For Quality and consistency, our team Polymerizes our Tung Oil at our Providence, Rhode Island Facility.
Welcome to the Family
We are a family-run business that prides itself on hand crafting environmentally friendly products and offering exceptional customer service.
In 1965, before it was trendy to be “green”, Frank Sutherland Welles dedicated himself to creating a 100% pure Tung oil product. Frank’s commitment to providing a natural, nourishing, renewable wood treatment while creating an exceptional bond and protection was visionary for his time.
Today, we continue to build on Frank’s original vision, by offering a variety of food safe, interior, and exterior products to protect and enhance wood, stone, leather, and more.
The legacy of sustainable products, formulated with as low toxicity as possible, has been at the core of the company’s values and vision.
We would like to welcome you into our Sutherland Welles Family!
What is Tung Oil?
- Used for centuries, Tung Oil is a naturally derived oil from the nut of a Tung tree.
- It is a vegtable oil made from pressing the seeds of the nuts.
- Tung trees are inherently insect and disease resistant requiring no pesticides or fungicides to grow and be productive.
- Tung Oil production is natural and a completely renewable process.
What is everyone is saying about Sutherland Welles, Ltd?
Why choose Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Tung Oil for your finishing projects?
- Tung oil will not yellow, darken, mold or mildew like linseed oil.
- Tung oil will not crack or peel like polyurethane.
- Tung oil surpasses shellac and linseed oil in hardness, durability, and water resistance.
- Tung oil is 100% food-safe, once cured.
- Tung oil is easy to apply and repair.
Explore Our Product Lines
Interior Polymerized Tung Oil
Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Original Formula/Interior Polymerized Tung Oil is a beautiful, durable, and easy to use finish appropriate for a variety of interior finishing projects.
Exterior Polymerized Tung Oil
Our Exterior Polymerized Tung Oil is an excellent exterior clear finish coating for a variety of outdoor applications.
Murdoch's Polymerized Tung Oil
Our hybrid Polymerized Tung Oil and resin system that combines the benefits and beauty of tung oil with the extra protection of a resin.
Botanical Polymerized Tung Oil
Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Botanical Polymerized Tung Oil line was created to offer an alternative to petroleum solvent finishes.
Wiping Varnish
Our first line of resin fortified Polymerized Tung Oil finishes that are made using our polymerized tung oil and resin.
Wood Stains
Sutherland Welles Ltd.® stains can be mixed to form a variety of colors or successive layers of different stains help create an antiqued effect.
Accessories & Maintenance
After many years of research, and trial and error, we've come up with several outstanding products to help you along with your project.
Tung Oil Paste Waxes
Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Tung Oil Paste Waxes are an environmentally friendly option for a hand rubbed, tung oil wood finish.
About us
Sutherland Welles Ltd.®
At Sutherland Welles Ltd.®, we invite you into a realm of woodcraft passion and dedication that we proudly infuse into every product we offer. As you explore, you’ll discover more than just wood finishing solutions – you’ll find a commitment to excellence that runs deep within our formulations and craftsmanship.
Our products are meticulously crafted to elevate the innate beauty of wood while providing robust protection against the challenges of time, wear, and moisture. Embracing Sutherland Welles Ltd.® means embracing a partnership with a brand that shares your passion for woodworking, one that empowers you to bring your creative visions to life with unparalleled finesse and enduring quality.
Join us in celebrating the world of woodworking mastery and experience the difference that our products can make in your projects.
Your Favorite Finishes Now Come With The Assurance Of Third Party Testing For Low Chemical Emissions.
Why Tung Oil?
Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Polymerized Tung Oil finishes are an environmentally friendly, traditional oil based finishing option.
- Sutherland Welles Ltd.® finishes use only the highest quality cold-pressed tung oil from sustainable tung tree farms in the United States and China.
- Tung Oil production is natural and completely renewable.
- Tung Oil trees are inherently insect and disease resistant requiring no pesticides or fungicides to grow and be productive.
- Tung nut byproducts are used to make mulch.
- Our Polymerization process reduces the need for toxic chemical driers.
- We use The highest quality, lowest toxicity and VOC materials in our finishes
- Our Original/Interior and Botanical Polymerized Tung Oil finishes are Greenguard certified for low chemical emissions.
- Our products are packaged in recycled cans
- We use recycled cardboard, bubble wrap and paper for our shipping materials.
- Sutherland Welles Ltd.® participates in Paint Care, paint can-recycling program in available states.
Polymerization and Sutherland Welles Ltd.® Tung Oil
Sutherland Welles Ltd, uses only the highest quality Tung Oil, imported from China where the oil is extracted from the tung nut using a cold press method, not the lesser grade petroleum distillates extraction method. Our hand-crafted finishes are made from heat treated, or polymerized, tung oil.
Polymerization is a heating process that changes the tung oil to:
- Cure much faster
- Cure much harder
- Polymerization reduces the need for chemical driers or additives that give finishes strong chemical odors.
- The Polymerization process increases the viscosity, or body, of the oil, so we add low VOC and/or non-toxic solvents to improve the workability, consistency, and performance of our wood finish formulations.
- Many other Tung oil finishes contain little to no tung oil in their base, using a mixture chemical additives, resins, and thinners instead to match the performance of our finishes.
- Sutherland Welles Ltd Tung Oil finishes contain 100% real polymerized tung oil and are formulated to produce beautiful, durable, and lasting finishes for all types of projects.
Find the Right Product for Your Project!
Completed Projects
Video Tutorials
Watch. Learn. Finish.
Do You Need Help?
Our team is ready to help you determine the perfect product for your project.
Just call or email us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Raw Tung Oil is a VERY SLOW drying oil. It takes upwards of 6 weeks for raw Tung oil to cure and often remains sticky during that 6 weeks.
Yes, it can be used on any porous stone, unglazed tile, and metalworks. It is best to use any relevant Sealer (check products for best usage) and fewer coats will be needed.
Yes, ALL of our finishes are considered inert and food safe after they are full cured for 30 days, except our Millie’s All Purpose Penetrating Tung Oil. Millie’s finish is the quickest to reach food safety usage, as it is formulated with Polymerized Tung Oil, Citrus solvent, and beeswax with no added driers making it usable once DRY, usually after just 3 days. This is great finish for salad bowls, cutting boards, and counters such as a kitchen island to be used as food prep.
Yes, the only difference is the UV and Mildecide additives between the two. They are fine to use indoors.
A natural White China Bristle brush (stainer-style, square tip) is best to use to apply our finishes, especially the film finishes in the Murdoch’s line. This brush is available on our online store. A short-napped, synthetic floor pad can be used for large floors. A Scotts blue shop towel can be used for small tight areas. It can also be sprayed using a HVLP sprayer to a achieve a light thin coating.