| There are really only four significantly different | | | | over linseed oil other than water resistance is the |
| finishes that major marketers call "oil":Straight oil. | | | | fact that it will yellow considerably less. This can be |
| There are two main varieties of straight oil - tung oil | | | | important on blonde woods that you don't want to |
| and linseed oil. Tung oil is usually found labeled as | | | | darken.Polymerized oil can be made by heating any |
| "pure" oil or "China wood oil". There are 2 forms of | | | | curing or semi-curing oil in an oxygen-free |
| linseed oil, raw and boiled.Polymerized oil. There are 2 | | | | environment to around 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This |
| principal kinds of this type of oil also. You guessed it, | | | | increases its hardness and reduces its curing time. |
| polymerized tung oil and polymerized linseed oil. | | | | This oil is commonly used in ink and outdoor paint. |
| Polymerized oils perform more like varnish than | | | | This oil cures very fast and very hard and resists |
| straight oil. They are also expensive and can be hard | | | | water well also. It is often used in high-end gun |
| to find.Regular varnish (including polyurethane) that | | | | stocks. Two problems with this oil are its cost and |
| has been thinned with mineral spirits. This finish is | | | | the fact that it cures too fast to be applied and |
| often sold as oil but is technically a wiping varnish.A | | | | wiped off unless it is thinned greatly with mineral |
| blend of straight oil and varnish (also including | | | | spirits.Wiping varnishes include most of the "oil" |
| polyurethane). This oil/varnish mix is often sold as | | | | finishes found on store shelves today. They are not |
| Danish oil.Take a look at some of the qualities of | | | | in fact oil at all, they're varnish. There is a difference. |
| each of these major categories.Linseed oil is | | | | Varnish cures much faster than oil. It also cures |
| extracted from seeds of the flax plant. Metallic driers | | | | glossy (unless flattening agents are added by the |
| are added to the oil to speed drying time. The linseed | | | | manufacturer) and is hard when cured. This hardness |
| oil mix that is available to consumers cures in about a | | | | is the most important difference, as it allows you to |
| day. Of all finishes except wax, linseed oil is the least | | | | build up a thicker layer of finish with repeated |
| protective.Tung oil is extracted from the nuts of the | | | | coats.Oil/varnish blends are simply what the name |
| tung tree. Many high-quality varnishes are made with | | | | implies. Oil and varnish (including polyurethane) are |
| tung oil, but it is rarely used as a finish on its own. | | | | compatible so they can be mixed. This combines the |
| Tung oil can be fairly water-resistant with five or six | | | | properties of both, reducing the gloss and increasing |
| coats, but is too soft to provide superior scratch | | | | the cure time, making it easier to apply than varnish, |
| resistance. In fact, tung oil will require five to six | | | | while still providing the hard cure that varnish is used |
| coats to give a pleasing smooth appearance and | | | | for.Hopefully this list will help you make the right |
| cures very slowly. The only advantage tung oil has | | | | decision on the finish to use on your wood project! |