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:
In my experience, tung oil can take up to a month to fully cure.
If you used pure tung oil, then it will likely take that long. Cutting it with orange oil can help a bit next time.
The only thing you can do now to speed it up is to keep it somewhere warm. However, it has probably cured enough that you could start using it now. Just give it another wipe down.
It is pure oil, maybe I’m being too impatient then, a month is a long time though!
/u/[email protected] suggested a wipe with solvent, is that the role of orange oil? I think ill try that when I have time in few days
That is a month to fully cure. It should be dry to the touch before then, though that can still take weeks at worst. Keep it in a warmer and dryer place if you can as that will speed it up.
Yes, orange oil is a solvent. It has other uses as a natural solvent and it smells great! Handy to have around the house regardless.