PURE TUNG OIL PRACTICE PIECE

[jmarkflesher]

I took an old dark stained pine coffee table with a lacquer finish to try this finish. I used a ETS 150/3 on all steps only changing the speed as grits got finer. Started with Cristal 60 to take off the finish and stain to bare wood. Switched to Brilliant 2 using P120 through P320 dusting, vacuuming and tack cloth between each grit. Switched to Garnet 400 through 1200 doing same between each grit. Put first coat of pure tung oil (unthined) on piece. Left to dry three days. Sanded at number 1 speed with Garnet 1500. Cleaned and applied second coat. Let dry three days. Went to a 0000 steel wool between all other coats to seven coats total letting each coat dry three days. ALL coats were wipe on and than wiped dry and left to dry. I than tryed to burnish with a paper bag. I could not get this to work. Went to Platin 2 2000 and lightly floated over surface. When I look across table with my eye at table height I see glass. Any other vantage point I see dull and shinny. What should my next step be?

 

[Scott B.]

If I am reading this correctly, you jumped from 60 to 120. If so, that is too big a jump, and would create the issue you are seeing.

 

[jmarkflesher]

I went to Platin 2 4000 and the same ETS 150/3 on setting 1. I only went over the entire top one pass and checked the Platin 2 for load up and vacuumed off pad. Brushed off top and vacuumed each time buffing with same pad. Same process until there was little to no load up increasing speed to 6 at last buffing. Now looks like glass but process is time consuming. MARK

 

[Scott B.]

I think starting at speed setting 1 is too low and counterproductive. You may be losing time right there.

 

[CharlesWilson]

Pure tung oil, when it finally polymerizes will give you a semi-gloss finish. The drying and polymerizing are two separate stages of the curing process. Drying occurs in a day or two and can leave a glasslike surface. Polymerizing is complete after about a month. and results in a semi-gloss surface.

Charles