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Thread: Tung Oil Content In Common Finishes

  1. #1

    Tung Oil Content In Common Finishes

    Has there been any testing completed on common Tung Oil finishes to determine the % content? Or can we tell based on color that one is more Tung Oil than Linseed Oil for example?

    I'm talking about Minwax Tung Oil Finish, Formby's Tung Oil, etc. I've heard the trope that they contain none, but tung oil is not hazardous and does not need to be present on the SDS. You'll see from most of Waterlox' SDS sheets have no mention of Tung Oil either except on their low VOC formulations.

  2. #2
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    A lot of us seem to obsess on Tung Oil, its variations and its use. I wonder why we care? If product 'A' works well for me, would I switch to product 'B' just because it has 5% more tung oil in it? No. Would I try a new finish because I knew it had more tung oil than what I am already satisfied with? No.

    I have mixed my own blends for years but, with the advent of so many quality products available today I am looking at doing it less. I imagine that if I morph to using all canned products, ones that I find give me what I am after, I will not care whether there is any tung oil in them or not
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    A lot of us seem to obsess on Tung Oil, its variations and its use. I wonder why we care? If product 'A' works well for me, would I switch to product 'B' just because it has 5% more tung oil in it? No. Would I try a new finish because I knew it had more tung oil than what I am already satisfied with? No.

    I have mixed my own blends for years but, with the advent of so many quality products available today I am looking at doing it less. I imagine that if I morph to using all canned products, ones that I find give me what I am after, I will not care whether there is any tung oil in them or not
    That's why I'm wondering . I've liked the look of the Minwax tung oil on a few projects and if there really isn't much tung oil in it to begin with, I may as well look up some BLO recipes for a fraction of the cost (or just throw in some tung oil into those recipes as well).

  4. #4
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    Many of them have no tung oil in them...it's marketing. They are wiping varnishes/Danish Oil type finishes and generally are going to perform similarly.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    This company advertises pure Tung oil.
    https://www.realmilkpaint.com/shop/o...ung-chinawood/

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    Oil + resin + heat = varnish. So if you used tung oil as the base that is turned into varnish, it may not show on an MSDS sheet as a separate component. But also won't retain the properties of oil. That's what I've gotten out of numerous magazine articles over the years about many so-called oil finishes. A true mixture like danish oil is a different story.

  7. #7
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    That's true for the most part, Stan. But the particular oil used in a varnish can have implications on color, for example. That was one reason that Pratt and Lambert #38 was so popular over the years...the tung oil in the base ingredients imparted a lighter amber effect than many other oils used to make up varnish. 'Just an example.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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