Durability

Odie’s uses the finest oils & waxes that evolved in nature to protect plants from the constant bombardment of the elements. It bonds molecularly to and within the surface instead of sitting on top like traditional finishes, meaning no peeling, flaking, delaminating, chipping, or unsightly scratches & cracks.

When we speak of ‘durability” we should ask - what defines durability in wood finishing or other surface treatments and what are the indicators of durability?

Here’s an essential list of durability attributes we should be looking for:

• Waterproofing or repellency

• Mold Proofing

• Ability to withstand changes in temperature and humidity

• Non-peeling, flaking, or otherwise separating from the surface

• Non-disintegration of the finish material

• Longevity or maximum half-life of the finish material

• Life extension of the treated surface

• Non-discoloration such as yellowing or milkiness or other unsightly visible changes over time

• Strengthening of the material that it is applied to

A key ingredient of Odie’s Oil is Tung Oil.

A key ingredient of Odie’s Oil is Tung Oil. During the 7th Century BC, over (2600 years ago) the Chinese began construction of sections of the Great Wall and important fortification protecting them from invading hoards. The wall itself was protected from deterioration by the use of Tung Oil to finish and help preserve both the stone and the mortar mix. Tung Oil’s hardening ability is attested to in practical ways as it can also be used to build roads by solidifying sand, clay, or other soils substrates. Tung Oil was also used to treat fabrics, build wooden boats, and keep them from getting water saturated. Unlike Linseed Oil finishes, Tung Oil does not act as food for mold and can be considered the world’s strongest single plant oil ingredient for surface treatment applications.

That is why the Chinese used it to waterproof their iconic boats called Junks.

Tung Oil is the most durable of all plant oils as it resists wood decaying molds much more efficiently than Linseed oil which tends to feed many types of wood rot fungi over time. This fact has been demonstrated scientifically and in real world use for centuries.

Hence, the Great Wall still stands today, its stone and mortar very much like when it was first built, thanks in part to the protection afforded by wise builders and caretakers using Tung Oil.

Odie’s Oil inventor James Tinghitella has taken Tung Oil to a higher level by blending and processing it in special ways with other oils and waxes created by nature to preserve and give life to trees and plants. This groundbreaking finish material is made without any petrol-chemical additions. The result is a finish that is far more environmentally sound than other finish products and outperforms and out- lasts all other finishes hands down as it checks ever single value and definition in regard to durability and other important quality benchmarks.

Part of durability that must not be overlooked is the finish material’s effect on the treated surface material. When it comes to Odie’s Oil and Mr. Cornwall’s Super-Duper Oil there’s good news! In addition to essentially waterproofing, our finishes strengthen wood hygroscopicity (woods ability to expel or discharge moisture and expand and contract appropriately), enhance thermostability (wood’s ability to withstand changes in temperature), and improves dimensional stability. Odie’s made finishes are the products of choice for the smallest trinket to the largest commercial-industrial project subject to changing environmental conditions such as temperature and moisture. Much of this can be attributed to the Tung oil content (1) but even more to our special blending and processing which essentially creates a new molecular compound. The hardening of Odie’s Oil finishes inside surfaces provides for additional tensile strength while it cures like strong rubber.

Odie’s Oil will provide memory to wood, helping to minimize cupping, curling, twisting, and warping of wood and helping to return any subsequent “bending” to its original shape.

Since it’s not really a layer on top but resides inside surfaces, filling visible, micro, and molecular pores in the surface it can never peel, chip, flake, crack, scratch off or visibly disintegrate. So, no matter how much rough treatment your project will eventually get, if treated with any Odie’s Oil products or Mr. Cornwall’s Super-Duper Oils it more effectively resist visible signs of failure so commonly found on surfaces treated with polyurethanes, varnish, or pseudo-hard-wax-oil finishes (i.e. oil wax blends that include a chemical catalyst).

(1) INDUSTRIAL CROPS & PRODUCTS; VOLUME 140, 15 November 2019

Effects of Tung Oil Treatment on Wood Hygroscopicity, Dimensional Stability and Thermostability

Authors: ZhengbinHeaJingQianaLijieQuaNingYanbcSonglinYia https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669019306570