Tung Oil Finish: Uses, Benefits, How to Use

Ever admired the rich, antique-style finish on a piece of furniture? That’s the magic of Tung Oil! Curious about how this natural, eco-friendly finish can transform your projects? Let’s explore together.

Tung oil is one of the most popular wood finish and sealers in the woodworking world.

Most importantly it is 100% natural and able to apply on almost any surface.

When I first heard about this awesome finish, I was curious about what is Tung oil and how it behaves.

I did a deep research about this cool finish with the help of experts.

Now with years of experience, here’s what I know about, Tung oil.

A Tung Oil Finish is a waterproof, durable, and flexible finish derived from the seed of the tung tree. It enhances the natural beauty of wood and other porous materials, offering a protective barrier that doesn’t darken or go rancid, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing matte finish.

Ultimately, Tung oil can be considered one of the top-quality natural finishes for any woodworking project.

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There’s a lot more to know about Tung oil and how it uses as a finish.

So, in this article, I’ll explore Tung oil uses, how to apply Tung oil, the waterproofing ability of Tung oil, and everything you need to know about Tung oil.

Let’s jump in!

What Is Tung Oil Finish?

Tung oil is a natural finisher and sealer which is extracted from the seeds of the tung tree.

China is the world’s leading Tung oil manufacturer, providing more than 80% of the world’s Tung oil supply.

Tung oil hardens quickly when exposed to the air. When Tung oil is exposed to air, It goes through a polymerization process and results in a transparent, wet-looking, glossy layer.

This is what happens when you apply Tung oil over wood furniture.

They make a transparent, wet-looking glossy protective layer and give a shiny beautiful appearance to the wood.

Tung oil mainly consists of fatty acids which are highly sensitive to atmospheric oxygen. When they get in contact with oxygen, oxidation happens by making cross-links between nearby molecular chains and hardening the resin.

What Does Tung Oil Do?

Tung oil makes a transparent, wet-looking, glossy, protective layer on furniture and other woodworks that enhance the color of the wood.

Tung oil protects wood furniture from moisture and cracks.

Tung oil is waterproof and by applying it to woodworks, you can make the wood waterproof with enhanced protection from environmental elements.

Because of having good protection from moisture, Tung oil applied furniture can be used as both indoor and outdoor furniture.

Ting oil hardens quickly upon exposure to the air.

Therefore, you won’t face issues like tacky surface, surface blotchiness, and other wood staining and finishing mistakes.

Tung oil protects wood from moisture, cracks, scratches, insect attacks, and many more.

This is why it has become so much popular among woodworkers because of having lots of advantages over disadvantages.

Is Tung Oil a Good Finish?

Tung oil is an excellent finish for any type of wood. Tung oil works well with both softwood and hardwood furniture.

It is eco-friendly, flexible, food-safe, and durable finish with waterproofing ability which is helpful to protect wood from environmental impacts.

Tung oil protects wood from moisture, alcohol, and chemicals and lasts for so long. Tung oil finish has higher durability than wax-based and mineral oil finishes.

The Tung oil finish doesn’t darken, rancid, or mold like other finishes.

It dries faster than any other oil finish which makes the wood finishing process easier with less time-consuming.

Tung Oil on Cedar

Tung oil works great on cedar. It makes a protective, natural-looking layer that enhances the natural beauty of cedar wood.

Pure Tung oil gives a light yellow color to cedar while dark Tung oil darkens the cedarwood.

Tung oil is easy to apply to cedar wood. It absorbs evenly throughout the wood without causing any issues.

Tung Oil on Pine

Tung oil works great on Pine. It adds a unique shining natural look to your pinewood furniture without hiding its beautiful wood grain.

Applying Tung oil on pine is easy because it hardens quickly.

You can get a wet fresh look for pine furniture, panels, window frames, floors, and cabinets by finishing them with Tung oil.

Now let’s look at the supplies you’ll need to have before using tung oil.

Supplies You Will Need to Use Tung Oil

Here’re the supplies you will need to apply Tung oil on wood,

• Tung oil can
• Mineral spirit
• Bristle brush or sponge brush
• Lint-free rags
• Sandpapers (120 grit, 150 grit, and 400 grit)
• Latex gloves
• Tack cloths
• Glass jar with plastic stick or stirrer
• Abrasive finishing pads

Grab the above tools and materials from a quality manufacturer and start the application process.

How To Apply Tung Oil?

Applying Tung oil to wood is so much easier than any other oil finish. It hardens pretty quickly and absorbs evenly to the wood fibers without making a mess.

There’re main two methods of applying Tung oil on any wood. they are,

• Apply Tung oil using a bristle brush
• Spray Tung oil using a spray gun

Applying Tung oil using a bristle brush is easier because you can control the thickness of the coatings and are able to notice and fix the missing spot before it gets hardened.

Here’s te procedure you need to follow when applying tung oil,

1. Surface preparation
2. Thin tung oil
3. Apply tung oil on wood
4. Let it dry
5. Lightly and the surface
6. Apply additional coats
7. Let the final coat dry and cure

Now, let’s discuss each of the above steps in detail to use tung oil properly on any wood.

1. Surface Preparation

Clean and sand the wood surface and make it smooth, dust and dirt free.

2. Thin Tung Oil

Mix equal amounts of Tung oil and mineral spirits in a glass jar and make the thinned Tung oil solution.

3. Apply Tung Oil

Apply thinned Tung oil solution on the wood surface evenly along the wood grain.

4. Let it dry for 6 hours

Before applying another coat of Tung oil, let the previous coat dry completely from both inside and outside of the wood.

5. Sand the surface lightly

Light sand surface with abrasive pads

6. Apply 5 – 8 coats following the same procedure

Make sure to dry and lightly sand between each coat.

7. Let the final coat dry for 6 hours and cure for 14 days

Letting Tung oil cure is essential to get it to a hard stabilized state.

Now you have a clear idea about applying Tung oil without making any mistakes.

These are the simplest steps you can follow to apply Tung oil to any wood.

How Many Coats of Tung Oil Should You Use?

5 – 8 coats of Tung oil you should use to get a perfect finish. But this can differ according to the type of application and wood type you use.

Is Tung Oil Permanent?

Tung oil finish last for so long because of having excellent water resistance. With proper maintenance, the Tung oil finish can last for years.

How Long Does Tung Oil Last Outdoors?

Tung oil lasts no more than 2 years outdoors because of climate changes, temperature variations, moisture, insect attacks, UV light, and many other environmental elements.  

Therefore, restore and reapply Tung oil on your outdoor furniture at least once per year.

In order to protect outdoor furniture from elements apply 5 – 8 coats of Tung oil without missing any spots.

Applying a durable coating over Tung oil helps to last Tung oil for more than 10 years.

Because using Tung oil only cannot protect your outdoor furniture for years. Therefore, applying another durable coating over the Tung oil finish is recommended for the long run.

Make sure to keep the Tung oil finish outdoors once it gets fully cured minimum after 14 days.

What Is Tung Oil Finish Used Over?

Here’re some uses of Tung oil finish,

• Wood furniture
• Unfinished new wood
• Weathered wood
• Painted and stained wood
• Boat decks
• Concrete
• Cabinets
• Bamboo
• Brick
• Musical instruments
• Kitchen utensils
• Children’s toys
• Countertops
• Wood carving

Tung oil helps to protect wood furniture and other woodworks from moisture, UV light, bugs, and insects. It prevents wood from rotting and decaying.

Most importantly Tung oil can use over painted furniture and stained furniture.

It is useful to protect the color of the wood and paint without fading them away due to direct sunlight.

Tung oil finish avoid sunlight from darkening the wood color.

Applying Tung oil is useful to protect your woodworking projects and woodcarving projects to keep them years safely.

Is Tung Oil Finish Waterproof?

Yes, the Tung oil finish is waterproof. It protects wood from moisture and water droplets.

Tung oil cannot protect the wood from rotting because wood rot starts from inside and you’ll probably have to restore the wood and apply a flex seal to stop the wood from rotting.

What Is the Best Tung Oil?

Here’re some of the best Tung oil products that can use for any wood,

• Minwax Tung oil finish
• Cabot’s Tung oil
• Hope Tung oil
• Real Milk paints dark Tung oil

Now you have a clear understanding about what is Tung oil and how it is important as a wood finish.

Will Tung Oil Darken Wood?

Pure Tung oil does not darken the wood. But dark Tung oil darkens wood.

Pure Tung oil has a light yellow honey color tint that lightens and enhances the wood color.

But dark Tung oil modified hydrocarbons with pigments that give a dark brown color to the wood.

If you want to get a darker deeper color, better to apply dark Tung oil.

Applying darker Tung oil coats gives a darker shade to the wood. To get a lighter, wet-looking shiner color you need to apply pure Tung oil.

Or you can make Tung oil darker by mixing it with acetone or denatured alcohol. Those chemicals make Tung oil darker which makes your wood color darker.

Will pure Tung oil darken over time? No, it won’t because it has no dark pigments and has good resistance against UV light as well.

Does Tung Oil Turn Wood Yellow?

No, Tung oil doesn’t turn wood yellow. Pure Tung oil enhances wood color because of its amber honey color tint. But it won’t turn wood to yellow or change wood to any other color.

Do You Sand Between Coats Of Tung Oil?

Sanding between Tung oil coats is recommended to get a smooth finish since it produces white dust when the previous Tung oil coat is completely dry and you’re good to apply another coat.

Make sure to sand with 400 grit or 600 grit fine sandpaper and do light sanding without damaging the previously applied tung coat.

Rubbing with very fine sandpaper is helpful to get a nice and smooth surface and to get a shiner Tung oil finish.

Which is Better Tung Oil or Linseed Oil?

Tung oil is better than linseed oil because Tung oil creates a more water-resistant, hard, and durable finish than linseed oil.

Linseed oil takes a long time than Tung oil for drying. But Tung oil expensive than linseed oil. Tung oil is a better finish for outdoors than linseed oil due to its high moisture resistance.

Which Is Better Tung Oil or Danish Oil?

Danish oil is better than Tung oil because Danish oil dries within 4 – 6 hours while Tung oil usually takes 24 hours to dry.

Danish oil gives a much more beautiful appearance than Tung oil. But Tung oil is more eco-friendly than Danish oil which is a synthetic wood oil.

Danish oil is more used as a finisher. Danish oil has more advantages than the tung oil finish.

Which Is Better Tung Oil or Teak Oil?

Teak oil is better than Tung oil because teak oil gives more protection from scratches and cracks than Tung oil.

Teak oil protects hardwoods more than the Tung oil finish. Teak oil is scratch resistant. Teak oil gives a more sheen look while Tung oil gives a less sheen look. 

Overall teal oil is better for outdoors due to its high tolerance against environmental elements than Tung oil.

Will Tung Oil Prevent Cracking?

Yes, Tung oil prevents wood from cracking and splitting since it avoids moisture from penetrating the wood fibers and makes them wet to make cracks and splits easily.

So, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about Tung oil.

FAQs