Hi guys, I am new to this site but have been building plugs for a while and am pondering the age old question of sealers. I like Waterlox but the stuff is so darn expensive I was thinking of going with tung oil thinned with turps. Do any of you have experience using this concoction?

I have not tried that with plugs but I think it's a great place to start.
You may even come up with your own concoction.
maybe mix some varnish with that tung oil and thinner. Only drawbackk I see with oils for sealer is you need to leave it alone for a week or 2 before priming. But it ought to be a good sealer if you get enough penetration.

Thanks for the reply slipknot. I am aware of the dry time issue. That's one of the nice things about Waterlox...you can recoat after a day or two although I usually let them dry a minimum of 3 days before priming/painting. I really am not that short on patience (except with my kids) so I am OK with letting the blanks hang for a week or so.

My all time fav sealer is the Minwax Woodhardner. BUT, it's dangerous in the house or without super ventilation. I use Helmsman Urethane cut with mineral spirits. The mix depends on the wood's absorbtion rate. Day or two dry time. Happy so far.

My all time fav sealer is the Minwax Woodhardner. BUT, it's dangerous in the house or without super ventilation. I use Helmsman Urethane cut with mineral spirits. The mix depends on the wood's absorbtion rate. Day or two dry time. Happy so far.

That wood hardener will make yer ballz shrink and it wreaks havoc on your 1st coat adhesion. Or it did when I used it--messed up my 1st coat adhesion that is :laughs:.

-Dave

If i am not mistaken Waterlox Has some wax in it that will also give u problems with paint adheasion...

My all time fav sealer is the Minwax Woodhardner. BUT, it's dangerous in the house or without super ventilation. I use Helmsman Urethane cut with mineral spirits. The mix depends on the wood's absorbtion rate. Day or two dry time. Happy so far.

I used it last year since I could not leave a BLO mixture in the hot garage in TX while I went to work,,,

Put plugs in a paint can and soaked them submerged for over an hour.. Tried heating them and everything,,, It worked good on Cedars but did have adhesion problems,,, But on harder woods I soaked submerged for 2 hours,,, They were rock hard but after fishing them they took on water and some split,,,,, Done with that ,,,,

You may find this interesting..

Some seem to change their finishes and their waterproofing ways like I change underwear........ And some seem to be on the Quest in Search of the HOLY GRAIL of Finishes.....Which I'm not even sure is there. You are dealing with a piece of wood that is submerged in water. Some things work better than others, some finishes last longer than others. BUT no one is going to make a piece of wood that lasts for ETERNITY. First of all, all wood should be sealed, no matter what you're using. This will prolong the life of your plug by sealing properly with whatever you're using; OILS or etc. It's up to you.... It's all in the APPLICATION AND CHEMICAL WARFARE, WITH PROPER PAINTS AND PRIMERS. AND PROPER DRYING TIMES. I've been at this a long time. Take it for what it's worth: OILS DO PRESERVE your wood. It seems to me that alot of you guys when using cedars, when going over it with water based paints, the oils bleeds out. This is your problem. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND EXPERIMENT. Water based in water is a no no. It does not LAST. Oil based in water, REPELS. Let's talk about tung oil. PURE TUNG OIL is a finishing product that provides a tough, flexible coating. Tung Oil had been know for centuries to the Chinese since the 13th century. Tung Oil received wide application in China in the building trades, as a treatment for both wood and stone structures; and in marine trades AS A PRESERVATIVE and WATER REPELLANT on wooden boats. Tung oil is favored over linseed oil because it is faster drying. PURE TUNG OIL is WATER and ALKALI RESISTANT. It resists marring and penatrates well. This is just one of many things I've found out through trial and error. Good luck. Don't be afraid to experiment. THIS CONCLUDES OUR LESSON FOR TODAY. :)

I've been playing with epoxy sealing a bit this year but my normal routine is just thinning an oil based polyurethane and submerging the plugs in it over night. pull them out & let em drip for an hour or so then wipe off any excess. It dries in a few days & it doesn't smell too bad.

I know nothing about plug making and this thought will no doubt prove it. Has anyone tried using a" food saver" or similar product. One of the things they say it will do is cut down time on marinading. Same principle? Suck out the air and the sealer is drawn into the wood.

Yes people have tried it. I guess it works well.

Thanks for all the info guys. I have a bunch of blanks turned and ready to go and I have decided to take Slipknot's advise and try
tung oil thinned with turp and a splash of marine grade spar varnish.
I will give this mixture a try this weekend and let all know how it goes. I don't expect any paint adhesion problems because I use (always have) oil based paints and have not had problems in the past with adhesion to the Waterlox which is tung oil based.