaved varnish.

I use a bit of Epifanes as well, but only on teak brightwork on my sailboat. It is too soft for use on furniture I think, and doesn't rub out well at all. For brush on varnish I like Behlen Rockhard.

[Joe Chritz]

#1 - Target USL over sealcoat. Fast/easy/durable/good looking

#2 - Waterlox original. Easy/very rich looking/durable

#3 - I use bullseye shellac for drawers, mineral oil for cutting boards and wipe on poly for stuff around the shop.

For a fourth option if I needed a really polished piece I would use plain NC lacquer.

Joe

[Sam Yerardi]

1. Shellac, Bullseye and flake, sometimes with or without BLO
2. Varnish, Behlens, Pratt & Lambert
3. Lacquer

Stuff I rarely (if ever) use:
Polyurethane

Stuff I've never tried but is on my list for this year:
Tung Oil
Waterlox
Watco
Water-borne finishes
Spray finishes

[Alex Elias]

Formby's tung oil finish (lowe's) it's not a bad finish. Altought it's called Tung oil it's actually wipe on varnish. It cures hard and offers good protection.
I'm finishing a chest of drawers with solid and Ply walnut. I used as the first coat Watco danish oil. Second coat is dewax shellac and the 4 coats of formby's.
Do a puddle test. Drop a bit of finish on a plate of glass and let it sit for a few days and see how it cures. Varnish or Poli's cure hard anything with oil takes longer and cures solfter.
If you can get a copy of Woodwork mag Dec 2007 they have a great article about can finishes and their differences.
Good luck

[Howard Acheson]

I'm thinking of using tung oil on some ash furniture I am finishing.
What brand of tung oil do you like best and where do you get it?

Speaking of brands... what are your top 3 favorite finishes and their brands?

MY CURRENT TOP 3 ARE:
1. bullseye french polish shellac
2. epiphanes varnish
3. tung oil waterlox original polymerized

First, as Steve said, pure, 100% tung oil is all the same no matter who's product you get. But, don't confuse it with the faux "Tung Oil Finishes" like Minwax. Most of these products contain no real tung oil.

Bullseye French Polish is no longer in production.

Epifanes is a high quality marine exterior oil based varnish.

Waterlox is not a tung oil. It's an oil based varnish. The varnish is made with phenolic resin and tung oil. However, once the two are combined and heated a new compound called "varnish" is created. It's no longer tung oil, it's varnish.

[Howard Acheson]

>> I'm finishing a chest of drawers with solid and Ply walnut. I used as the first coat Watco danish oil. Second coat is dewax shellac and the 4 coats of formby's.

Let me suggest that you should avoid an oil based finish on the inside of cases or drawers that will contain cloth or clothing. Oil based finish off gas almost forever and the odor will permeate cloth. Use only shellac or a waterborne finish on the insides.

[Jim Becker]

I realized that I never actually answered with my three favoritss..

1) BLO, de-waxed shellac and Target Coatings USL
2) BLO and de-waxed shellac
3) BLO and wax