tung-oil

[Blacktail]

if you was going to use tung-oil how many coats would you put on for a good seal..john

[bubby]

I usually do 5 coats min., rubbed on with a cloth, then between coats hit it with 0000 steel wool to nock down the bumps, Bub

[Blacktail]

o.k. thanks its the first time trying it..i like it alot its pritty easy and will last long than a spray...john

[bubby]

I actually prefer tru-oil, sometimes tung oil takes forever to dry,but they are both great finishes, Bub

[JackCrafty]

Tung oil doesn't seal as well as shellac or varnish, even with 3 or 4 coats.  Like most drying oils, a good rule of thumb is one coat a day for a week, one coat a week for a month, and one coat a month for a year.

[Steve Milbocker]

On my last osage I put 14 coats of Truoil. It looks like glass

[Blacktail]

wow,we have a little up and down on this....it looks like i might have to look into some thing else...i really like the way you apply it..john

[sailordad]

comercial tung oil like Homer formbys is all i use on bows
if applied properly and after several coats it is a very weather resistant finish and durable too
i clean the wood well with acetone first,the first 3-4 coats i rub in with a lint free cloth,in the same fashion as waxing a a car
this helps it penetrate the wood cells
after about 4 coats i then apply a more liberal coat that is just wiped on
let dry completly,then qucik rub down with xxxx steel wool,wiped down with a lint frre colth to help remove steel wool dust
then another coat of tung oil,repeat as much as you desire
for me i usually go minimum of 9 coats,prefer 12-15
looks like high end furniture when finished
some say to shiney for hunting,i dont mind it though

[grbd29]

I like to use pure tung oil mixed with 50% mineral spirits (more mineral spirits if it isn't soaking in with in 40min to an hour).  I sand with 150 grit sand paper and no finer so it can soak in then steel wool before the last coat.  I like The Real Milk Paint Co. for pure tung oil and I use Dark Raw Tung Oil, it brings out the grain and isn't very dark. 
I am just finishing expanding my kitchen cabinets in our new house and I am building our counter tops with white oak hard wood flooring.  I am finishing it with dark tung oil since it creates an water barrier and is food safe.

see bow building helps out in our regular life with scraping and finish.

David