How to Finish a Tung Oil Finish

Use paste wax over tung oil for a deep, rich finish.

Tung oil is a natural wood finish that penetrates into the pores of the wood. It is applied by hand and hardens to create a barrier against moisture. Even though it dries hard, tung oil will not provide a glossy finish. To get that lacquer-like finish with penetrating oils such as tung oil, you need to take the process one step farther by hand rubbing the finish to a semi-gloss with woodworker's paste wax.

Things You'll Need

• Paste wax
• Cotton cloth (T-shirt)

Instructions

1. Scoop out a marble-sized amount of paste wax onto your fingers wrapped in a cotton cloth.

2. Rub the wax into the tung oil finish after it has dried for 72 hours. Rub in circular patterns 6 inches in diameter until the wax begins to get thin.

3. Scoop out more wax and continue rubbing continuous circular patterns overlapping previous patterns until you have covered the surface of the tung oil with wax. Let the wax cure for 4 hours.

4. Wad up a ball of cotton cloth in your hand. Begin wiping the tung oil finish hard with the cloth, this time moving parallel to the direction of the grain using short strokes 4 inches forward and 3 inches back.

5. Polish the tung oil to a deep gloss. Move over to a new section overlapping the first section by 1 inch and begin wiping hard with authority to polish the tung oil thoroughly and remove any excess wax.

Tips & Warnings

• To keep your finish looking like new, apply more paste wax every six months or whenever you want.