Lost your patience with poly, eh? I doubt that Tung oil is the direction you want to go, then! It's a nice looking finish, but it usually takes me about 30-50 hours (including the drying time) to get a nice looking finish with it. Maybe you want to give Shellac a try...
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
I don't think shellac will be his answer either. Sounds like he is looking for a quick do..... My limited experience shows the finish to be one of the big parts of the project (used tung oil many times). Like the original poster, I find this to be unrewarding as far as the feeling of acomplishment goes... probably not the right choice of words but feelings can be hard to describe.
Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net
oil/urethane
This issue doesn't have a simple answer. It depends on what he is trying to accomplish. Repeated coats of tung oil look good, but the "law of diminishing effects" applies. Since tung oil soaks in rather than building up, eventually you are just wiping off what you put on. Stop when it isn't making any more difference, or when it looks good. Can be modified with a coat or two of wax. The question of what finish also depends on how the object will be used. Go to the library.
Steve
My recent dissatisfaction with poly stems from several problems that arise for me that are difficult to combat. Drips, peeling, difficult to repair, cutting through the finish with pumice etc. Also I don't like the "plastic feel" of poly. Having not tried too many finishes, I wanted to try something that was easy to apply. After flipping through my copy of "Understanding wood finishing" by Flexner, I decided on a tung oil/urethane mix. I applied 2-coats and I was happy with the results. In the future I think I might give shellac a go.
Thanks
Actually, I know it is the forbidden finish of rec.woodworking, but for something quick that looks pretty nice, I like the old minwax "natural" stain. All the other minwax stains I've tried suck, but that one is pretty user-friendly and quick.
I guess I found that Shellac is pretty quick as well- one hour between coats V. 24 hours between coats makes a lot of difference to me!
Not sure exactly what you mean by the feeling of accomplishment- you mean the finish isn't as nice as you'd like it to be, or that you feel it wasn't challenging enough? I know that as far as I'm concerned, if I've got a finish on my piece and it hasn't destroyed it, I feel like I've worked a miracle! Finishing is a damn sketchy business- part alchemy, part science and a lot of guesswork and muddling around, even with the books I've got on it. Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
There ya go- that makes more sense now. I've been playing with shellac for the last six months or so, and it's definately worth a look as an alternative to poly, IMO. Of course, there's really nothing wrong with a good laquer, either. Both of them seem to eliminate that "plastic feel" and make a really nice hard, shiny coat. Shellac repairs easily, and I've never had it peel. Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
oil/urethane
I suppose you know that poly is short for poly(merized), and that the resin which is polymerizing is urethane?
yes. i found thw tung oil/urethane much easier to apply.
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