Happiness is a warm Tung

[Fletcher]

Christmas Day I got up early yesterday and the rest of the family was still asleep. I thought I would go to the shop and put a Tung oil coat on three bows I had just finished and stained.  It had snowed a bunch (see earlier message) and the shop had cooled down a lot because no one had stoked the fire on Christmas Eve.  The shop temperature was 46 so I lit a fire in the stove and then got out the oil for the bows.  It would not run at all.  I stuck a probe in it and it was thicker than molasses.

So I put the can on the wood stove and started working on another bow roughout.  Got a little involved and forgot the oil for a bit.  When I remembered (getting old you know) I opened the container and poured a little out in a empty tuna can.  I carefully touched it - it was warm, but I had caught it in time.  I would guess 85 to 90 degrees and fortunately not scorched.

Anyway, thought I would just try it that way.  It worked Great!
It coated and absorbed a lot better than it usually did at room temperature (65 to70).  I finished the three bows in no time and when I checked them for dry this morning the finish looks just fine.  I will do another coat tonight and may be able to rub them out on Saturday.

From now on I will warm the Tung oil up a bit.  I think I will use a pot of water for the warm bath on the stove.  I think I came close to scorching it by putting the can directly on the woodstove top - sometimes you get lucky.

[Longhunter]

Don't ya love it when you discover something new when ya thought ya knew it all?...

[Christiaan]

Give us a pic of the shop please.  It sounds so interesting.

[Fletcher]

Pictures eh.....

Do I have to clean it up first???  

[BEAVERMAN]

Pictures eh.....

Do I have to clean it up first???   :shock: , why should your shop look any different than anybody elses?? :lol:  :lol:  

[FG1]

Clean it ........  are ya sposed to clean a shop  :oops:

[Christiaan]

Don't clean, otherwise it won't be your shop.

One day when I'm big I would like to have a studio or workshop like this.
http://www.petermain.com/parent.htm

[Buffler Razz]

Does opening the door and making a pass with the leaf blower count as cleaning??

[Christiaan]

Only if you blow the leaves away from the door.  :lol:

[Fletcher]

As Longhunter seemed to put it - you can learn something new every day.

I suppose you all know the story of the Frog in the Pot:

That is... you put a frog in a pot of hot water, it will jump right out.

Put it in a pot of cool water and slowly raise the tmeperature, it will boil to death just sitting there.  (Scientifically proven!)

Anyway, the moral of the story is... we can have change happen little by little and not see it coming... point in question --->

I was telling about warming up the Tung oil so it would flow better.  Well that really worked, and then I finally ran the can dry.  I bought a new can Sunday and oiled up another bow.  The stuff was nice and thin right out of the store at room temperature!!!

What had happened was........  I have had than can for nearly 4 years (a little goes a long way)  and it was slowly drying and getting thicker just from age and opening the can.  Like the frog, I did not see it coming!

Anyway, it was good to learn that warming up the dregs works also.  I wonder if I will remember this lesson 4 years from now!

[R.M.]

Would it be possible to add something like mineral spirits to a thickened oil to stretch it back out?

[Hank in WV]

Try putting marbles or stones in the can as you use the oil. It keeps air out of the can and helps prolong the life of the oil.

[Fletcher]

I would be leery of adding spirits, I think it might make it dry faster.

I like the idea of the marbles - but the hole in the lid is rather small.  I think some of my .32 cal lead balls would fit fine.  Do you think lead would be inert to function with the same purpose

Besides, I think I lost my marbles  

[Hank in WV]

I would be leery of adding spirits, I think it might make it dry faster.

I like the idea of the marbles - but the hole in the lid is rather small.  I think some of my .32 cal lead balls would fit fine.  Do you think lead would be inert to function with the same purpose

Besides, I think I lost my marbles  :lol: I know what you mean about the marbles. I don't see the lead balls  being a problem other than the can will start getting pretty weighty after awhile. Doesn't sound right but, the more you use the heavier it gets.

[Uncle Russ]

Now I do like the story about the marbles and the frog.

I would like to hear more about the marbles keeping the air out. Is this done by volume displacement / replacement? Or is there something more mysterious that I am missing in this?

.....wonder where I could find a frog in all this snow?    

Uncle Russ...