A Successful Tale of Oil-Based Finish
The discussion in last issue’s Feedback about “tung oil finish” vs. the specific product, “Tung Oil Finish,” prompted this reader to share some feedback about his own finishing story. – Editor
“The difference between a tung oil finish and a product called Tung Oil Finish is indeed unfortunate and might apply to other drying oils as well. I love oil finishes when they are the real thing. My wife once bought a coffee table from a secondhand shop. The top had previously been protected with a glass panel and consisted of balsa wood, backed by hardwood for strength and framed on all sides by thin hardwood strips. We poured out a small glass of food grade safflower oil and tinted it with a few drops of artist’s cobalt dryer. We brushed this on the balsa and protected it from oxygen by taping a plastic sheet over it and letting it soak in for 24 hours. Then we uncovered it and let it cure for a week. We continued the process, wiping away any liquid oil that remained on the surface after uncovering. We figured it couldn’t absorb any more oil when the entire surface had to be wiped on the final cycle. The project took about two months to complete, after which the tabletop was harder than hickory.” – Mo Clark
Keeping a Watch on WIS Products
This reader found one of the products highlighted in last issue’s What’s In Store section to be a surprise. – Editor
“I saw the wood watches in your latest eZine, and I immediately thought, ‘It is not April Fools time.’ Read the article, and they look really good. You got me with an “un-April” Fools article – with real stuff.” – Larry Giust
A Glue That Solves All His Problems
This reader shares some information about a glue he likes; with it, he says, he never has glue problems. – Editor
“Looking at the issue about the glue line problem, I see there is much talk about PVA [polyvinyl acetate] and aliphatic glues. I have a production workshop and use Cascamite®, which is a powder resin glue. If you have a lot of joints to glue up in one go, it gives plenty of time. It cures over a longer period, overnight, so the clamps come off next day and we can work on our workpiece straight away. I prefer it over polyurethane glue where we have intricate mouldings, and Cascamite makes PVA look like kids’ stuff. This glue is extremely strong. We have no problems with any movement or glue creep or finishes and can get the work out the door without leaving any resting time. Just clean off glue at the clamping/construction time with hot water and sponge and sand off when the clamps come off. We often buy it in 40-lb. trade bags. We never have a problem with it.” – Tony Barker
Editor’s Note: Tony is based in the U.K., and Cascamite is a glue brand available in Europe.
