Oil finish on a guitar?

[scottish]

i know this has been mentioned before. But im wondering if any1 has done it and what the results were like.

My main questions:

1. would you guys recommend it? or you think something that really penetrates and seals the wood is better?

2. if i do it...can i lacquer over it later, or will i never be able to get the oil off to do a proper finish?

3. will an oil finish bring out the figure in the wood the same way a gloss finish would?

im thinking about this for my tele since i wont be able to do a lacquer finish on it until the spring and im already getting antsy.

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

I cant answer #2 but, here is 1 and 3,

#1, it does protect the wood. Of course, use grain filler if needed and sanding sealer first. That is actually what seals the wood mostly anyway.

#3, Why does everyone think an oil finish is dull???? It can be but, As with Laquer, it is all about the prep beforehand and the polish afterwards. I can do an oil job to rivial a laquer job.

BTW, oil does not like to be applied under 70 degrees so, you may have to wait until spring anyway. You can rub it on but, if you want a good sheen, I would do a few spray top coats. Yes, they sell it in a spary bomb can.

 

[scottish]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

thanks odie. ive never done an oil finish before so this is why i ask all the questions. do you have a brand/type that you would recommend?

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

thanks odie. ive never done an oil finish before so this is why i ask all the questions. do you have a brand/type that you would recommend?

Birchwood casey

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/index.html

I see they have their own filler/sealer now! Awesome.

If you need any help, PM me or, I can give ya a call. Curly on here has worked with it alot too IIRC.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Is this the guitar with the spalted maple top? That wood is "softer" then normal right?

Not sure if oiling that would be a good idea... really just don't know enough there.

You can eventually shoot lacquer over the oil if you go that route. You'll have to soak the body in the naphtha which will push all the oil out... then likely follow it up with sanding again.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

tru-oil.

it's what i use on all my necks and have used it on several bodies too (mahogany and swamp ash).

yes i recommend it.

tru-oil isn't actually oil per say so yes, you can paint over it. you can't paint over tung or linseed oil...at least not without problems with adhesion. my kandy pink Clone used to be oil finished with tru-oil then i had it painted, no problems.

yes it will bring out the figure and you can build up coats and buff it out to get a high gloss finish if wanted. or hit i with 0000 steel wool to get a matte finish.

-Mike

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Mike nailed it...lock the thread.

Seriously though, Tru Oil is what I finish necks and raw bodies in.

 

[pzaxtl]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

1. would you guys recommend it? or you think something that really penetrates and seals the wood is better?

2. if i do it...can i lacquer over it later, or will i never be able to get the oil off to do a proper finish?

3. will an oil finish bring out the figure in the wood the same way a gloss finish would?


1. Most definitely you can apply an oil finish -- just choose the correct oil -- if you're thinking "Canola" you've got the wrong stuff. You want an oil that will cure. The two best are probably Boiled Linseed Oil (not really boiled just called that) and Tung Oil. Be careful with Tung Oil -- many finishes labeled Tung Oil contain no tung oil at all -- they're nothing more than wiping varnishes. If the label says it contains petroleum distillates then it is not tung oil. Any oil finish will penetrate the wood but will not develop a surface film like poly or lacquer. The benefit of an oil finish is that it is the easiest finish to renew/repair -- just apply more oil. The downside of an oil finish is its protection factor -- it doesn't offer much protection against water, chemicals, heat, etc.

2. Boiled linseed oil (BLO) and tung oil are frequently used under a film-forming finish such as polyurethane, lacquer and shellac. General application guidelines are to wipe on a coat of oil, let stand for 15 minutes, then wipe of the excess. Additional coats of oil can be applied until the wood absorbs no more. The oil must then be allowed to cure (essentially, harden) which means waiting anywhere from 4 days to a week depending on temp and humidity. After the oil cures, give it a quick rub down and topcoat it with the finish of your choice, i.e. lacquer.

3. BLO and tung oil are traditional finishes used to "pop" the figure of highly figured woods such as curly maple, blister maple, curly cherry, etc. Plain lacquer over a highly figured wood will do little to highlight the figure. BLO and tung oil under a coat of lacquer will accentuate the figure nicely.

Hope this helps! You can get more detailed info/instructions at Fine Woodworking's web site: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

1. would you guys recommend it? or you think something that really penetrates and seals the wood is better?

2. if i do it...can i lacquer over it later, or will i never be able to get the oil off to do a proper finish?

3. will an oil finish bring out the figure in the wood the same way a gloss finish would?


1. Most definitely you can apply an oil finish -- just choose the correct oil -- if you're thinking "Canola" you've got the wrong stuff. You want an oil that will cure. The two best are probably Boiled Linseed Oil (not really boiled just called that) and Tung Oil. Be careful with Tung Oil -- many finishes labeled Tung Oil contain no tung oil at all -- they're nothing more than wiping varnishes. If the label says it contains petroleum distillates then it is not tung oil. Any oil finish will penetrate the wood but will not develop a surface film like poly or lacquer. The benefit of an oil finish is that it is the easiest finish to renew/repair -- just apply more oil. The downside of an oil finish is its protection factor -- it doesn't offer much protection against water, chemicals, heat, etc.

2. Boiled linseed oil (BLO) and tung oil are frequently used under a film-forming finish such as polyurethane, lacquer and shellac. General application guidelines are to wipe on a coat of oil, let stand for 15 minutes, then wipe of the excess. Additional coats of oil can be applied until the wood absorbs no more. The oil must then be allowed to cure (essentially, harden) which means waiting anywhere from 4 days to a week depending on temp and humidity. After the oil cures, give it a quick rub down and topcoat it with the finish of your choice, i.e. lacquer.

3. BLO and tung oil are traditional finishes used to "pop" the figure of highly figured woods such as curly maple, blister maple, curly cherry, etc. Plain lacquer over a highly figured wood will do little to highlight the figure. BLO and tung oil under a coat of lacquer will accentuate the figure nicely.

Hope this helps! You can get more detailed info/instructions at Fine Woodworking's web site: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/

No kidding? Have you tried it for yourself yet? Hmm...I thought it would be a pain to try to get the Poly to adhere over an oil such as lindseed or tung.

 

[Baltar]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

oil finish is fantastic to me. i did it on my first selfassembled strat.
she has an ash body which just looks so right.

for the body, the sealing is definately ok. mind that the sanding has to be well done
before. what i love about it, is that the guitar always ages naturally.
if you hit it somewhere, it just looks right and no piece of paint will be jumping off.

the finish i used needs to be redone after aprox 4 years, for perfect protection.

to your questions:
ad1) definately yes for bodies (but i read warmoth doesn't recommend it for necks)
ad2) you need to sand it down. the oil gets deep into the wood
ad3) you can't compare that. it looks completely different

 

[pzaxtl]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

No kidding? Have you tried it for yourself yet? Hmm...I thought it would be a pain to try to get the Poly to adhere over an oil such as lindseed or tung.

ummm, I do it all the time -- not just on guitars but on various furniture items I build. You have to let the oil "cure". You cannot wipe on some BLO or tung oil, wipe off the excess and then top coat. You can top coat after the oil cures with no problems. For the best finish with oil wait till it cures, apply more oil and sand with 320-400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This will create a slurry of oil and wood that will fill the pores of open grained woods. After sanding, wipe off the excess, allow it to cure and top coat. The finish will be gorgeous -- especially on figured woods!

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Theodie, and other luthiers: how much do you charge to tung oil a body?

 

[jmh151]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Do not tung oil if you can- only used birchwood casy tru oil. It penetrates better, seals better, tints the wood nicely and dry quickly. If its meant to oritect a gunstock from rain and weather whilem it'll protect a guitar from your sweaty hands and beer

I;ve used minwax tung oil and it just seemed like a very light varnish, always sticky, never quite cured

 

[pzaxtl]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Do not tung oil if you can- only used birchwood casy tru oil. It penetrates better, seals better, tints the wood nicely and dry quickly. If its meant to oritect a gunstock from rain and weather whilem it'll protect a guitar from your sweaty hands and beer

I;ve used minwax tung oil and it just seemed like a very light varnish, always sticky, never quite cured

Minwax tung oil IS NOT tung oil -- it's a wiping varnish, which is essentially a varnish thinned with mineral spirits to a wipe-on consistency. Check the label, you will find that it contains petroleum distillates -- there's no tung oil in Minwax tung oil. Also, there is none in Formsby's products, nor any others that contain petroluem distillates -- these are all wiping varnishes. You have to use a product that is 100% tung oil to get the results of tung oil. Most woodworking stores will carry the legit product, most home centers and lumber yards will not.

Tru Oil is also a wiping varnish made by mixing BLO, varnish and mineral spirits. You could make your own and save the money -- just mix a third of each. It's a common woodworking recipe.

Curious that the Minwax product you used never cured since it is a wiping varnish -- the first coat should have been dry to the touch and ready for a second coat in an hour.

 

[scottish]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

well i will be using the birchwood casey tru-oil. no question there. i plan on wiping on a few coats to get the wood properly sealed then ill shoot some coats using the stuff they sell in cans.

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Theodie, and other luthiers: how much do you charge to tung oil a body?

How much ya got???????? Oh......about tree-fiddy! LOL!

Nah, I cant give you any kind of quote not knowing exactly what I would even be getting into. Specifics and by PM Jabroni. LOL!!!!

BTW, I can use Tung but, truoil is tha BOMB!

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

Do not tung oil if you can- only used birchwood casy tru oil. It penetrates better, seals better, tints the wood nicely and dry quickly. If its meant to oritect a gunstock from rain and weather whilem it'll protect a guitar from your sweaty hands and beer

I;ve used minwax tung oil and it just seemed like a very light varnish, always sticky, never quite cured

You can add your own dye to it before you apply it too.

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

well i will be using the birchwood casey tru-oil. no question there. i plan on wiping on a few coats to get the wood properly sealed then ill shoot some coats using the stuff they sell in cans.

That and a good buff out using a polish or a series of polishes and you will be in business.

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

ummm, I do it all the time -- not just on guitars but on various furniture items I build. You have to let the oil "cure". You cannot wipe on some BLO or tung oil, wipe off the excess and then top coat. You can top coat after the oil cures with no problems. For the best finish with oil wait till it cures, apply more oil and sand with 320-400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This will create a slurry of oil and wood that will fill the pores of open grained woods. After sanding, wipe off the excess, allow it to cure and top coat. The finish will be gorgeous -- especially on figured woods!

SWEET! I will give it a shot on my next project! Thanks!

 

[theodie]

Re: Oil finish on a guitar?

ad1) definately yes for bodies (but i read warmoth doesn't recommend it for necks)
ad2) you need to sand it down. the oil gets deep into the wood
ad3) you can't compare that. it looks completely different

Yes, Warmoth is fine with an oil like truoil becasue it is a hard finish unlike other oils may provide.

Of course, what does Warmoth know with their 2 inch thick gym floor finish jobs that flake off after a year on some necks.