# Finishing with tung oil and paste wax



## nijabhaava (Oct 21, 2010)

Hi,

I'm new to woodworking and needed some help.

I took a class over the weekend and we made a box, but have to finish it ourselves.

Its made out of quilted maple and has ebony splines in it. 

I sanded down the rough edges and rounded them off. I am quite happy with the result.

A couple of things though: 

1) the ebony splines leave some fine black sawdust that only spreads with the sandpaper onto the maple. How do I get this stuff off before I finish it?

2) On one part of the box, there appears to be what I can only call 'razor burn' on the wood. The saw that was used to cut it looks like it glazed that part up. How do I get rid of it?

3) What is the maximum thickness of sandpaper I should use before I put the tung oil so that I don't 'close the pores up' too much?

4) How many coats of tung oil do I put - how long do I wait between each coat, and how many layers of paste wax and how long between each? Tung oil is just applied with a rag - how do I apply the wax?

I was also alternatively thinking of using laquer. Can I use it with the tung oil? Do I still use the paste wax?

I don't want too glossy a finish, and don't want a visible, thick coat of anything on top of the wood. I have seem some finishes that look like they are laminated in a fine, transparent plastic - but obviously were just finished with something. I don't want this, I want to bring out all the character of the wood, deepen the tone, protect the wood somewhat, and perhaps have a slightly waxy/matt finishes for protection.

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

nijabhaava said:


> (1) the ebony splines leave some fine black sawdust that only spreads with the sandpaper onto the maple. How do I get this stuff off before I finish it?


If you have compressed air, blow it off.



nijabhaava said:


> (2) On one part of the box, there appears to be what I can only call 'razor burn' on the wood. The saw that was used to cut it looks like it glazed that part up. How do I get rid of it?


Sand it with 320X.



nijabhaava said:


> (3) What is the maximum thickness of sandpaper I should use before I put the tung oil so that I don't 'close the pores up' too much?


I wouldn't go further than 180x.



nijabhaava said:


> (4) How many coats of tung oil do I put - how long do I wait between each coat, and how many layers of paste wax and how long between each? Tung oil is just applied with a rag - how do I apply the wax?


Use only 100% pure Tung Oil, not a "Tung Oil Finish". Thin the first application with mineral spirits 50%. Wipe on with a rag and wait about 15 minutes and wipe off. Wait about 3-4 days. Wipe on full strength and wait again to wipe off. Wait about a week. The longer you wait between applications the better. To get some build with Tung Oil you'll need 4-5 applications. Do not use wax. You can sand in between applications with 320x if it gets a bit rough, but wipe off all residue with a dry clean lint free rag.



nijabhaava said:


> I was also alternatively thinking of using laquer. Can I use it with the tung oil? Do I still use the paste wax?


You can apply lacquer once the Tung oil has cured completely. I wouldn't use wax.












 









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## nijabhaava (Oct 21, 2010)

Hi

Thanks for the quick response.

The dust gets 'into' or onto the maple. Neither compressed air, nor a rag nor naphta gets it off. 


Yes, I ordered 100% pure tung oil off amazon.

I didn't realize that it would take so long to finish with it..I was kind of hoping to make a belated birthday gift of this for my stepmom. But I guess it is what it is. Id rather have a good finish than a quick gift.

Why not paste wax. Here are a few pictures of what they say to be a tung oil + paste wax finish, and it looks quite good to me http://www.flickr.com/photos/joec3/420512569/in/set-72157594587074603/

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?t=19266
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2170/2429308530_38da953062.jpg

What effect will lacquer add to it?



cabinetman said:


> If you have compressed air, blow it off.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

nijabhaava said:


> The dust gets 'into' or onto the maple. Neither compressed air, nor a rag nor naphta gets it off.


Don't use any solvent to try to clean it. When first attempting to clear it the air blast should do it. That is a problem when light and dark woods are used together. You might try a vacuum hose up tight. Since you used naptha, you might not get it off. It's possible to create a "tint" when using a solvent like that.



nijabhaava said:


> Why not paste wax. Here are a few pictures of what they say to be a tung oil + paste wax finish, and it looks quite good to me http://www.flickr.com/photos/joec3/420512569/in/set-72157594587074603/
> 
> http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?t=19266
> http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2170/2429308530_38da953062.jpg


I just don't use wax for a few reasons:

* It precludes doing further finishing if necessary.

*Difficult to remove all traces of wax if need be.

*It doesn't offer any durability to the finish. 

*It's a finish that will need maintenance (periodic re-waxing). 

*I'm very anal about having or using any type of wax for any purpose in an area that any finishing is performed.



nijabhaava said:


> What effect will lacquer add to it?


It could present that plastic look that you don't like.












 









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## nijabhaava (Oct 21, 2010)

Oh, I was under the impression that wax would provide some protection from water and such. I will likely use this box for my shaving stuff so it will be near the basin and near water a lot.

What is wax finish used for then? It seems to be fairly popular, what is its advantage?

I would like to add something for protection and maybe a bit of a matte/'thicker' finish than just the oil itself, without lending a plastic layer or artificial look and feel to the wood. What would you recommend?

Thank you so much for your responses.

Edit: I am also considering watco danish oil as a finish. Would the process be similar to tung oil? does it offer greater protection?



cabinetman said:


> Don't use any solvent to try to clean it. When first attempting to clear it the air blast should do it. That is a problem when light and dark woods are used together. You might try a vacuum hose up tight. Since you used naptha, you might not get it off. It's possible to create a "tint" when using a solvent like that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I use maintenance free finishes, which would be a film type finish, but get the sheen that is appropriate for the piece, or as what the client wants.












 









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## nijabhaava (Oct 21, 2010)

Ok, thanks

heres one more question

There was glue inside the seams in the joinery. I scraped alot of it off with a chisel or sometimes with a carving blade. But it has left some cavities in the joinery that doesn't look nice. Theres also some hard to get at glue left in the box. How would I get at this and fix or redress the joinery area so that it looks better?

Also, in the base of the box I have some scratches that won't go away with simple sandpapering for some reason. How do I get rid of them?


thanks again


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

i wouldn't worry about the glue. even the stuff you scraped off is going to leave a stain. chalk it up to a learning curve. you won't see it untill you apply your 1st coat of finish. i've made a few boxes in my time. you don't need much glue at all. it's more about clamping than the amount of glue. when i join my boxes i run a flat bead and smooth with my finger evenly and less than mm deep. then there isn't much left to squish out of the joint. a trick i use is to keep the bead away from the edges, so with my finger i scrape the excess from edges and i have a small towel to wipe then i set up for clamping. believe it or not i have a 1000w 12" sub in a box i made out of 1/2" mdf for my van. all i used was wood glue. and a good fit. it's also a sealed box. it is a testement to how strong carpenters glue really is.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

nijabhaava said:


> Ok, thanks
> 
> heres one more question
> 
> ...


One fix you can try is with a very sharp chisel. If you use it bevel up and slide the flat side down towards the joint, you can pare off the glue. You'll get a feel for the correct angle by how the chisel slides effortlessly on the side, but makes contact with any glue build up. 

The chisel has to have a perfect edge, no nicks, and a very keen straight edge.












 









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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> One fix you can try is with a very sharp chisel. If you use it bevel up and slide the flat side down towards the joint, you can pare off the glue. You'll get a feel for the correct angle by how the chisel slides effortlessly on the side, but makes contact with any glue build up.
> 
> The chisel has to have a perfect edge, no nicks, and a very keen straight edge.
> 
> ...


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> One fix you can try is with a very sharp chisel. If you use it bevel up and slide the flat side down towards the joint, you can pare off the glue. You'll get a feel for the correct angle by how the chisel slides effortlessly on the side, but makes contact with any glue build up.
> 
> The chisel has to have a perfect edge, no nicks, and a very keen straight edge.
> 
> ...


A small chisel plane works well. Set up properly, it will remove glue squeeze out and high spots, while skimming the wood.


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## apprentice (Mar 31, 2010)

Was in a similar situation a while back. Got some good advice. Look up the thread "How would you finish this?"


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## clarionflyer (Apr 27, 2008)

Thanks for the post and responses, folks.
Good finishing advice.


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Brink said:


> A small chisel plane works well. Set up properly, it will remove glue squeeze out and high spots, while skimming the wood.



Don't ya just love those little planes? Looks like a 'Cyclops Bunny'.


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