Finishing Bed Wood with oil: Does it last, Let's just see

[jeffahart]

I decided to Oil my bed wood. I know there are lots of post on this; but this post is different. This will be kind of a case study for Tung Oil. I never really saw anyone with a 10+ year old bed that was oil finished and how it fared. So here's a post with a, hopefully, searchable title to see the actual wear and tear and needed maintenance. I will attempt to keep this post updated periodically with pics, so perhaps others in the future will have better info for the "Oil or Not Oil" decision.

I you are in the process of oiling bed wood(especially something other than tung) you should post here of your application and some periodic pics of wear results. I was at the Brother truck show a couple weeks ago, lot's of examples of what varnish does!

Here's my process and materials.

Quick Note: I'm not a Tung Oil evangelist! It's what I choose, so I'm just going to give honest info on the end results... whether I have to eat crow or not! If my process turns to $hit in 5 years, you will see it here! You will see how it weathers and when it weathers. I've had good luck with this type of Oil though(there, that statement just solidified it, it going to *ell in a hand basket)

Materials:
Yellow pine bed wood kit.
Pure tung oil.
Turpentine.

Why I chose Tung Oil.
I think tung oil will give better protection for water then blo(boiled linseed oil) blo has additives for drying, but so does most tung sold as exterior use oil. I don't really pay attention, interior exterior, pure tung is pure tung.

Safety Note: Learn about drying oils and how to avoid starting a fire in your shop!

Here's what I did.
Sanded with a heavy hand using 200
Coat 1: 50/50 tung oil and turpentine. I mixed in a jar and applied with foam applicator. Rubbed down after about an hour.


Coat 2: Hit it lightly with 200. applied 75/25 oil/turpentine. rubbed down after about and hour.

Coat 3: Hit with 0000 steel wool. Used a condiment dispenser from walmart to squirt a bead of straight oil along the boards, spread with foam applicator. Rubbed down after a few hours with cotton cloth.

Coat 4 -8 same as above, except I only used steel wool on the spots that looked like they needed it. Last coat no steel wool and a very light wipe down.

But the bottom of the boards I did not rub down. Plus I baked the boards bottom side up in the driveway on a couple 100 degree+ days, after the 4th coat. So I slathered the bottom and sides then baked. It will dry with a nice layer.
When I got to coats 6-8 on the tops(when I was doing top only) I did not bake in driveway. Just cracked the front and rear garage doors and got a good convection going.

I also blotted the end grains heavily with the applicator each time. The ends ate up the oil pretty good cut and straight.

My last coat of tung oil was applied almost three weeks ago. I couple days before I installed the wood.

Tung Oil Dries sloooooow! But it will get hard... some day! Patience is a virtue with tung oil!

July 2016 3 weeks in

So here's the first progress report: The truck has been in the sun for three days straight. The bed wood is still slightly tacky, but that's OK, I laid it on pretty thick especially the last coat. I'm thinking if this weather keeps up I'll have it hardened in another couple weeks. It was under a tree for a bit over the weekend. The leaves and dust swept out fine, it's tacky not sticky; so everything does not stick to it like fly paper. Tacky not sticky, if that makes any sense.

I'll post again at any next major event worth logging!