Tung oil drying time

[fidbod]

Hi,

having done my research, tung oil seems to be THE choice for wood treatment.

I intend to use the stuff to seal a staircase, I understand that it takes weeks for the stuff to dry/polymerise properly but how long is the time between application and being able to walk the sealed stairs?

Do I need to get up and oil the stair case before work so that it has 9 hours to dry before it is walked on

OR...

Can I oil the stair case in the evening - watch some trashy TV for a couple of hours and then walk up the stairs to bed

any thoughts and wisdom appreciated

 

[oilman]

Do the latter. You put it on, wait a while and wipe most of it off, do another coat next day, and carry on for a week or two, then once a week for a few weeks then as it suits you.

I also use beeswax mixed with tung oil now for some things..