Tung Oil vs IKEA STOCKARYD

Question

I bought IKEA GERTON Beech Wood Tabletop. The instructions say to use STOCKARYD wood treatment oil. It seems to be quite simple. They said in IKEA to use K 400 or K 500 sandpaper, when I asked them.

It looks like this STOCKARYD is Linseed oil + tung oil.
I consider using Pure Tung Oil instead, because I found this info:

A pure tung oil finish has a honey-like color, and while linseed oil starts out with similar yellowing it fades to a darker orangey finish over time.

The problem is that standard “boiled” linseed oil sold as a wood finish contains heavy metal additives to aid drying: lead acetate and cobalt-manganese. These compounds are neither safe for you nor safe for the environment.

And Tung oil is said to be food-safe.

- How much harder is applying Tung Oil compared to this STOCKARYD from IKEA for a complete beginner like me?
- Will STOCKARYD oil really turn orange over time?
- Is Tung Oil worth the additional effort?

Here's how I understand I should apply STOCKARYD:

1. Sand the table top’s surface along the wood grain with K 500 fine sanding paper. (it's very smooth already)
2. Apply a thin layer of STOCKARYD with a soft cloth.
3. Wipe off any unabsorbed oil with a cloth 20 minutes later.
4. Let the surface dry for 12 hours.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 one or two times.

Can I just apply Tung Oil the same way?

Additional information about STOCKARYD:

On the Ikea website, they list such ingredients for STOCKARYD oil:

Wood treatment oil, Linseed oil, Drying agent

And they advertise it this way:

It offers combined benefits of linseed oil and tung tree oil.

However on the STOCKARYD oil can it says:

Contents: Linseed oil and tung oil.

Here are the instructions from the GERTON Tabletop box:

How to care for your new table top. Lightly sand the table top’s surface with fine sanding paper, then remove all sanding dust. Apply STOCKARYD wood treatment oil onto a soft cloth and then wipe over the surface to create a thin, even film. Leave to penetrate the surface for approx. 20 minutes. Wipe off any unabsorbed oil with a cloth. Let the surface dry and repeat the oil treatment 1-2 times if required, depending on the absorbency of the wood. Soak any used cloth impregnated with this wood treatment oil in water immediately after use, or store in an airtight glass or metal container to prevent the risk of self-ignition. Scratches and small impact marks can be removed by sanding with fine sandpaper on a sanding block. Always sand along the wood grain. Repeat the above process 1-2 times: apply wood treatment oil, leave to penetrate and then wipe off unabsorbed oil.For daily cleaning, use common soap and water – never any form of chemical.

And here are the instructions from the STOCKARYD Oil can:

Instructions: Lightly sand worktop surface with fine sanding paper, then remove all sanding dust. Apply STOCKARYD onto a soft cloth then wipe over the surface to create a thin, even film. Leave to penetrate the surface for approx. 20 minutes. Wipe-off any unabsorbed oil with the cloth. Let the surface dry and repeat the oil treatment 1-2 times if required, depending on the absorbency of the wood. Drying time: Touch-dry and water repellent after 4-6hrs. Re-coatable after 10-12 hours (20 ± 5°C, rel. humidity 45-70%). Coverage: 14-18 m2/500 ml for one treatment ‒ depending on the absorbency of the wood. Storage life: 36 months in unopened factory- sealed container. Storage life of opened container is 12 months, when the container is closed properly. To easily re-open the container again, clean oil out of the sealing rim and sides of the container until it is dry.

Answer 1

Yes sure, you can use just the Tung oil. 100% Tung oil is food safe once it is dry. It’s what I would choose. You still don’t want to breathe the fumes while it’s drying though, so you should make sure you apply the oil in a well-ventilated space.

You can lightly hand sand between dried applications. Don’t fuss too much over grit, you just want a gentle roughing of the surface. 2-3 applications is sufficient. You can add more coats in the future depending on how much abuse the table takes.