Thanks! I found the whole thing once, but didn’t see it this time…
BTW if it was me and I had treated a bunch of equipment, I probably would go ahead and use it, I just wouldn’t treat any more equipment. I might leave it out in the rain a season for things to wash off and age a bit, but I probably wouldn’t throw it away.
First and foremost - THANK YOU for sharing as I too, would not have considered “pure” tung oil and grabbed a bottle off the shelf. As for what you’ve treated, I certainly wouldn’t throw it all out - some weathering/rain into the open box and you should be good. Keep that box marked and if you’re very concerned, test the honey - or dump the first year and get on with it…
@Michael_Bush thank you for the link.
We’re still waiting on ours so thankful I’m learning before doing!! 
Ya’ll rock, love the site and can’t wait to get my first sting in the spring lol Good luck and be well
Thanks for the link, Here in Mullumbimby we live in one of the wettest parts of Australia. 2.4metres of rain a year and plenty of warm humidity to boot. More or less ideal conditions for wood rotting fungi.
I was very pleased to read this paragraph in the conclusion of the research paper. “Protection of wooden beehive parts without detrimental effects on bees, honey, and wax should result from treatment with copper naphthenate, ACC, and copper 8-quinolinolate.”
On most of my woodware, I’m using copper naphthenate followed by wood primer/undercoat and two coats of acrylic housepaint. The problem I have is that while the copper naphthenate may be OK, the solvents that carry it are not pleasant at all. There is an oiliness remaining on the treated timber even after three week of air drying. It has a tendency to bleed through the primer and at least the first coat of acrylic as well. It is part of the solvent mixture so no surprise that the green copper naphthenate gets carried with it. Either I will need to extend the period of air drying or use a different primer.
I realise that many people either don’t treat or use more “natural” alternatives. I guess these are questions for others.
Is there anyone out there who uses copper naphthenate followed by painting?
If so, what interval between treatment and painting?
What kind of primer/undercoat is good to use?
I know people who do, but I don’t know the interval or if they prime it. Once It’s thoroughly dry, though, you can just treat it like any wood.
Only on the outside Michael, or inside as well?
I’m not recommending using it at all nor painting on the inside, but I know people who treat (often dipping) both inside and out and who paint both inside and out. I would only do outside for anything, paint or any kind of treatment except hot
wax dipping.
May I suggest that you paint a coat or two of shellac varnish over the treated wood, which should have the effect of sealing the surface and preventing the bees from coming into contact with toxic chemicals?
Shellac is made by the Lac beetle as a protective covering for its larvae, and is chemically similar to propolis, also being soluble in pure alcohol. I use it to coat the interior surface of hives in order to improve condensation on the walls, much as the bees themselves do with propolis.
Beeing a wood worker, I was at least able to know that Tung Oil is not pure unless it says specifically on the bottle. The only place I have found it is on AMAZON, and the local chemical/cleaning supply house had the limonene solvent to thin it with. I had asked our local Bee Club and was told that I could paint inside and out and it wouldn’t make a difference, but when I called a breeder here in Texas, the recommendation was not to paint the inside, so that the wood would help draw moisture away from the bees and comb. It is a tiny amount over all and the wood releases the moisture in dryer times, but every little bit helps was the opinion of this bee supplier. I salute you for putting this out here to help all of us who are just getting the ‘bee bug’ and helping to prevent mistakes repeated. I hope this helps as far as the Tung Oil and Limonene solvent is concerned.