# Is Old Masters 100% Tung Oil safe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Modifications & Building Bee Hives\ **Created:** [January 29, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869 "2016-01-29T15:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anthokelbee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/anthokelbee/32/2655_2.png) [@anthokelbee](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/anthokelbee)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/1 "2016-01-29T15:05:17Z")
We are ready to coat our flow hive and want to make sure we aren’t using something that will be harmful. Here is a link to the MSDS for the product we are planning on using. Is this safe for our hive? [http://www.myoldmasters.com/sds/90004\_AGHS\_EN.pdf](http://www.myoldmasters.com/sds/90004_AGHS_EN.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Valli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/valli/32/159_2.png) [@Valli](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Valli)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/2 "2016-01-29T15:12:24Z")
yep 100% Tung is perfect - some dilute with Limonene ---
**Author:** ![anthokelbee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/anthokelbee/32/2655_2.png) [@anthokelbee](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/anthokelbee)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/3 "2016-01-29T15:17:49Z")
I was concerned because the MSDS lists Stoddard solvent and and Methyl ethyl ketoxime. ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/4 "2016-01-29T18:04:49Z")
I think you are right to be concerned. That MSDS shows that they are allowed to put other chemicals in the mix, without telling you how much - “Trade secret”. Hmmmm… Stoddard solvent is a petrochemical distillate, and I wouldn’t want it on my hive. MEKO has toxicity has not been studied in humans or bees, that I could find, but it does cause problems in rats when given in high doses. Again, I would not want it on my hive, which is contact with food (honey), especially as it is water soluble. Can’t tell where in the world you are, but I would try to find a true Pure Tung Oil - it is out there! 🙂 Dawn ---
**Author:** ![Nrose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/nrose/32/2140_2.png) [@Nrose](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Nrose)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/5 "2016-01-29T18:20:18Z")
Has anyone used Hope’s Pure Tung Oil on their hives ? ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/6 "2016-01-29T18:25:49Z")
> [@Nrose](#): > > Has anyone used Hope’s Pure Tung Oil on their hives ? ME!! MEE!!! 😄 Good stuff, and low cost from [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V4PF3K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00). Dawn ---
**Author:** ![anthokelbee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/anthokelbee/32/2655_2.png) [@anthokelbee](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/anthokelbee)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/7 "2016-01-29T18:28:34Z")
Thanks for the reply. I am in New Jersey. I’ll just have to order it online. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/8 "2016-01-29T18:34:17Z")
It comes pretty quickly. Suggest you don’t buy more than you can use in a day or two. It cures by reacting with oxygen, so if you have a half empty bottle for a week or two, it will partly set in the bottle and become useless. Eight to 16oz should be plenty for a hive. Dawn ---
**Author:** ![Nrose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/nrose/32/2140_2.png) [@Nrose](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Nrose)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/9 "2016-01-29T19:27:30Z")
Bought some. Applying to hive today : ) ---
**Author:** ![Araluen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/araluen/32/1878_2.png) [@Araluen](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Araluen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/10 "2016-01-29T22:00:22Z")
> [@Nrose](#): > > Has anyone used Hope’s Pure Tung Oil on their hives ? Yes, I used this. I ordered 1 pint (about 1L) from Amazon, and it arrived in Australia about 2 weeks later. Cheaper than anything I could buy in Australia, including the postage. 1L easily covered a full brood box and super with 3 coats with plenty left over to spare. I did 3 coats because my nuc hand’t arrived yet, so I had plenty of time. And I liked the smell. Use a rag to rub it in, not a paintbrush. The paintbrush meant lots of drips and waste, and did’t penetrate as well. Rubbing with a rag warms the surface from friction, and allows the oil to penetrate better. Its also standard operating procedure for woodworking, and more gutsy/visceral/fun. Note that tung-oil soaked cotton rag can spontaneously ignite if left bunched up after, so spread it out when finished. Mt weather was warm (30 degrees C) so it went on smoothly without solvent. I noticed in the cooler mornings it was much thicker and more difficult to apply, so I waited till it warmed up. If you are applying in a colder environment, you may need to dilute with a natural solvent. Result: ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/2X/b/b87ade7059af3c28a501be5caac5423ca24b913b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/11 "2016-01-29T22:17:58Z")
Oh my, that is SO beautiful, I could almost cry! 😊 Your bees are lucky girls (and some boys too), thank you for sharing this. Dawn ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/12 "2016-01-29T22:19:52Z")
> [@Araluen](#): > > spontaneously ignite if left bunched up after, so spread it out when finished. Or rinse in lots of water if you are not in drought - the oil is water-miscible. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/13 "2016-01-29T22:22:16Z")
> [@Araluen](#): > > I ordered 1 pint (about 1L) oh, and by the way, 1 pint is 16 oz, which is a little shy of 0.5 liters (500ml). 😊 UK explant to US, still doing conversions for weights and liquids… ---
**Author:** ![Araluen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/araluen/32/1878_2.png) [@Araluen](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Araluen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/14 "2016-01-29T22:27:06Z")
My mistake (US translation: “my bad”). I ordered 1 quart (about 1 L) not 1 pint. About $25 shipped to Australia. Seriously, when will the US and Liberia join the rest of the modern world and switch to metric? ---
**Author:** ![Araluen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/araluen/32/1878_2.png) [@Araluen](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Araluen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/15 "2016-01-29T22:28:09Z")
Its not usually like this in January in Australia - normally, the ground is brown and crunchy from the heat. We have had a very mild and wet summer. ---
**Author:** ![Araluen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/araluen/32/1878_2.png) [@Araluen](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Araluen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/16 "2016-01-29T22:30:54Z")
On further reading, I note that Liberia and Burma are now switching to metric, leaving the US as the only country in the world not to use metric in day-to-day use (I know that scientists and engineers in the US use metric). ---
**Author:** ![Nrose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/nrose/32/2140_2.png) [@Nrose](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Nrose)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/17 "2016-01-29T22:32:20Z")
Araluen, Your hive turned out great. Just completed Hope’s Tung Oil treatment on my hive. Will be doing a second and third coat on the roof and open grain areas. Very pleased with the end results. I didn’t want to use it until I got the green light from some of the forum users. ---
**Author:** ![wendyp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@wendyp](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/wendyp)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/18 "2016-02-01T14:53:40Z")
along the lines of using tung oil (just ordered some from Amazon. Thanks!). Should I oil the hive before I put it ll together? and do I oil both sides of the wood (inside of hive and outside)? Never been much of a wood worker before , so this is all a first time thing for me! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tredekop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f9ae1b/32.png) [@tredekop](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/tredekop)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/19 "2016-02-01T15:44:56Z")
Just the outside is needed. You’re trying to protect the wood from moisture on the outside. I put the oil on mine once it was together, but just the main pieces. For example, just the 4 sides of the box were together. I didn’t have any of the extra hardware put on. I oiled those separately and then put them on. The wood might swell up if you put the oil on before building and make it harder to put together. The smell to me is amazing, but i love working with wood and stain/oil. Tim ---
**Author:** ![wendyp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@wendyp](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/wendyp)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869/20 "2016-02-01T17:02:33Z")
Thank you for the help. I like “odd” smells, so I am sure it will be a easy enough to take the time to do it. Thanks again! [Next page](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/is-old-masters-100-tung-oil-safe/4869.md?page=2)