Oil finishing help

[downwindtracker2]

Tung oil

Use Lee Valley's Polermized Tung Oil High Luster and sanding blocks. My sanding blocks are 1 1/2" x3",2x4 on edge,with 1/4 HD foam backing. Dry sand at 220 and 320,wetting with water between sandings. Wet sand with Tung Oil at 400,cross wiping,until you see a finish. It happens quickly,like in a couple of 15minute nights. Then 600,then 800.You can stop there,but I have gone down to 1200. The wood comes alive,like a coarse metal flake hot rod finish. The joy of it,it only takes a week to get there again after a rough season of hunting.

 

[Levi Garrett]

seal the grain , then apply tru oil, several coats, then 320 , or 400, more oil, then 800 , then more oil, I even go to rouge paper, it comes as shiny as you wish. temp of oil and wood , warm is a good thing.

 

[schick]

I agree with those that recommended wet sanding with oil. I can't be sure of the origins, but was taught that the "Swedish" method involved sanding the oil into wood with multiple applications of finer and finer sand paper until a mirror like finish resulted. I recall doing this first in highschool, and the results were remarkable. Of course some oils simply work better than others. As well no one one oil is suitable for all wood types. For example; oily woods react quite differently when finished with the wrong oils, making them always appear cloudy.