Hi,

Weekend before last (ie Sunday 24th) I applied tung oil to plywood (simply described as “12mm hardwood plywood” by the DIY shop). One week and a bit later, it looks dry to the eye, there is no shiny spot, the wood has a warmer colour, but if I run my fingers on the surface I get a tiny amount of oil.

I applied the oil by pouring a small amount on the surface of the wood then rubbing with an old rag, leaving no pool of oil.

Sunday (the day before yesterday ) I used kitchen towels to try to dry it off. The towels picked up a tiny bit of oil, but evidently not everything.

Is tung oil that slow to dry? Should I wait another week? Can I do something to help the process along? (Sanding or steel wool? Too aggressive for the thin veneer of plywood? Rub with a small amount of white spirit? )

I’m making a crate for Puppy who has outgrown two crates already, I picked the oil that was advertised as food & toy safe without realising how difficult it’d be to apply. In fact that’s my most ambitious project to date, I’m really a beginner.

Puppy tax: Proud puppy on a trunk

  • canajac@lemmy.ca
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    7 days ago

    I used tung oil for the first time in Dec. for a serving board and it still smelled 2 full months after applying. I applied one coat of mineral oil 5 days ago to see if it cut the smell and it seems to have worked. I didn’t like the smell of tung oil from the onset. I’m going to use mineral oil from now on.

  • bluGill@fedia.io
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    3 months ago

    plywood is thin and the glues can chemically react with a finish the soaks in like tung oil does.

  • NataliePortland@lemmy.caM
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    3 months ago

    Hmm I wonder if your project has been stored in room temperature or was it outside in the cold?

    I might use a solvent to wipe it down, with a light 220 grit sanding, then try again.

    I’m also wondering if you might have skipped a step. You should apply the oil, wait 5 minutes or so, then wipe off the excess. Then keep it in room temperature for a day. Repeat three times and then buff or polish.