Official Luthiers Forum!

I decided that since I was spending the time to spray Nitro on the Drop Top I would try the Tru Oil on the neck. I really like this STUFF!

It cleans easier than Shellac and is building a really nice finish. At first i was using a rag to apply it. I have switched to the finger, rub -in technique as per AL. I can't wait to see it two weeks from now after it's really hardened up. I think this is gong to be my new neck finish.

I always F.P.'d my necks, but recently on a Peruvian Black Walnut neck had problems of the FP getting milky after the player played the guitar for a while. It looked beautiful while being FP'd but later had problems...I am not sure if it was because the FP went bad or I didn't wait long emough for it to harden...just don't know. But I do know that the TruOIl seems to be a great way to go and doesn't seem like that is going to be a problem here ( on This BPW neck).

Thanks Again Al and everyone for all your input.

p.s. does anyone know if i can TruOIL over Shellac? I was considering doing so as a remedy on the problem neck. I hate to sand off all that Shellac if I don't have to.

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Dave Bland

remember...

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

Dave I tru-oiled the neck on an OM cutaway I recently built for a local player.    
It has been 6 months so far and is holding up fine. I applied it over the
shellac and there have been no problems as of yet. K

Good info, Dave!

I've been using alternative finishes on necks for 3 years now. I first tried FP and like Dave, was not as happy with the results. It is far better than Lacquer IMO but the FP requires an occasional sanding and re-application on the worn areas. While this only takes less than an 30 minutes, it nonetheless would require diligence from an owner...something my family recipients would never tolerate!

For the past year I have used Danish Oil on Mahogany necks and really love the feel and toughness. It has required no re-application and remains hard and slick after 1 year of tough play. On one neck, I pore filled with Zpoxy before applying Danish Oil. I plan to evaluate its condition next month and will be able to compare to non-pore-filled necks...stay tuned.

BTW...has anyone ever compared results between True Oil and Danish Oil. I assume they are closely related but was wondering if one has any advantage over the other.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

[QUOTE=Dave-SKG]   I hate to sand off all that Shellac if I don't have to.

[/QUOTE]

Dave-
I've had good luck removing shellac by laying paper towels wetted with alcohol over the area for a few minutes, then wiping. Lots of fresh wipes and alcohol seem to clean it up pretty well. You do have to be careful about controlling drips.
Might be worth a try- especially if you just want to remove the bulk of the shellac before putting TruOil over it.

Cheers
John

Thanks for the tip. That's a good idea. I was thinking along the lines...if I have the pores filled with shellac why throw away all that hard work? But maybe It would be best.  Kahle states he's applied it over Shellac and it worked fine. Like others have said almost everything sticks to Shellac. I have a feeling the problem I am having is that the Shellac is old and therefore not drying hard enough and this player has really sweaty hands...the combination is the culprit. So I think I will try your method and remove with the paper towels and then apply TruOil.

Thanks!

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Dave Bland

remember...

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

I have applied Tru-Oil over shellac too, and had no problems doing so, or reports of problems with the finish in the 18 months since. Nice stuff, it was a rush job and I was able to get a decent finish done in 4 days.

Tru-oil works fine over shellac.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

FWIW Tru Oil is closer to a varnish than an actual oil finish.  It goes on over shellac just fine.

[virtual edit]



Because Tru Oil penetrates, you'll get more
chatoyance out of figured wood if you don't seal with shellac first.



[/virtual edit]

I've used shellac over Tru Oil, Tru Oil over shellac--they both work fine.  I like both of them better on necks than nitro--they just have a better feel to them in my opinion.  I decide on which to use by how the instrument is going to be used.  If it is going to be in bars or outdoors at festivals a lot, I use Tru Oil since it holds up better to alcohol or rain.  Otherwise, I use shellac.

On necks, I french polish, but I build up a pretty good thickness.  It's not like the super thin fp you'd find on a guitar top.  I've never had problems with the finish wearing through, even after really heavy playing (and even lots of outdoor festival playing).  Same with Tru Oil.  I have banjos finished in both materials that have been played very heavily for years and show no more wear than a nitro finish would.

Dave

Dave,Did you use the Tru-Oil sealer first or just the Tru-Oil.I`ll be using it on my current build for the neck and was curious.
                        James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

i'm quickly becoming a truoil fan as well. i've just finished two OM's with it. zpoxy as filler on the back and sides, zpoxy 50/50 with denatured alcohol on the neck, and two coats of shellac on the top, then truoil over the whole thing. beautiful stuff, and i kind of like the smell.
on the last guitar i applied the truoil with blue 'shop towels' and it worked well - nice that i didn't need to cut up rags as well. i'll use them again.
phil

Dave--

Glad it worked out well. I'm a fan of Tru-Oil necks and I do put in on with my fingers (usually) over a shellac seal.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

I've never used the Tru-Oil sealer. I just apply the oil over epoxy filler or over shellac.

Al

A good thing about the tru-oil for the necks is that it replicates a satin
finish. I am one of those players who prefer a satin finish as the gloss
finishes feel sticky to me as I sweat on them while playing. The satin finish
just "feels" faster. While a satin finish can be obtained with steel wooling a
nitro finish, as time goes on the act of playing the guitar rubs out the finish
and glosses it up. The tru-oil finished necks may bring an end to that. I'm
getting ready to try one on a tele neck. This brings to mind an interesting
question. I have ordered the Best-Decal headstock decals. Anybody tried
these with a tru-oil finish. Current plan is to mask the neck and just shoot
the headstock and tru oil the back of the neck. (FB is rosewood so it will be
masked anyway)

Tru oil goes over water transfer decals just fine.

Al

When you folks are using a satin oil finish on the neck, and a high gloss on the body do you do the entire neck in satin/oil, including the headplate, and heel cap? I'm going to try my first oil neck and wonder if the headplate and heel cap should be glossy.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

Dave I've done it both ways.

Al

Any preference Al?

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

[QUOTE=James W B]Dave,Did you use the Tru-Oil sealer first or just the Tru-Oil.I`ll be using it on my current build for the neck and was curious.

                        James[/QUOTE]

I've never used the sealer--I either use it directly on the wood or over shellac.

I'm reading mostly about using Tru Oil for a satin finish on this thread, but it will polish to a very lustrous gloss too using the standard polishing compounds.

Dave

James,

I didn't know that Tru Oil made a sealer .

I just followed Al's instructions. I think the finger rub thing is great. You really get to "feel" the finish and when your done just wipe your fingers off on a paper towel. The clean up is so easy. I'm a fan for sure.

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

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

I have a quick question.... is the tru-oil that LMI sells the same stuff as the tru-oil gun stock finish that Woodcraft sells?  I want to try it on the two I am in the process of building and Woodcraft has it locally in 8 oz bottles at less than half the per oz cost that LMI has it.

Birchwood-Casey makes the stuff. The best prices I have found have been at gun shops, er, sporting goods stores. Its all the same as far as I know.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Here is Birchwood's website:

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/wood_index.asp?categoryI D=5&subcat=11&prodcat=&add=23035#80

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK