Applying tung oil

[wundabred]

for regular tung oil application, i tend to use sandpaper to apply it.  I get the bow all slicked up and ready to go, then cover it in tung oil.  Then while it's still wet i hit it with sandpaper.  After doing the entire bow, i rub off all the sludge with a rag.  Then i do it again, with a higher grit, continuing up til i'm using wet/dry sandpaper of at least 320 or 400 grit.  It's messy, but it makes for a very nice finish.  Then, tru oil.

[JackCrafty]

I dunno...for me, tung oil takes a long time to dry.  I rarely use more than 2 or 3 coats for this reason.  I don't use it for water-proofing...I use tung oil to bring out the natural color of the wood and also because it is non-toxic and easy to apply.  I like the smell too.  But to build up a good durable finish, you need to wait for each coat to be dry enough to be buffed...at least 24 hours.  I wait a week between coats. You can sand it but it clogs the sandpaper pretty quick.  I've never liked using steel wool but there are some guys who swear by it.  In any case, the finish is high maintenance and can take up to a year to build it up to the point where it will match the water-proof properties of a more modern finish.