Tung Oil Finish Staying Wet

In warm weather, tung oil finishes may dry more slowly. "Wet sanding" during application may help speed the process. October 27, 2005

Question
I applied tung oil by hand to a large bubinga tabletop. After wiping off, it continues to bleed through some of the very fine pores in the wood. The more I wipe, the more it bleeds. It is hot and humid here today, but our shop is air-conditioned. Is this fisheye? What can I do to fix the problem?

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
Are you using 100% tung oil, or a tung oil varnish? It's not fisheye. Just keep on wiping - don't let the bleeding harden.

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That's not really a problem. That's the oil leaching out of the wood. It would be a problem if this happened a week after you applied your final coating of the oil. I suggest you "wet" sand the oil into the wood with 320 or 400 grit silicone carbide paper. This creates a slush that will fill the pores of the wood and hasten the process. Keep in mind that oil finishes do take awhile to complete and the warm climate slows the process down.