Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks to all who chimed in with their experiences here.  I'm starting final sanding soon (assuming the redo from my binding mistake goes well enough...it took two weeks to get the replacements with the holiday and several failed delivery attempts).  Anyway, I ordered z-poxy, Shellac, Tru-Oil, and KTM-9 from LMI last week and am still tossing around the idea of going with TO on all surfaces vs KTM-9 so that when I finally do get set up with a proper booth I can sand off the TO and go with something "better".  I guess the assumption I'm making is that it will be easier (faster, less mess) to strip the TO than it will be to strip the KTM, but that's pure assumption.

 

Stuart Brunker

_________________
Stuart Brunker

Doh!  I forgot the link.  I thought these were pretty good for a starting place, as well.

http://lmii.com/CartTwo/TruOil.htm

 

Cheers,

Stuart

_________________
Stuart Brunker

[QUOTE=A Peebels]
I agree about buying small bottles. If it sets a month or so after being opened, a hard film will form over the liquid. The oil under the film is fine to use.

Al[/QUOTE]
I store my True Oil up-side down after it's open. I don't get the hard film crust.

_________________
Say what you do, Do what you say.

Here is a shot of my latest neck -- Tru Oil over a MinWax stain on Mahogany -- Tru Oil was the pore filler:

_________________
Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Beautiful, Jim.  How many coats/days did it take to make it look so good?

Oh, and when they say the sanding needs to be near perfect, do they mean P-E-R-F-E-C-T, or just an ordinary, extra careful sanding?

I guess if it comes out cruddy for me, success is only a redo away.

_________________
Stuart Brunker

An oil finish requires more sanding than laquer. Sand carefully and don't skip grades as you progress. I usually sand up through 800 or 1000 grit.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Stuart--

This was sanded thru 600. It has ten or twelve coats of Tru-Oil that have been lightly leveled with 0000 steel wool dipped in a pan of naphtha. The last two coats were rubbed out with Micro Mesh.

If you use a pore filler, you don't need the extra coats. Four to six would probably do it. It actually kind of hard to mess up Tru-Oil. My first exposure to it was doing rifle stocks for myself and some friends back when.

_________________
Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

I have decided that since I am doing a drop top and the TO would probably seep/weep into the binding line (the false binding) that I would simply Shoot the nitro. I spoke with the customer he's willing to wait an extra 4 weeks so I think I have it covered. Also , thanks to all who chimmed in, I am going T.O. the neck...I have the time and everyone seems to rave about TO'd necks.

THANKS EVERYONE!

Your advice and comments are much appreciated.

 

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"