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.
