I take the "amature" approach, meaning I have no delivery timelines to meet and I take advantage of the fact that I have all the time in the world. Like Epstein suggested, flood the surface for 20 minutes. Sometimes, for smaller pieces, I let it sit in a tray to soak. Wipe off any excess. Wait 2 days to dry. For the next 10 days to 2 weeks, wipe a very thin coat on every other day. Don't try to build a layer with it. This method is very time inefficent. But for someone like me who lack advance skill and knowledge, time is a great replacement.There are also different types of tung oil too. "Natural" takes longer to dry. Polymerized are faster drying and I find is better at building a coat (which I don't like to do). "High Lustre" tung oil from Lee Valley can build a lacquer-like finish, but is difficult to use straight out of the bottle. I like to use a blend of Lee Valley's High Lustre and "natural" tung oil as final coat. One part High Lustre with 4 parts "natural" gives me a soft sheen.
Gar.