# Tung Oil and Whiting???



## Jacquie (Nov 16, 2009)

Hello all,
I'm soon to be stripping and refinishing old oak floors in my house. I am set on doing them in a white wash and have done a fair bit of research on different techniques and applications. I would also like to be as environmentally sound as possible.

Initially, I settled on a recipe that I discovered in a book that combined boiled linseed oil, citrus thinner, whiting, and pigment which seemed to suit my needs. However, I have now read more on the arguments of the harmful effects of linseed oil and tung oil seems to be more favourable in an eco-conscious way. Furthermore, I am attracted to the water resistant properties of tung oil and even more importantly, its non-yellowing properties that linseed oil is known to have over time, as well as its matte finish. Since I am whitewashing, I am attempting to get as white a finish as possible, without yellowing. I would also like a fairly opaque finish but I still want the grain and natural properties of the wood to come through.

Which brings me to my question: After searching the internet and the pile of books I have found, I have not read any application that combines tung oil and whiting together in the same "recipe". I was thinking that I could keep the recipe I had found initially with the citrus thinner,whiting and pigment, and just substitute boiled linseed oil with tung oil.....Is this possible??? I want to make the oil more opaque, in other words, but I don't know if the whiting will mix with the tung oil.


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

Tung oil isn't going to offer any real protection for a wood floor. If you are "eco-conscious" try using a water based polyurethane designed for wood floors as a topcoat over the white wash.


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## thenning (Nov 19, 2009)

The other thing to remember about linseed oil is the 7/4/1 rule that I learned from an oldtimer here in St. Charles, MO. Apply the linseed oil once a day for 7 days, once a week for a month and once a month for 6 months. The linseed oil dries VERY slowly and probably is not the best choice for a floor unless you won't live there for this time. And remember, the boiled part of the equation only means that they have added thinners to help it dry faster. Good Luck


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

thenning said:


> The other thing to remember about linseed oil is the 7/4/1 rule that I learned from an oldtimer here in St. Charles, MO. Apply the linseed oil once a day for 7 days, once a week for a month and once a month for 6 months. The linseed oil dries VERY slowly and probably is not the best choice for a floor unless you won't live there for this time. And remember, the boiled part of the equation only means that they have added thinners to help it dry faster. Good Luck


I heard it as once a month for a year.

What this means in realistic terms is that you won't be walking on the floor for 6 months to a year.


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## woodworks60 (Nov 14, 2009)

Have you given any thought to using a white stain by Minwax the poly as a final finish?


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## old toymaker (Mar 15, 2009)

The whiting agent you described as a pigment, rather than a dye, will hide the grain, the more white you add the less grain you will see. Pigments are not opaque and cannot be seen through. Pigments will fill the hollows and small voids rand will show the pattern of the grain in the wood, but will not let the wood itself show through. The more pigment the less opaque it will be.


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