Good point, re: California-driven solvents. I don't know the answer. Like I said, I don't thin finishes except to thin spar varnish with naptha for top coating. The jugs of mineral spirits, acetone, and denatured alcohol I keep around are mainly employed as de-greasers and for mopping up epoxy squeeze out on glue joints and to de-oil oily woods such as teak and rosewood before gluing them.
Hey guys, I happen to be a "California-driven solvent" so be nice. Just kidding. The tung oil I'm using, the tung oil on which I based this thread, is identified on the label as "100% Natural Unprocessed Tung Oil." At least that'show the guys at Wood River bottled it the fine fellows at Wood Craft sold it to me. So I m assuming that I've been using the pure stuff with absolutely no added crap (geez, I wish our gas was that way). After going through the exercise of this thread I've become convinced that solvents are not necessary and that its just as well to use the pure stuff as, how they say, "straight with no chaser." And that includes both tung and, as Gary wisened me up to, refined linseed oil bought from an art supply shop and not BLO from a big box DIY center.
