Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi I have been watching tru-oil demos on hardwood bodies and have been impressed with the results. I am working on a rosewood body at the moment, however the problem is that in Brazil, where I live , tru-oil is about 9 times more expensive than in England, so I guess maybe 15 times more than in the US. All imported goods are very expensive.

Is there any more common type of oil in general use that might be universally available that I could try that might give a similar result? I would like a glossy finish but satin would be ok too. Linseed, carnauba, etc?

How hard is it to get Tung oil where you are? I have used Tru-oil, not Tung or linseed, but from what I have seen of other people's projects, Tung is closer to Tru-oil than linseed.

On a rosewood body, which is naturally resinous, you may find it necessary to seal the wood before oiling it, or else your oil may take a long time to dry. Shellac is what I would use, but I don't know its availability in your area.

Hope that helps.

If you use linseed oil...make sure it is "Boiled Linseed Oil" The unboiled linseed never dries.

Thin the first coat, wipe it on ... wait 15-20 min and wipe it all off.
Wait 24 hrs. repeat.
Wait 48 hrs. repeat.
Repeat every 3 or 4 days for a week or so.

Let dry for at least a few weeks and buff if you wish.

You want the oil to be absorbed into the wood, not drying on the surface which is a real drag to remove.

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

I have searched for tung oil but if they have it I can't find either it or a translation for it, so assume not. Carnauba is big here and there are oils based on this and they use this plant for almost everything, roofing, timber, furniture wax etc. But I am not really familiar with it.
As for shellac yes I can get it here but there is shellac from Brazil (cheap) and Indian shellac (very expensive) and alcohol seems to have been banned recently so maybe not an option any more.
Linseed oil I am not sure, will have a look, what about walnut oil anyone? Think I can get that. What is it about tru-oil that makes it special anyway and different from other products? Might help if I knew what properties it has that I am trying to find in another product

Here be link to makeing your own tru oil brew...and clear directions on how to apply it.

http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=12156

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Wow great that is interesting...I can get linseed oil in Brazil I have now discovered too (let's hope it's boiled)