• What is tung oil?
  • Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree ( Vernicia fordii ). Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air (through polymerization ), and the resulting coating is transparent and has a deep, almost wet look.
  • Where did Tung oil come from?
  • The tung oil tree originates in southern China and was cultivated there for tung oil, but the date of cultivation remains unknown. The earliest references for Chinese use of tung oil are in the writings of Confucius (551 – 479 BCE) around 500 to 479 BC.
  • How do you use tung oil diluent?
  • The traditional technique for applying pure tung oil is to dilute the oil 1:1 with solvent, then apply a succession of very thin films with a soft, lint-free cloth such as tee-shirt cotton. Diluents range from traditional spirits of turpentine to any of the new citrus-based thinners to naphtha.
  • What is tung oil finish?
  • "Tung oil finish" is often used by paint and varnish manufacturers as a generic name for any wood-finishing product that contains the real tung oil or provides a finish that resembles the finish obtained with tung oil. The word "tung" is etymologically derived from the Chinese 桐 tóng.