: The Tung tree is native to China. I don't know if it's being grown in other
: places (I assume so), but I doubt that there's enough difference between
: sources of tung oil to make a difference that would matter on a kayak
: paddle. We're not finishing fine furniture, after all.

: That is true of all oil finishes and varnishes.

: Not necessarily. Oil finishes cannot be built up to any significant
: thickness, so you rapidly reach a point where all you're doing is wiping
: on oil, then wiping it back off again. For paddles, I find that 4 coats is
: about as much as I can apply before I'm just wasting my time and tung oil.

: A thorough fresh-water rinse, followed by a light sanding to remove any
: burrs, and add some "tooth" to the original finish is all that's
: necessary to prep for re-oiling.

: Correct. While that's not an issue on paddles, it's important for SOF frames.

: I've never seen it in quantities larger than a quart/liter.

Biggest problem with all the oil finishes I've used, Tung oil is the worst, is it hardens quite fast if you only use a little in the container between uses. Perhaps using Rob Mack's idea of using your propane torch (unlit) and bleeding a bit of propane into the container to displace the air that would be there (propane is heavier than air) would work. Every container I've used I end up throwing at least 1/2 of the contents away after it hardens in the container.

Would be worse, and more expensive, with a bigger container.

Bill H.