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- Thread starter Kalista
- Start date
glenhead
Elder curmudgeon
Wow, a week and a half and no replies. That seems to be unusual for this forum, from what I've seen. Anyway, this is my first post, so here goes.
From your initial post, it looks like you're looking to go with real wood. I've made several wood projects over the years, and I use tung oil to finish danged near everything. I'm going to use it on both the interior and exterior when I build the final vivarium for our Brazilian rainbow boa (probably made from mahogany plywood).
Tung oil is made from the nuts of the tung tree, and has been used for centuries to waterproof the hulls and masts of Chinese ships. As a natural oil, it penetrates into the surface to bring out the grain and completely seal the wood. It's non-toxic after it cures (FDA approved for use with food) - I've refinished teak and walnut bowls with it. It's also completely waterproof and really, really tough. Should you be rambunctious enough to scratch through it, it repairs with a Q-Tip (or I usually just use my pinkie tip).
My understanding is that they use(d) about fifteen coats of tung oil to seal the bottom of a Chinese junk. I usually use four to eight coats, depending on the luster I'm looking for. It doesn't provide a glossy finish, but more coats provides a richness and depth. Four coats gives a good finish. For the inside of a vivarium, I'll probably go with about six coats just for the additional protection.
Be sure you get real tung oil. Something calling itself "tung oil finish" is automatically suspect - if there's any tung oil in it, it's usually blended with other stuff. Check the ingredients. Pure tung oil has zero volatile organics, so you don't have to evacuate the area after you use it. While I'm not officially recommending this method to anyone else, I apply it with my bare hand (if the wood isn't splinter-prone) and spread it into a super-thin layer. (I clean my hands with citrus spirits (or mineral spirits in a pinch), followed by lots of soap and water and a good hand lotion.) Using a soft cloth works well, too, but expect to load the cloth frequently. A little bit goes one heckuva long way. Give it 30-60 minutes to soak in, and rub off any excess with a soft absorbent cloth. I usually let it cure for 24 hours or so, then hit it with 0000 steel wool to give it some "tooth", and apply the next coat. The final coat will have a nice, smooth finish. If your interior seams are nice and tight, you can most likely float a slightly heavier bead of tung oil into the joints and it'll seal them without caulking.
As a final note, you can use whatever you want to clean a tung-oiled surface. Good stuff!
From your initial post, it looks like you're looking to go with real wood. I've made several wood projects over the years, and I use tung oil to finish danged near everything. I'm going to use it on both the interior and exterior when I build the final vivarium for our Brazilian rainbow boa (probably made from mahogany plywood).
Tung oil is made from the nuts of the tung tree, and has been used for centuries to waterproof the hulls and masts of Chinese ships. As a natural oil, it penetrates into the surface to bring out the grain and completely seal the wood. It's non-toxic after it cures (FDA approved for use with food) - I've refinished teak and walnut bowls with it. It's also completely waterproof and really, really tough. Should you be rambunctious enough to scratch through it, it repairs with a Q-Tip (or I usually just use my pinkie tip).
My understanding is that they use(d) about fifteen coats of tung oil to seal the bottom of a Chinese junk. I usually use four to eight coats, depending on the luster I'm looking for. It doesn't provide a glossy finish, but more coats provides a richness and depth. Four coats gives a good finish. For the inside of a vivarium, I'll probably go with about six coats just for the additional protection.
Be sure you get real tung oil. Something calling itself "tung oil finish" is automatically suspect - if there's any tung oil in it, it's usually blended with other stuff. Check the ingredients. Pure tung oil has zero volatile organics, so you don't have to evacuate the area after you use it. While I'm not officially recommending this method to anyone else, I apply it with my bare hand (if the wood isn't splinter-prone) and spread it into a super-thin layer. (I clean my hands with citrus spirits (or mineral spirits in a pinch), followed by lots of soap and water and a good hand lotion.) Using a soft cloth works well, too, but expect to load the cloth frequently. A little bit goes one heckuva long way. Give it 30-60 minutes to soak in, and rub off any excess with a soft absorbent cloth. I usually let it cure for 24 hours or so, then hit it with 0000 steel wool to give it some "tooth", and apply the next coat. The final coat will have a nice, smooth finish. If your interior seams are nice and tight, you can most likely float a slightly heavier bead of tung oil into the joints and it'll seal them without caulking.
As a final note, you can use whatever you want to clean a tung-oiled surface. Good stuff!