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I've used polimerized tung oil few times recently and really liked to work with it and also the look of the finishes. I will use it on a Les Paul made for a friend who wants a nice and figured stained maple top. I've seen the colortone liquid pigment at StewMac that you can mix with anything... Is there anybody who tried this with tung oil? How does it looks, and what's the different between pigment mixed to the finish and to apply a stain before finish?

Thanks!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

In general wood absorbs stain more easily than finish.

Stain is usually a thinned solvent, which allows the wood to easily absorb the pigment.

Tung oil is simply a drying oil, like painters use when painting (linseed oil). Polymerized tung oil is chemically treated to produce a more viscous material resulting in more of a nitro-filmy look.

Finish can be any number of things (drying oil, wax, laquer, etc). Stained finishes may also penetrate woods, but to a lesser degree than stain. Basically what you use depends on the effect that you are trying to get and the properties of the wood that you are using. Stain works better on non-pourous woods, pigmented finishes work well on pourous woods.

I hope that the little that I know is a help.

Yes, thanks! I'll probably go with a stain before, and then finish with tung oil... Maybe i'll also add a bit of pigment to the oil, if the color isn't rich enough for me...!

BTW, what's the best way to stain mahogany in black and keeping the grain look?

Thanks!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars