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This product was show to me by a Bass Player. He was asking me what to use on his old Fender Basses. They appeared to be drying up and needing oiling or something. This guy has quite a collection: Wal, Fenders of every type, Alembics, Modulus Carbon Fiber, lots of nice basses.

He mentioned the above product which he got from a clock restorer. He wasn't sure he should use it. I was unsure. What I told him was that I'd bring everything I had over for him to try. I also took him an orphan Bubinga back, fairly smooth right off the bandsaw.

We labelled up the sample and applied all the products. 1. FeedNWax 2. Thick and Heavy Mineral Oil (per Frank Ford) 3. Kyser Lem-Oil 4. Petros Fingerboard Treatment 5. Gibson Fretboard Conditioner

Here is how it looked after one day on the bare bubinga surface.

Totally evaporated and looking completely bare, Kyser, and Gibson.

The Oiliest product and still present on the wood, Mineral Oil, which made the wood look darker.

Second was the Petros Fingerboard Treatment. It too kept the wood looking darker. It did not go away. Matter of fact, I can't put my finger on the ingredient, but if you smelled it, you'd know you had smelled it before. I'm guessing linseed or tung oil or something of that nature. The product will get a skin around the snap pour spout. I just don't know what it is.

Finally, the FeedNWax contains Orange Oil, Carnauba wax and Bees Wax. It looked fairly nice really. Much less dark than Petros or Mineral. It really made me wonder about the possibility of using it. I don't have any but plan to pick some up and found it's available locally. www.howardproducts.com for the dealers in your area.

Today, not having that product I was asked to treat the fretboard on a HD28VR Martin four years old. It was in the shop for a bridge reglue. I took my bottle of Kyser which was 1/3 empty and poured in some Mineral Oil. Reading the lable, the Kyser product is mainly naptha. Hopefully they are compatible? Anyway, the thinner product floated nicely across the ebony board and bridge. I let it sit for a couple minutes to soak up any it would, then it seems wiped most of it away. Left a nice sheen/satiny surface.

Oh, and I forgot, the Mineral Oil is good for a laxative too? Mine's out of date though....

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Someone on the forum put me on to 100% Pure Tung Oil and I really like the results.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

On new construction, we'll do two to four applications of Waterlox, a drying oil varnish with tung oil, phenolic resin and a couple of other ingredients. We use it before fretting and allow it to cure for at least 24 hours. It penetrates a bit, seals nicely, and leaves a long lasting very nice look. Then we'll use the Howard's Feed'n'Wax during fret mills.

The trick to these treatments is to clean well right up to the fret crown edge, and of course be careful to do most of your work with the grain.      

All I've ever used as a standard treatment in refrets and dresses has been
Feed'n'Wax.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

I clean the board with Naptha and as soon as it dries, Boiled Linseed Oil. Usually 3 coats. It works great for me.

I like the fretboard oil from Stewmac.  Made my ebony look great!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I'd say my buddy Steve the Bassist got lucky. Once we did the bubinga drying test for 24 hours, he liked the Howards best and sent my stuff home to me. Looks like he made a good choice. I have some tung oil around here. I'll have to add that to the test board and see how it turns out in comparison. It just occurred to me that different treatments might act differently on different woods?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Paul, I think I have linseed oil too and will see if I can add those, the tung and linseed.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Waterlox does not act like any other oil I've used. They "do something to it" and it should not be lumped in with other oil finishes. Technically it's a long oil varnish, and it dries faster and harder, and they claim it's more moisture resistant than other oils.

I use the StewMac FB oil, too, on a new fb and reapply about once a year, and use lemon oil regularly, or whenever I change strings.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Thanks for the recommendations, guys.

Looks like I'll put Waterlox and Feed N Wax on my shopping list.

I'm such a dinosaur that I'm still working with my (almost empty) bottle of Gurian Fingerboard Oil.

Great stuff. I think it contains coconut oil?

If anybody knows the recipe, I'd like to make some more for myself. I do know that Michael Gurian doesn't produce it any more.

Cheers

John

   IN-N-OUT French Fries!

       

      They use 100% pure vegetable oil, no hydrogenated crap here! Fresh cut potatoes right in front of you, and best burgers in the southwest! Rub them all over the fret board then you have a nice snack too!

    Actually, lemon oil, sometimes mineral.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

a tiny bit of lemon oil

I do same as Paul clean with Naptha and lube with Boiled linseed oil.

I want an treatment that DOES NOT darken for certain apps when I want it (mad rose, ziricote, or other woods where I'd like to see the grain)

What does the boiled linseed oil do to color? Darken I imagine?

Any oil will darken the wood. That is just the nature of wetting wood. The lighter color the oil the minimal the darkening due to added pigmentation

[QUOTE=Rick Turner] On new construction, we'll do two to four applications of Waterlox, a drying oil varnish with tung oil, phenolic resin and a couple of other ingredients. We use it before fretting and allow it to cure for at least 24 hours. It penetrates a bit, seals nicely, and leaves a long lasting very nice look. Then we'll use the Howard's Feed'n'Wax during fret mills.

The trick to these treatments is to clean well right up to the fret crown edge, and of course be careful to do most of your work with the grain.      [/QUOTE]


I think i picked up in another thread that you are fretting before finishing.. If that is the case can you tell us what your process is for fb treatment.

I am unfamiliar with Waterlox and I am curious what if any issues you have with it seeping into the edges of wood bindings and causing problems during the application of finish.

I would be curious to learn the process, and any "gotchas" to watch out for.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=Billy T]   IN-N-OUT French Fries!

       

      They use 100% pure vegetable oil, no hydrogenated crap here! Fresh cut potatoes right in front of you, and best burgers in the southwest! Rub them all over the fret board then you have a nice snack too!  
[/QUOTE] Good old In-N-Out. Always on the must-do list when I'm in the States. The thought of using it on fretboards makes it all the more attractive.

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Richard
http://www.guitarmaker.com

Brock, we are doing most fretting either after finishing (most gloss work) or after seal and build coats but before doing our final satin coats on most stuff.   The issue is not having to deal with finish build up at the fingerboard edge between the frets. That could change in the future...it's all a matter of labor trade-offs and how pristine we can get the fingerboards to look.

Waterlox is amazingly versatile. It works like a really perfect oil finish, yet it is harder, more moisture resistant, and it doesn't go gummy like linseed oil. It also does not darken as much as linseed. Waterlox also works as a "tie coat"...it helps tie subsequent coats of whatever...in our case it's usually McFadden rosewood sealer...to the wood by promoting adhesion. Yes, I know, that's totally counterintuitive.   Why would you put a hard finish over an oil finish?   But it works like gangbusters.   I haven't tried French polishing over Waterlox, but I'll bet it would be fantastic.

A wee bit of walnut oil. Got it at the health food store.

Rick-
Thanks for the Waterlox tip.

Which of the Waterlox products do you use?

https://www.waterlox.com/desktopmodules/fathomecom/catalog/C ategory.aspx?TabID=424


Thanks

John

John there is a space after the C in Category so the link has to be edited to remove the space.  Just go HERE.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks, Waddy!

We use the "original"