@HenryHawthorne posted a pic of a flaming box elder burl call that he built and finished with tung oil that really blew me away. The rich soft sheen, with the eye popping burl details, it was a real feast for the eyes. It inspired me to order some tung oil. I will give it a go. I’ve used Velvit, Odies, and Sycamore Sauce Oil finishes, but never tried tung oil. Sounds like a longer process than I’m used to, and will require curing for a few days, but all I can think about it Henry’s flaming box elder oil finished call!! Man, that was one beautiful call. Time to try some Tung Oil.
Thanks Doug! I'm a big fan of pure tung oil, but it does take a little patience.
A few suggestions:
1 - pure tung oil is thick viscosity, and doesn't get absorbed well unless you cut it. I use a citrus solvent, but you can use mineral spirits or other solvents. I usually start with a 50/50 blend, then after the first few "coats" move to 75/25 and finish with pure. Of course, if using in a stabilized wood like that FBE it doesn't matter as it really isn't going to be absorbed much anyway
2 - though full cure can take up to 30 days, tung oil generally dries enough to be recoated in 24 hours - you just need to wait for full cure if you want a wax or other top coat
3 - it does like heat, so wetsanding with it at high grits or applying with a rag with some pressure while spinning on the lathe seems beneficial
4 - For calls made with woods, like walnut, that can take a good bit of oil, I've had good success with a dipping process: I'll dip/soak the barrel in a jar of 50/50 for up to 30 minutes, then remove and hang - at about 30 minutes, after the wood has absorbed all it will, wipe off all the excess and rehang - if fully dry, repeat at 24 or 48 hours - in between, check periodically for seepage - that will occur from time to time. I'll either wipe that seepage off or, more generally, take the opportunity to vigorously hand rub the call, building up a little warmth, then wipe with a clean cloth and rehang.
5 - the key, however you apply it, is to wipe off excess at around 30 minutes - leaving any excess will lead to a gumminess that seems to never dry
6 - Regardless of application method, I conclude that it has enough coats when it stops absorbing - ie., when, after that 30 minutes, the entire surface of the call is showing excess to be wiped off.
I like pure tung oil because it is natural and non-toxic (totally food-safe), it doesn't yellow like linseed oil, it truly does dry (unlike walnut and most other oils) even without drying agents, and it is easy to refinish a few years down the road if needed by reapplication.
