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I wish to do some finishing experiments with polymerized Tung oil after having finished a couple of guitars with 100% pure Tung oil.

I obtained some polymerized Linseed oil locally yesterday.

I thought, before I order some polymerized Tung oil, I'd ask if anyone here has observed a significant difference between the two oils. ?

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

My observations over 35 years .I prefer the linseed for certain applications, regular linseed from h. depot already has additives. It will dry on my cl bridges and fb in 2 days and i like it .If sealed in a container in a cool dry place it keeps for a long while . By heating over a double boiler outside it can be used on furniture for a simple finish traditional on shaker furniture.. I have a 35yr old plastic mallet with a birch handle which was finished with 100% pure tung oil and it /s still holding . I believe the polymerized adds a bit more water protection than regular 100% . My main problem with tung oil is using it with other varnishes like a cabinetmakers varnish.If kept in the can for over 2 years it congeals gets gooey /nasty and has to be thrown away. Since I used a little bit at a time it/s not cost effective for me . Even though it/s way more durable than linseed oil . You can also use both types of tung oil successfully and I like the natural look it produces . But the tung oil is way more expensive at my local woodcraft store. Linseed oil rags are highly flammable . I run them in water asap. Not sure with tung , but I do like wise. It/s a price /use comparison. If I was to use the whole quart can in 1-2 months I would go with the polymerized tung oil . I think , but not sure . the regular tung oil congeals and skims over faster.My thoughts again your mileage may vary according to weather conditions and your location.hope this helps stu . Oh yes I did put a whole bag of marbles in the tung oil can to keep the can full.Even with the bloxygen didn/t stop it from skimmimg/congealing.

For the record, any oil that hardens can build heat and can start a fire. Putting them in water is a temporary solution as it delays the polymerization which can still happen when the rags are taken out of the water. Best solution is to lay them flat for a day til the oil hardens, then they are safe - sort of like critical mass in an atomic bomb, they just can't build any heat because there is too much surface area. I lay them flat on the swept concrete shop floor overnight.

Ed

I hate the smell of linseed oil, and it tends to linger for a long time. I'd recommend a book called "Understanding Wood Finishes" by Bob Flexner as a decent introduction and overview of the various types of wood finishes. Also, here's an article he wrote about wipe on finishes that points out some of the differences: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techn ... ry-and-use

Let's not forget the obvious. Linseed oil is much darker than tung oil, and it yellows/ambers with age more than Tung oil also.

Also linseed takes way longer to dry, and I don't think it gets as hard as a polymerized oil either

I meant to get a comparison between polymerized Tung and polymerized Linseed. I didn't make that clear in the OP.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

"Polymerized" is AFAIK in this case purely a marketing term meaning boiled oil. That in itself is usually a marketing term for 'metallic driers added', as real boiled oil is expensive, though still available.

Any drying oil is technically polymerized when it dries. If there are any chemical engineers out there, feel free to speak up...

Only ever heard of polymerized Tung oil ( which I like ). Figured "polymerized" linseed was just boiled, but apparently no. The whole "polymerization" thing (ie pre-heating in an inert atmosphere?? or auto-oxidation via polymerization while drying in air) can be confusing, and I'm sure some marketers just throw it in to attract.
These may help
https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/get ... king-myths
http://www.sydneywoodturners.com.au/sit ... /oils.html
http://www.leevalley.com/us/shopping/Te ... =a&p=42094
.....or, may confuse further.

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Dave
Milton, ON

Greg B is correct, the polymerizing is done by boiling the oil in the case of linseed. Raw linseed makes a good additive in self made varnishes and works rather poorly as a finish. Tung oil is usually called "polymerized" with the addition of phenolic resins to the mix which make it dry faster ,build thicker per coat and dry harder. That said, boiled or Polymerized Linseed oil (assuming no phenolics have been added, I have never seen it that way) will take longer to dry and more coats to build the same finish as the tung oil. It will have a different look as well as it is a lighter colored oil.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've used a product called Tried & True Danish Oil, which is boiled linseed oil. I bought it from Lee Valley.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... ,190,42942

This finish did darken the wood, but I believe it has held up better than the tung oil finish I applied to the first guitar I built.

My experience with the Tried & True product taught me to use it sparingly. This is a guitar I used Tried & True Danish Oil on. The woods are ash (outside), walnut, amargo, and maple (inside).