I spent a week applying multiple coats. I was able to apply a coat or two every day, sometimes two, by applying more terebine than was recommended. Terebine really works, and I’m not sure how I ever convinced myself not to use it. No, I wouldn’t use it on paint because if you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions, the paint can crack, peel, and fail completely, which is extremely unlikely with oils. If you use a lot, the oil will start to drag under the rag, similar to the hardener shellac solutions. What I’m referring to is a solution, which is a liquid solution that is applied to freshly made shellac. The shellac is now resistant to heat, water, and alcohol. It hardens to the same degree as poly, but retains the shellac qualities. I personally found it difficult to use until today because there were no instructions on the mix ratio. I’d get all kinds of weird results that weren’t acceptable. I’ll use the hardener now that I have the mixing instructions, but only if I’m making tables. It is unnecessary to use it on clocks and other items that will not, for lack of a better word, see any traffic. If you’re interested in premixed Hardened Shellac, then click the link. If you want the Shellac Hardener, only with the instructions. Now that I’ve gone off track, let’s get back to Tung oil.
Below are three pictures without the wax applied.
With no wax applied, it came out pretty well. Here are the results after the wax was applied and hand buffed. I believe the results would be even better if a buffing machine of some kind was used. I only think that, but I’ve never actually used one.
Different perspectives produce different outcomes. These two images show a high lustre, whereas the images below show high reflections due to the boards being angled more acutely.
Why is this the case? It all comes down to the way light (photons) bounces off the board. The reflections here are caused by the burnishing of the wood during the application, not just by the oil itself. I didn’t burnish the wood all at once, but over several days with the oil applied beforehand. Every day, I would sand with higher grits of sandpaper, creating a slurry that would clog the pores of the wood. I kept doing this until I reached 2000 grit. I have sandpaper with a grit of 7000 but have never used it. I’d then wipe away all the slurry, re-oil the wood, and let it sit for a while. What is the length of a while? 30–60 minutes or until I remember. If the wood isn’t absorbing any more oil, a single coat will suffice. I let it sit for a while before wiping it all off and repeating the process the next day. When you’re finished, you stop.
Here are the steps you should take; if you don’t, do what works best for you.
Everything should be sanded to 320 grit. Look for flaws and make any necessary repairs, because if you don’t, everything will stand out like a sore thumb.
On the first day, apply 50% tung oil and 50% citrus solvents. It does not have to be citrus; mineral spirits or white spirits can be used, NOT turpentine. It is entirely up to you whether or not to use terebine. Apply liberally and allow the oil to absorb into the wood. Cover any dry spots, and repeat on both sides of the wood until the oil isn’t being absorbed by the wood any longer. To avoid unequal rapid absorption and release of moisture from the unfinished side of the wood, do not apply finish on one side only. This will result in cupping, bows, and other unusual movements, as well as depression and anxiety on your part.
Wipe it all down and keep an eye out for any oil that has been regurgitated by the wood. Small regurgitation should not be allowed to dry. This will be a long day, so keep your wits about you.
Day 2: Repeat day 1
Day 3: Mix together 60% oil and 30% solvent. You can use 0000 steel wool instead of sandpaper, which will not produce a burnished surface. To burnish the surface, begin by hand sanding the surface with 400 grits; do not use a sander, even if you have one. Wipe off the slurry and apply another light coat, allowing it to sit for 30 minutes or so before wiping it off and leaving it to dry overnight.
Day 4: Check to see if it’s dry; if not, let it sit for a little longer. You can go up to 3 days or even a week of drying without terebine depending on the weather, humidity, moisture, and how thick you applied the oil. If everything is in order, apply 80% oil and 20% solvent. Sand with 600 grit, then apply more oil and sand with 800 grit. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes before wiping it away.
Day 5: Repeat day 4 with the exception of mixing 90% oil and 10% solvent; this will be the last time you change the mix ratio. The thicker the oil, the more difficult it is to sand. Sand with 1200 grit, allow sitting for 30 minutes and wipe it off.
Day 6: Apply another coat and sand with 1500 grit and repeat above.
Day 7: Sand with 2000 grit after one more coat. Wipe it all down and let it dry completely overnight, or longer if necessary.
Remember, you can sand up to the highest grit of sandpaper and apply as many coats as you want. There are no restrictions here, but you will want to finish it and move on at some point. Once everything is dry, apply some wax and buff it for up to an hour or for however long the label specifies. The higher the lustre you want, the longer you buff.
Just a quick word about rags. To buff the wax, do not use any old rag. Lambs wool is ideal. You want something soft and fluffy. This will assist in bringing out the best sheen. I buy all my rags from a fabric store. I choose what type of material I want, not some crap thrown in a bag. I have materials for french polishing, oil, staining and buffing. I use the same material for oils and stains.
Finally, for whatever reason, some people will apply the oil to the entire piece until there is a pool on the surface, then let it dry to a thick film. The end result is an ugly, thick gloss with tonnes of dust nibs and whatever else has settled on it overnight. It can take several weeks to months to fully cure. I strongly advise you to never do this. I only mention this because I have seen DIYers on YouTube do this, and I’m certain no self-respecting craftsman ever would.
You must do what is best for you. My role is simply to deliver information that I have learned and gathered through various tried and tested methods over the years. I also learned these techniques from ancient texts found in various books dating mostly from 1890 to 1930. Please don’t ask me which ones, as I have a plethora of hard cover originals and PDF files to remember where I read it.
To conclude, I’m assuming you’re interested in my thoughts on Sutherland Wells’ Polymerised Tung Oil. The short and honest answer is that I don’t have an opinion because polymerised tung oil isn’t available in Australia, and Sutherland Wells hasn’t yet reached our shores. I have no doubt it is a fantastic product, I’m not even sure if the outcomes would be better than mine. So, for the time being, my only option is to stick with this method until something better comes along, or Sutherland Wells products become available in Australia.
Thank you for taking the time to read this documentation.
Journeyman's Journal 
Great work. This is very interesting and I’ll have to try your technique.
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