Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi!

I really love polymerized tung oil as a finish for a solid body... easy and fun to apply, no stress, not complicated, like the look, and it dries hard.

I've seen some people rub coats of shellac over tung oil. I was wondering if the reverse method can work? I found that poly tung oil gives me the semi-gloss I want, but i'd like to seal with shellac before rubing the oil, to 'pop up' the grain and also keep the oil on the surface instead of penetring the wood. Will the tung oil adhere well to the shellac.

One important thing I've learn is to always go from hard to soft (never put a hard coat of something over something softer..). So, regarding that, what dilution of shellac should I use?

Thanks for you help and patience!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Francis I am not a guitar finish expert, but my understanding of tung oil for other applications is that it is in fact a penetrating oil. Pure tung oil will naturally polymerize in the wood cells, but it does take a while, and this is one of the attractions of tung oil as a finish.

Here is a link to do some reading about it, though this is not the brand I buy. I will have to look on the container for the info. A gallon lasted through several hundred gunstocks using it in my "special" mix!

http://www.dwellsmart.com/Products/Lumb ... e-Tung-Oil

Mike

I know Tung oil is a penetrating finish, but polymerized tung oil is made to leave a thin film on the surface, then you can really build coats of it. The very first coats penetrate, but after than, you can build as coats as you want to build up a finish on the surface. I finished 2 solid bodies this way, with 20-25 very thin coats, and it makes a really nice film, almost like a sprayed lacquer or french polished shellac.

My only doubt is to know if this polymerized oil will adhere on a wash coat of shellac. This way, I could avoid the penetring thing, and keep the wood structure as is.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Funny, I was considering (and planning to try) Poly Tung Oil from exactly the opposite approach.... one or two good penetrating coats to bring out the deep figure (as only oils can), followed by shellac sealcoat(s) and then normal lacquer finishing steps.

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Dave
Milton, ON