Hi,
Weekend before last (ie Sunday 24th) I applied tung oil to plywood (simply described as "12mm hardwood plywood" by the DIY shop). One week and a bit later, it looks dry to the eye, there is no shiny spot, the wood has a warmer colour, but if I run my fingers on the surface I get a tiny amount of oil.
I applied the oil by pouring a small amount on the surface of the wood then rubbing with an old rag, leaving no pool of oil.
Sunday (the day before yesterday ) I used kitchen towels to try to dry it off. The towels picked up a tiny bit of oil, but evidently not everything.
Is tung oil that slow to dry? Should I wait another week? Can I do something to help the process along? (Sanding or steel wool? Too aggressive for the thin veneer of plywood? Rub with a small amount of white spirit? )
I'm making a crate for Puppy who has outgrown two crates already, I picked the oil that was advertised as food & toy safe without realising how difficult it'd be to apply. In fact that's my most ambitious project to date, I'm really a beginner.
Puppy tax:
Hmm I wonder if your project has been stored in room temperature or was it outside in the cold?
I might use a solvent to wipe it down, with a light 220 grit sanding, then try again.
I’m also wondering if you might have skipped a step. You should apply the oil, wait 5 minutes or so, then wipe off the excess. Then keep it in room temperature for a day. Repeat three times and then buff or polish.
We're a couple months later, I ended up doing a second small project, this time I used half tung oil half orang oil, and adjusted my technique: wiped with a clean rag after application, and I think the room was warmer them last time.
Got better results, more even and it didn't take 2+ weeks for the first coat to cure (more like a few days).
Thanks for the advice 🙂
Oh I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for updating me. Post the project so we can see?
It's inside the house, but this being winter, is not super warm.
I disn't do the two steps apply liberally, wipe the excess a few minutes later. Of well, top late to go back and do that :)
I think I'll try your suggestion when I have time in a few days