Wood stain / tun oil question

fadingathedges

I've made some picture frames for a gift, and upon a recommendation applied tung oil. I expected the results to be more dramatic, and now I wish I had used stain. I have been told that it will repel stain now. Is there anything I can do to darken it a bit, or is it just ::more coats:: or nothing?

I applied some last night, let it sit in a cool basement with a fan on it and put a second coat today. Gift to be wrapped / given on Tues Jul3.

Thanks in advance!

thursdaynext

Here are your options as I see them:

1. Stick with the tung oil. Check the bottle you purchased for instructions on how to apply the second coat. Most of what I've seen usually has you lightly sanding it with something like a 220 grit sandpaper. Because the first coat didn't necessarily add any color, I don't expect a second coat will change much more. The idea behind the tung oil is that it's a clear finish, so that the natural look of the wood can show through.

2. Remove the tung oil that has already been applied to the frame. The tung oil will prevent any stain from being applied to the product, so you'll need to use some sort of stain or varnish remover to do it. Then, sand it smooth with a...100 grit? Sure, 100 grit sandpaper. There's a stain and polyurethane sealer in one, so if you go with one of those you can stain the frame without having to worry about spending another night or so re-coating it with a sealer. Or, if you would rather go the stain and polyurethane separate (as sometimes different colors are available), then you'll have to decide sooner to do such.

Hope that helped.

fadingathedges

I have a super fine steel wool from the same person's recommendation, and some various grits of sandpaper as well. I will keep at it! Thanks.

In the basement / fan scenario I've described, do you think I can apply coats more often than per 12 hours? If they feel dry should I be good, or is that deceptive?

thursdaynext

I'd probably give it the extra time. You've still got a couple of days this month, a couple of days next month. No need to rush it.