Tung Oil Alternative

What is tung oil used for

It’s a natural drying oil obtained from tung tree nuts, particularly the seeds inside the nuts, and is also known as China wood oil. The oil originates from pressing the nuts. Tung oil hardens when exposed to air, giving it a transparent, almost wet appearance. It is water-resistant and does not discolor significantly with age. Tung oil is an environmentally safe product that contains no metals, chemicals, or distillates. For generations, it has been helpful to create a water repellent finish for boats and other wooden products.

Tung oil is a wood treatment that helps to protect it. Woodworkers use it to create a hand-rubbed finish. It’s valuable on wood furniture, flooring, boat decks, unprocessed wood, aged wood, concrete floors, countertops, stone, bamboo, brick, cabinetry, musical instruments, and wooden toys, among other things.

Tung oil doesn’t merely sit on the wood’s surface. It penetrates the wood’s fibers and becomes a part of it, resulting in a beautiful non-oily finish as it cures or dries. It heals slowly to show a golden honey tinted tint when used as a finish on wood furniture. Tung oil is colorless and will not discolor over time.

Tung Oil is a well-known natural oil that is helpful in every environment and on any wood, including;

• Exterior and interior wood 
• Hardwoods and softwoods 
• On food surfaces such as kitchen worktops and dining places 
• Children’s toys and furniture
• Windows and Doors
• Floors Made of Hardwood
• Untreated and raw wood 
• Decking

Linseed oil

Linseed oil is a good substitute for tung oil. Linseed oil, commonly known as flaxseed oil, is a popular wood finish used worldwide. Like other hand-rubbed oil finishes, Linseed oil penetrates deep into the wood grain to protect it from scratches and humidity changes. It’s simple to maintain, environmentally friendly, and produces a smooth finish that highlights the wood’s color and grain beneath.

Whether raw, polymerized, or boiled, Linseed oil comes from the flaxseed plant, but it has been processed differently and to variable degrees. The purest form of linseed oil, raw linseed oil, is sometimes impracticable as a furniture finish due to the lengthy drying times—each coat of raw linseed oil might take several weeks to cure. 

Boiling linseed oil, commonly suitable as a wood finish, contains specific potentially dangerous drying agents. Linseed oil that has been polymerized has the best of both worlds: it is pure, non-toxic, and dries faster.

Mineral oil

Mineral oil is a liquid derivative by-product of refined crude oil. This oil comes from petroleum products as the principal constituent. It’s also odorless and transparent. You can find mineral oil in makeup, lotions, and other personal care and cosmetic items. Mineral oil has the following benefits when used on varnished wood:

• Mineral oil is a non-toxic substance.
• It is food safe in its purest form
• It seals wood without affecting its colour and is simple to apply.
• Mineral oil is a generic name for a clear, odourless liquid. 

Mineral oil is most commonly used to refer to a petroleum derivative. On the other hand, Mineral oil is non-toxic and food-safe. It’s prevalent on cutting boards, wood kitchen utensils, wood bowls, and other wood goods that regularly come into touch with food. Mineral oil is a popular varnish option for small wooden home goods such as spoons, cutting boards, and other small wooden household items. It’s also a popular component in baby oil because it’s been dermatologically evaluated and approved.

Although mineral oil is non-toxic and food-safe, it is not commonly used as a finish for wood furniture because other oils on this list have better qualities.

Danish oil

Danish oil is ideal for those who don’t have a particular oil preference and want to try something different. Tung oil, vegetable oil, chemicals, and polymerized linseed oil are all used to make Danish oil. This mix came to combine all of the advantages of the individual oils into a single formulation.

• Danish oil is impervious to water.
• Suitable for use on wood products that are exposed
• It includes Tung and linseed oils
• Dazzling sheen finish
• Hybrid oil that dries quickly and is simple to apply

Other alternatives

Walnut oil

The nuts of the juglans Regia tree, a cousin of the juglans nigra, are used to make walnut oil (which brings the black walnut wood used in our furniture). Due to its food-safe characteristics, walnut oil, like mineral oil, is frequently used on cutting boards and kitchen utensils. Because raw walnut oil, like linseed and tung oil, takes a long time to dry, it’s typical to cut it with mineral spirits (boiling) or heat it (polymerize) to shorten the time it takes for the oil to cure.

Is Tung oil waterproof

Tung oil is one of the most water-resistant cutting oils, and it’s been valuable as a final finish for generations. Tung oil is waterproof, keeping water droplets and moisture out of furniture and other woodworking projects. It functions as a water-resistant coating on the wood’s surface, retaining moisture and water molecules from permeating the wood. As a result, even if the wood you choose for your woodwork isn’t water-resistant, Tung oil will prevent it from absorbing moisture. However, make sure the hardwood surface is dried and that the Tung oil has been sprayed uniformly and without any missed spots.

When used as a finishing oil, tung oil hardens to a thick film when exposed to air. The components of tung oil react with oxygen in the air to generate a rugged, water-resistant coating. During this process, tung oil absorbs 12% of the oxygen in the air, resulting in waterproof skin on hardwood surfaces. Tung oil’s waterproofing characteristics are a result of this chemical reaction.

Can you mix tung oil and linseed oil?            

Yes, you can combine tung oil and linseed oil. You can combine 50 percent of Tung Oil, 30 percent of Boiled Linseed Oil, and 20 percent of Polyurethane. This combination provides adequate protection while allowing the grain to pop without excessive film buildup. Unless you genuinely desire an oil-only finish, it’s advisable to include a varnish component in the mix for added longevity. 

Making your combination gives you complete control over the qualities of the finished product. Add additional oil if you want a closer look and feel to the wood. Add extra varnish if you wish for more excellent protection. Add another thinner if you’re going to the finish to be easier to spread around the surface. The options are unlimited, and you’ll be able to tailor the finish to your preferences and the project’s requirements.