Point it out to the painters and let them fix it. Michael

LOL...actually it was more like 100!!....the first 10 or so were cut with a thinner to help it penetrate deeply into the wood....then I just kept on going trying to get the oil built up enough to provide that nice satin sheen of a finished project....the wood is cypress and soaks the oil up like a kleenex....I was ready to put some coats of Poly on to get the sheen when I applied the final coat of tung oil.....which never dried and brings me to this forum....my guess is that the oil had already started to polymerize in the can and the polymerization process was halted mid-stream....how do I strip it off???

Hi Patty, Just out of curiousity, how is the Tung Oil that you use labelled? Is it a "tung oil finish" or is it labelled "pure tung oil"? You are right about the lack of streaks when it comes to pure tung oil. I think that was one of my biggest concerns when I first started finishing. Thats why so many folks love woodworking, but hate finishing. Unfortunately, a great piece can be totally ruined by a bad finish. So attaining a flawless and protective finish is really the challenge. I use many types of finishes in my work. Anything from oils to varnishes to lacquers. It all depends on the client and the application. I generally only use tung oil or linseed oil if a customer specifically requests a classic finish like that. But I make sure they understand ahead of time that there are benefits and drawbacks to each finish. One of the simplest, easy to apply, trouble-free finishes is wiping varnish. You can buy wiping formulas right off the shelf, or you can make your own. A wiping finish can be made by simply diluting full strength varnish or polyurethane about 50% with mineral spirits. You can use just about anything to apply it (cotton rag, brush, sponge brush), and you use a clean cotton rag to wipe off the excess. This finish method will require you to apply a few more coats than the full strength stuff, but you now have the advantage of a streak-free finish with no brush strokes. A light sanding between every 2 coats with 320 or higher grit sandpaper and you will have an awesome finish. Another simple finish is an interesting compromise of old and new. Its applied in exactly the same way as above. The formula is approximately 1/3 boiled linseed oil (or tung oil), 1/3 polyurethane, and 1/3 mineral spirits. This finish will not be as protective as the first, but lots of people like the addition of the oil. And if you truly want to use straight tung oil as a finish, you can speed up the dry time just a bit by thinning the oil with mineral spirits. It will spread quite a bit easier too. Hope that helps. If you need more detail on my finishing methods, please feel free to email me.

laurielou, Are you wanting the mineral mostly for the matte/non-shiney/natural wood look, or so you can cut on it? I'm thinking you said in another post it would mostly be for the look. I don't know if this helps, but I thought I'd share my experience... I thought that I definitely wanted the matte/natural look that mineral would give, but now that I have the more shiney waterlox finish I'm surprised at how much I like it and don't mind the shine. It a very soft shine anyways since I used a mix of satin and original on the final coat. I love the counter top so much and it is in the center of the kitchen, so I would hate for a water ring to get on it. I would see it everytime I walked into the kitchen. Not 100% sure about this but from what I've read, water rings and stains are inevitable. It might be possible to sand them out, but no guarantee. That would drive me crazy! It makes my life easier to not have to worry about that, especially with three kids! Just thought I'd share some of my experience because I've been where you are and know how difficult it is to decide! I'm sure your cherry top will be beautiful regarless! Jill