c

25/11/2005 2:21 PM

Tung Oil

We have a dresser that was finished with Formby's Tung Oil Tung Oil. We
would like for this dresser to be darker, maybe a walnut color. What
would be the best way to go about darkening this piece of furniture?
Can I apply an oil-based stain, such as Minwax, to the dresser or does
Formby's make a darker tung oil that I could apply to the existing tung
oil finish?

Thanks,
CR Junk


This topic has 9 replies

c

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

27/11/2005 7:55 PM

> > You didn't say what color the thing is now but your best bet - short of
> > refinishing or paint - is colored wax.


I guess you would call the color of dresser a Honey Maple. My wife is
thinking that she would like it to be a mahogany or mocha color. Would
this be possible with a gel stain?

Thanks,
CR Junk

c

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

28/11/2005 6:42 AM


Patriarch wrote:
> Yes. Clean it well first with mineral spirits, or naptha, in a well-
> ventilated room. Maybe a quick surface sanding with 320 or so. It may
> take more than one or two coats of the gel stain.
>
> The colored wax trick is for smaller increments of color change...
>
> Patriarch

Should I just use something like an old t-shirt to scrub the wood with
mineral spirits and then wait until it dries before sanding and
staining?

Thanks,
CR Junk

f

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

28/11/2005 8:03 AM


[email protected] wrote:
> We have a dresser that was finished with Formby's Tung Oil Tung Oil. We
> would like for this dresser to be darker, maybe a walnut color. What
> would be the best way to go about darkening this piece of furniture?
> Can I apply an oil-based stain, such as Minwax, to the dresser or does
> Formby's make a darker tung oil that I could apply to the existing tung
> oil finish?
>

IIRC Formby's Tung Oil _Finish_ is a wiping varnish. It will seal the
pores in the wood so that there is nothing to trap the pigments in
ordinary stains.

_Toning_ would do the trick for you. That means using a colored top
coat such as shellac of the approriate hue. In addition to stains,
doesn't MinWas make colored topcoats, basicly colored versions
of their water-based polyurethane/ploy acrylic varnishes?

--

FF

rb

"rickluce"

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

28/11/2005 9:23 AM

Some people use a squege to apply gel stain. A cheep paint brush can
also be used. Gel stains can be messy. Practice on some other substrate
first. I hate Gel stain, but it probably is your best choice. If not
properly applied it can look like hell. Thin multiple coats are good.
However, I've gotten great results on alder with a cherry gel stain.
I've just recently seen a door gel stained and it looks like someone
smeered ...well... gel stain all over it. Not a very positive response,
but I wanted to let you know it is a little tricky to use.

c

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

29/11/2005 7:27 AM

Thanks for all the advice!

CR Junk

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

26/11/2005 1:46 PM

[email protected] wrote:
> We have a dresser that was finished with Formby's Tung Oil Tung Oil.
> We would like for this dresser to be darker, maybe a walnut color.
> What would be the best way to go about darkening this piece of
> furniture? Can I apply an oil-based stain, such as Minwax, to the
> dresser or does Formby's make a darker tung oil that I could apply to
> the existing tung oil finish?

Oil finishes soak in and harden. Adding more won't work well since it
won't soak in. A bit might stay on but very little. Ditto stain. You
didn't say what color the thing is now but your best bet - short of
refinishing or paint - is colored wax.

Second thought...you could use a toner which is a clear finish like
varnish or lacquer with a transparent coloring agent.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

27/11/2005 10:20 PM

[email protected] wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>> > You didn't say what color the thing is now but your best bet -
>> > short of
>> > refinishing or paint - is colored wax.
>
>
> I guess you would call the color of dresser a Honey Maple. My wife is
> thinking that she would like it to be a mahogany or mocha color.
> Would this be possible with a gel stain?
>

Yes. Clean it well first with mineral spirits, or naptha, in a well-
ventilated room. Maybe a quick surface sanding with 320 or so. It may
take more than one or two coats of the gel stain.

The colored wax trick is for smaller increments of color change...

Patriarch

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

28/11/2005 10:48 AM

[email protected] wrote in news:1133188942.573798.243220
@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

>
> Patriarch wrote:
>> Yes. Clean it well first with mineral spirits, or naptha, in a well-
>> ventilated room. Maybe a quick surface sanding with 320 or so. It may
>> take more than one or two coats of the gel stain.
>>
>> The colored wax trick is for smaller increments of color change...
>>
>> Patriarch
>
> Should I just use something like an old t-shirt to scrub the wood with
> mineral spirits and then wait until it dries before sanding and
> staining?
>
> Thanks,
> CR Junk
>
>

That's usually what I use. A white one.

Patriarch

TT

"Toller"

in reply to [email protected] on 25/11/2005 2:21 PM

26/11/2005 2:02 PM


"dadiOH" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:HGZhf.8784$F73.1132@trnddc03...
> [email protected] wrote:
>> We have a dresser that was finished with Formby's Tung Oil Tung Oil.
>> We would like for this dresser to be darker, maybe a walnut color.
>> What would be the best way to go about darkening this piece of
>> furniture? Can I apply an oil-based stain, such as Minwax, to the
>> dresser or does Formby's make a darker tung oil that I could apply to
>> the existing tung oil finish?
>
> Oil finishes soak in and harden. Adding more won't work well since it
> won't soak in. A bit might stay on but very little. Ditto stain. You
> didn't say what color the thing is now but your best bet - short of
> refinishing or paint - is colored wax.
>
> Second thought...you could use a toner which is a clear finish like
> varnish or lacquer with a transparent coloring agent.
>
A gelstain should be fine.


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