How to Finish Wood With Tung Oil

Tung oil comes from the seed of the tung tree. It's not very difficult to finish wood with tung oil, although it's a bit messy and time consuming. Tung oil is tough and water-resistant. Minor scratches are easy to repair by applying another coat of finish. Here's how to do it.

Things You'll Need

• Tung oil
• Clean, lint-free cloths
• Steel wool

Instructions

1. Buy some tung oil.

2. Make sure the wood you are going to finish is clean and free of dust.

3. Rub liberal amounts of tung oil into the wood with a clean, lint-free cloth. Continue applying until the wood won't absorb any more oil. Throw away cloths that get saturated with oil.

4. Buff the wood with a clean, lint-free cloth. Rub it until a finger touched on the wood doesn't pick up any oil.

5. Dry the wood for 12 to 24 hours. It is possible to do more than one coat a day with tung oil, depending on the temperature and humidity.

6. Burnish the wood with "0000" steel wool after the first coat has dried.

7. Clean the surface of any dust and finish the wood again. 2 or 3 coats should be enough.

Tips & Warnings

• Because it's rather expensive, many products that say they are tung oil finishes might not contain any real tung oil. Be sure you're getting the real thing.