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JULY/ AUG 2001
Volume
44 / Issue 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
Butcher
Block/ Microwave Oven Table
Gourmet
Bird Feeder
Recipe
Box and Interlocking Play Logs
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2001.
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All Rights Reserved
Tung
Oil vs. Varnish
From
Sherwood Hawthorne, via e-mail:
What's the difference between tung oil and varnish? What are the benefits
of tung oil over varnish ? I've just started building some furniture and
see where they often call for tung oil.
Varnish is a brush-on finish that dries to a hard, almost non-permeable
surface, providing a good water barrier that's very durable. It's available
in both interior and exterior grades, as well as both satin and gloss
versions.
On the other hand, tung oil is a wipe-on product that dries to a medium hard, semi-permeable finish, providing an acceptable water barrier that's fairly durable. Although there are different qualities of tung oil, they're all pretty much the same and are not available in interior and exterior grades. In addition, there's no such thing as a "Gloss" tung oil, to my knowledge, although buffing can improve the sheen of the finish, somewhat.
So....varnishes are harder, more durable, more water-resistant finishes than tung oil -- and can be used to produce a high-gloss finish where tung oil cannot. Varnish finishes usually require more effort and time to apply...with longer drying times, plus extra work for sanding and dust-removal between multiple coats.
Tung Oil is fast and easy to apply, and can often produce the desired finish after one or two coats, without any sanding or dust removal steps.
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