HI all. Since I posted below, I have discovered a link to a new source. Go here to see:
http://parallaxscurioandr...rums.yuku.com/topic/31771


Hi ALL

One of the posters here emailed me with a question about the availability of TOF (a tung oil finish) on the markets anymore. I hadn't shopped for it in quite a while as I do have a good supply. However, after his email, I did search through a myriad of suppliers and found that he is correct. It appears the Tung Oil Finishes have pretty much "dried up" (pun intended) from the market. It must not have been a good seller so it's been pretty much cut from production.

There are TOFs still out there but the ones from Minwax, Formby's and Watco are very thin. Can they work? Sure but it will take a very long time to get a build from them. The amounts of "solids" in those brands tend to be very low cutting production costs and selling more finish!

So, the question begs, what to do?

Well, we've discussed the disadvantages of using "pure" tung oil on a stock. And, I've discouraged 'making' up your own concoctions because of the reliability of them over manufactured finishes. However, now that we've endured the disappearance of the wonderful Behr product and the subsequent demise of ACE's product (True-tone T400 no longer available) we're forced to reconsider some alternatives.

What I'm going to suggest is that you produce a very basic Tung Oil Finish for your stocks should you want to use them. Of course the alternative is to use BLO which is still available the last time I checked. They are finishes, too, and not "pure" linseed oil to be sure. Tung Oil, however, produces a much lighter finish than BLO and on an old, dark stock, a TOF finish would do better, imho, as it won't darken the stock as much as BLO.

What I'm going to suggest as an alternative for the time being is that you purchase a small quantity of "pure' tung oil and go ahead and dilute it with 2 or even 3 parts of mineral spirits. Don't use turpentine. MS is distilled as a petroleum product and is lighter and more evaporative than turp. And, it will react well with the pure tung oil. What you want is a consistency of something resembling 10wt motor oil or room-temperature pancake syrup. This will flow easily on your stocks and should cure overnight as normal. Too thick and you'll be fighting very long cure times. Too thin and you'll be adding double or even triple coats.

However, before you begin any finishing, you MUST do this test. First pour a quarter-size puddle of the pure oil onto a plastic surface like an old coffee lid. Then, make a small mixture of 2 parts MS to one part pure oil (carefully measure two tablespoons of MS to one tablespoon of oil). Mix them together and also puddle them onto a coffee lid. Now let them sit overnight. The next morning check to see if you have a skin on them. If you do, your oil is good to go and so is your "finish" that you've created. If not, you're going to have to reduce the amount of MS.

After you get a skin and are satisfied, the next test will be to apply some of that oil onto some scrap. Again, put it on, let it sit, then wipe and let if cure overnight. The next day it should be dry to your touch. For this test I wouldn't use pine as a scrap. Try to apply it to either some old wood like an old table leg you've got kicking around or some other hardwood like oak or even maple. The pine today is pretty punky wood and not cured to the proper moisture level.

If you're totally satisfied with the results, then you can make up a quart of finish using the same formula that you found worked for you in your test. Keep it tightly sealed so he air won't ruin it. You can figure that it'll last about 3 months if kept closed. After that, even random openings may begin to harden it and you should discard it and begin fresh. The normal stock will only consume about a cup total.

I know this sounds like a real PITA but if manufacturers are not offering balanced finishes any longer, we have to make some type of accommodations and this would be the best one I can think of right now.

One thing I'd recommending against is you should NOT mix more tung oil into a canned finish. In other words, don't mix pure oil with Formby's stuff to "thicken" it up. If you do decide to try it, you have to test it twice to be sure you haven't altered the chemistry of whatever is in the Formby's stuff so that it won't cure.

These seem to be weird times to be sure. But we've got to make the best of it but keeping it really simple is the only way to go. Don't try to be chemists but just try the MS and pure oil combinations until you're satisfied with the results.

Rome

According to my reports, this finish is a duplicate of the Behr 600 finish which was very nice, indeed. It's much heavier than Minwax's suff.

Rome

#1 recommendation is to order up some of the T400 stuff I've discovered still exists, above. That solves all the problems.

#2 is to ALWAYS check for skinning on ANY curing oil before you apply it. There is a shelf life to this material and, while it will eventually cure up, it might take weeks befor it does if it's really old and cruddy. So, checking for a skin in 24 hours is cheap insurance. And any time you add anything to "pure oil" you have to check. There's a lot of chemistry that's happening here and experimentation is the key to success. Still, it's time consuming and, well, experimental. That's why I'd always recommend #1 first. If that's not an option, then basic thinning is all I would suggest.

Rome

Sure. I'd appreciate it, Bean 'ol man.

Rome