What's new
What's new

Replacement for Formby tung oil finish

My experience is that there is little difference between brands of oil finishes. I’ve had good results with many brands. Some seem to build quicker than others implying that they have more resins, but I don’t have hard data. Minwax Antique Oil Finish works good. Bush Oil is another one I have used, they sell a whole system of abrasives that work with the oil to produce high gloss finishes. One more that is a little outside the box that I have had surprising results with is Birchwood Casey Tru Oil, it’s a gun stock finish. It’s not the same as most oil finishes, but it does produce excellent results. It has a higher gloss, and I would say doesn’t soak in as deep as most oil finishes.
 
I bought some watco wiping polyurethane. Not so sure I like it. I have an urge to make another Gerstner clone tool box. I'll be using cherry from an old wind fall and want the finish to be right. I'll try the Minwax tung oil next. Thanks.................Bob
 
Waterlox is a great traditional style finish. Wipe on is one technique you can use, but it is amenable to most application techniques.
 
Formby's Tung Oil Finish is discontinued. Has anyone found a comparable wipe on finish? Thanks....Bob

Used Formby's a lot. Now I use the Sam Maloof formulas from his book:

1st stage (apply 3 or more times)
1 part tung oil
1 part varnish
1 part linseed oil

2nd stage (apply 2-3 times)
1 part tung oil
1 part linseed oil

I heat the mixture in a glass jar sitting in a pot of water on the stove. Slowly add beeswax (by feel).

The tung oil I am using now is from a gallon can of Behr Tung Oil Varnish. So it has some tung oil.
I once had few quarts of pure tung oil and that is teh best to use. Not easily found in stores any more.
High end lumber and milling stores used to have it.

Each application requires a day of drying.
 
There are so many variants of the varn-oil finish. I used to use Jere Osgood's formula from the 60's - equal parts oil (tung or linseed), varnish, and turps/min spirit. The important thing is to use polymerized oil (boiled and/or dryers added). And to be patient in waiting for each coat to dry,

Many of the commercial product have been changed over the years (by lawyers!) - less aggressive oxidizing to avoid spontaneous combustion in pile rags (idiot proofing) and less toxic solvents. None of these changes have improved the quality of the finish.

If I were wanting such a finish now, I'd use Waterlox or Tru-oil
 
I bought some watco wiping polyurethane. Not so sure I like it. I have an urge to make another Gerstner clone tool box. I'll be using cherry from an old wind fall and want the finish to be right. I'll try the Minwax tung oil next. Thanks.................Bob

Considered Olive oil?

It is slower than Flax see (linseed) to form a varnish, but makes a tough film. It has protected my Case Old Forge steel blades for 30 years since I went over to decent non-HCS for the kitchen

Or Grapeseed oil?

It throws more of a wax than a varnish.

Or Walnut Oil? Macadamia Nut, Sesame, Coconut, or Avocado?

Clove oil?

Most are in with the edible / cooking oils as foodstuffs, non-toxic, and quite often lower-cost than for comparable volume in the paint section!

Cheap, Iyam... Canola I use for hand cleaner in the shop, and NOT to cook or eat on a salad.

Research a it, experiment a bit?

The ancients used whatever they had that was native to their environment, different parts of the world. Castor bean oil in Asia, (toxic!) also Urushiol - (poison ivy isn't a "poison", it is simply a seriously strong ALLERGAN.. which is why some folk are not bothered by it!)

MANY things get the protect, preserve, and look-nice job done OK on fine woods when rubbed, so long as not built-up thick and sticky atop it.
 
In my quest for a non-toxic finish the answer was mineral oil. So in the days of wood bowl turning I went to Longs Drug store and brought two large bottles
of mineral oil to the check stand. The teenager at the register had a grin on her face. Wonder what she was thinking.
 








 
Back
Top