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Has anyone out there buffed out tru-oil as if it were nitro? I thought I might give it a try and see if it adds a little something.If anyone has ,how long did you wait before buffing?
SKIN

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I'm doing my first neck with Tru-oil and actually was about to post the same question. In fact, exactly the same. Can you use the wheel and Menzerna?
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Well Terence,I guess there haven`t been many tru-oil buffers out there.I`m gonna go for it and see what happens.You never know we might only live once.
James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I've done a couple Tru-Oil necks, but I haven't used a wheel on them. I've just gone up through the Micro-Mesh grades and they've turned out well.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

I have done a couple tru-oil necks on electrics and I have hand buffed them with micromesh. If you go all the way to 12,000 and then hit it with swirl remover you can get a good gloss on it. But when you do that it feels as sticky (to me) as a normal lacquer finish.

I found if you stopped around 4000 you got a decent "shine" and it still felt fast.

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

Tru-oil is used quite a bit on ukuleles. In fact it is quite often the only finish used. The micromesh works great to polish and level the finish. Then use lemon oil and polish up with an old t-shirt or similar. It seems to work pretty well.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

I recently did a peruvian walnut neck with Tru-oil. Buffed it on my regulsr machine using menzerna fine and super fine. It came out good. you have to watch not to burn thru and when it gets a little warm it will feel a little "sticky" as Brock mentioned, just let it re-harden for a couple days and it seemed good as gold!

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Dave Bland

remember...

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

Yeah... Like Dave said. Tru Oil buffs out beautifully. I use 14" Stew-Mac buffs & fine / extra fine Menzerna.

Take care on the edges & at the peghead transition. It's pretty easy to burn through.

I'll second the part about being careful around edges. I just buffed through one I did a week or so ago. Fortunately it's also a pretty easy fix if you do that.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Keep the heat down with a light touch , careful around plane changes and fine and extra fine Menzerna will work with a good Canton-weave cotton wheel or softer.

Thanks guys. How many coats did you put on your necks? I've been doing two/day and am up to 10. Figured I quit there and try rub out in a couple of weeks. Sound reasonable?
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

That should be fine but is about 3 more than I typically use. but it will depend on the tru-oil formula you are using. Many have vastly different resins there for build heavier or lighter depending,

I have never buffed tru-oil because I like the satin look but it sounds to me that a small wheel chucked in a variable speed drill could be the way to go?

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

Actually it is harder for me anyway to control the friction thereby the heat build up with a hand held device and small wheel That n on a 14" wheel. i think holding the guitar gives a better feel for the heat being generated than holding the buffer. But I am sure this is subjective

Tru-oil won't buff to a high shine. It is too soft. I agree with Michael, a small wheel will build too much heat for little result, and it is much easier to handle the guitar against a large buffing wheel (12" +) than holding a hand-held buffer against the guitar.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Isn't the whole point of an oil finish (well, oil varnish) to make it look like an oil finish, not a high buffed lacquer finish? If you want high gloss, then lacquer the guitar or polyester it. But if the point is to make it look like lacquer while "getting away with" a hand applied finish, well then all I can say is good luck.