The main reason I could think to mix tung oil and linseed oil would be to get some color, but not too much. Linseed oil imparts a lot more color than tung oil does, so if you want some darkening/color but not too much, you can strike a bit of a balance by using both.
I think people mainly use that combo because that's what Sam Maloof used. Though really, I think almost any oil/varnish mixture would look good over the insanely good surface prep that his furniture has. Though I believe Maloof also used a linseed oil/tung oil/beeswax mixture as the final topcoat on most of his furniture which would give a bit of a different look/texture compared to an oil/varnish mix.
|