DIY Wood Countertops Finished With Tung Oil

I covered the exposed sided of the MDF base with a piece of pine that was wide enough to span the thickness of the entire countertop.  (About 2 1/4″ wide with 2 layers of MDF and the pine on top.)  Again, just glued and nailed.

Then I sanded the entire thing like a mad woman.  I used a heavy duty sander with 80 grit sandpaper and then a random orbital sander with 120 and then 220.  I wanted it smooth and all the seams level.  (I don’t own a planer– so I sand!)

After sanding, I filled everything that made it look like I’d glued and nailed several planks of wood together.  Like the cracks in the seams and the obvious nail holes.

Then I sanded again.  Lightly.  Then I vacuumed and dusted off all the sawdust.

Now here’s where it gets fun!

I used a bunch of tools to beat up my countertop.  It’s just pine.  Pine is soft.  It’s going to get dinged and scratched REALLY easily as I use it which will just make it look older and more worn.

I rubbed some black stain all over it and then sanded it with my orbital sander PURPOSELY creating swirl marks to add to the distressing.  The black stain also filled up all the initial dings (etc) that I put into the countertops.

Then I stained the whole thing again with dark brown.  Then black again.  Then some more brown.  Like I said before, it’s an art.  I wanted it REALLY dark and I used two tones to add depth and character.

(*The stain must dry completely between each coat…read the directions.)

Once I achieved the color I wanted, I started the oiling process.  I used Tung Oil.  I’ve talked about Tun Oil before but I’ll say it again, “I love Tung Oil”.

I love that you don’t have to sand between coats, that you can re-coat at any time without any prep and you can just touch up an area of your surface – not the entire surface (and without sanding it down first)!

Yup, I love it.

Just MAKE SURE YOU WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR because it is serious business if you inhale the vapors/fumes/whatever and it’s nasty on your skin and in your eyes!  (**Read the directions!)

You can brush it on or use a lambswool applicator.  Wipe it on.  Wipe it off.  Let it dry.  Wipe it on.  Wipe it off.  Let it dry…

It takes about 24 hours to dry between coats *and proper ventilation is A MUST.

With every coat, your surface changes.  It gets deeper, darker, glossier and more awesome.

My Distressed Wood Countertops after one coat of tung oil.

…and after three coats.

I think I stopped at three or four.  The Tung oil penetrates the wood so it takes less each time you add another coat.   It’s cool!

The thing I love most about these Distressed Wood Countertops is that all the marks, dents, dings and scratches, will just make it look even older.  It’s easy to fill those “blemishes” with a touch of Tung oil tinted with a little oil stain or wipe on a little black wax.

Well, that’s how I do it anyway.

*Cross ventilation is necessary for proper curing of tung oil.  It HAS to have oxygen in order to dry.

**While Tung oil is food safe after it has cured, people with Nut allergies might want to steer clear.  Tung oil comes from the “Nut” of the Tung Tree.  Just FYI.

***Not all Tung Oil is the same.  Tung oil products are mixtures of this and that and some mixtures are more of “this” and less of “that” and visa versa…If you know what I mean.  Waterlox is my fav Tung Oil Product but it’s here and there and NOT everywhere.  I wanted Tung Oil NOW when I was ready for it and just picked up what was available at the home improvement store.  It worked fine in a pinch.