# Can I use mineral spirits between Tung Oil coats?



## LiveEdge (Dec 18, 2013)

Working with some figured maple. I feel that it may have gotten dusty after the first tung coat and wondered if I could hit it with some mineral spirits before the next coat of tung oil (actually, to be technical, I'm using Minwax Tung Oil Finish, which isn't pure Tung Oil)?

Thoughts. I wood didn't pop as much after the first coat as I was expecting and wondered if I need to remedy something.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

The purpose of the MS is to wipe off the dust? What you used is already 65% solvents (not a drop of tung oil in there) but it also has a varnish component. Wiping it with MS may actually remove some of the film you have if the varnish hasn't cured sufficiently. At this point you may have sealed the wood, making any further grain enhancement a little difficult. So, back to your question about the MS…doing so probably wouldn't have any benefits. For the grain pop, you may be able to remove it and start over…but I'd try a few things one some scrap first and see if you get the effect you like. I like BLO on curly maple for color, then a top coat of something that varies with the use the piece will see. For the dust the approach I usually take is to let the finish cure enough to sand the roughness out (if that's what you have) with a fine sandpaper, 220 or higher.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

You could wipe it w/ MS if the finish has fully cured. Let the MS dry before the next coat. I like to lightly sand w/ 400 grit between coats, wipe w/ a rag that is just dampened w/ MS before applying the next coat.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

If we are talking about loose dust on top of a dry finish, I would use compressed air and cheese cloth to clean it before the next coat.

If it is dust that settled in the finish before it dried, then I would scuff sand, clean as above, then recoat.


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## LiveEdge (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks for the help. It was a. It of panic and a false alarm. All it needed was more Tung Oil.


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