Tung oil versus Dainish oil

woodyfxr · 20 May 2012

I have made apost in another part of the forum about an oak rocker chair i am rebuilding. I have the lower section reassembled and have appiled a first coat of tung oil, the oak is so dry it was sucking it in as i was applying it. It has it's first coat and i am leaving it for 24hrs.
My question is what is best for the oak, Tung or Dainsh oil. I have looked around here and on the web and there seems to be answers by the tens of thousands for both, talk about confusing for a mortal.
I am not looking for a high shine finish as i like the natural look, the chair will be used and probobly abused by my grand children as they grow. I just want to give this chair a better second life that it had in the first, but it has to be functional as well as look good.

AndyT · 20 May 2012

As far as I know either will work, after several coats, but the Danish oil will be a bit quicker and easier. It's a blend of oils, varnish and driers, so it builds up relatively quickly, where oil on its own might take a bit longer. Whichever you use, make sure that after you have wiped it on, you go back 20-30 minutes later and wipe off the excess. If you don't you risk getting the top layer dry, over an uncured layer below it - the result being a sticky horrible mess.

In either case, if the final surface is shinier than you want, gently rub it with very fine wire wool and it will revert to a satin finish. You can put some paste wax on the wire wool at this stage if you want for a pleasant final sheen.

CHJ · 20 May 2012

AndyT":kdkzo58l said:
In either case, if the final surface is shinier than you want, gently rub it with very fine wire wool and it will revert to a satin finish. You can put some paste wax on the wire wool at this stage if you want for a pleasant final sheen.

Don't use wire wool on Oak, you risk serious Iron stains developing if any wire debris gets embedded and comes into contact with moisture and the tannings in the Oak.

If you don't believe me put a piece of scrap oak and some wire wool in a plastic bag with a few drops of water.

AndyT · 20 May 2012

Ok, I wouldn't advocate using steel wool on bare oak, but for a final cutting back after three or four layers of finish, the action is only to gently abrade the surface of the finish - the steel wool should not come into contact with the wood itself, let alone any tannin in it, and you would be dusting as you go, to see what the surface looks like. You could of course use any other easily available fine abrasive.

woodyfxr · 20 May 2012

Thanks for the replies, i looked at the chair about 45 later and it was dry. Like i said the wood has been starved of any finish for years i should think.
I have not used wirewool, i have use one of those nylon type abrasives, it states it is the same as 000 wirewool.
Going by what you say i will stay with the Tung oil even though the finish curing time will be longer. The wood already looks much better so a few more light coats should be benificial to the wood.
Now got to make some replacment spindles for the back of the seat.

heatherw · 22 May 2012

AndyT":3enjybea said:
Ok, I wouldn't advocate using steel wool on bare oak, but for a final cutting back after three or four layers of finish, the action is only to gently abrade the surface of the finish - the steel wool should not come into contact with the wood itself, let alone any tannin in it, and you would be dusting as you go, to see what the surface looks like. You could of course use any other easily available fine abrasive.

I'm afraid CHJ is right,

Some years ago I was working in a shared workshop and one of the guys made some oak chairs and tables for exterior use. They were finished with some kind of oil, teak or linseed, and then some kind of varnish I think (wasn't my job, so I wasn't paying much attention). He made the mistake of denibbing them with wire wool after the final coat. There were ructions a few weeks later after they'd been outside for one night and just with the dew big black splotches had appeared all over them. The poor guy was mystified until we figured out what had happened.