Which 'Tung Oils' are real?

[Philip Procter]

Are any of the products which call themselves Tung Oil actually tung oil? Most seem to be thinned varnish, which I can make myself quite cheaply!

Philip

[B a r r y]

Hope's Tung Oil (_not_ their Tung Oil Finish)

Woodcraft 100% Tung Oil

Barry

[George]

The ones declaring themselves 100% tung oil, otherwise, suit city. Now tung oil finishes of various types abound. As noted elsewhere, they usually contain thinners to make them flow better, driers to make them cure faster, and perhaps resins of different sorts to make the film more wear-resistant.

[Mike]

If one believes the descriptions given by the maker, and in this case I do, Tried and True finishes use and or are, depending on which type you get, real tung oil and real natural resins in their finishes that use resins.

[Daniel]

[Chris Richmond - MD6-FDC ~]

Not to pick nits, but I thought they were using truely boiled linseed oil, bees wax, and resins in the varnish oil product. Not sure about the danish oil. I've only used the varnish oil and like it a lot.

Chris

[Fred the Red Shirt]

IMHE, all of them. The tung oil that is not tung oil appears to be a myth popularized by Bob Flexner in _Understandign Wood Finshes_.

Tung oil _finishes_ may have little tung oil in them, but equating tung oil finish with tung oil makes as much sense as equating lates paint with latex.

Mind you, I do recommend Flexnor and his books, just with some reservations as he is not a chemist (nor am I but I have done lab work and had some safety training) and he tends to not be clear on what is a matter of (his) taste vs fact.

Flexnor's strength is in explaining what to do to get specific results, and how to do it as simply as possible. That is what he promises in his books, and he delivers.