Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

[Swampy]

I've read/seen where as many as 10 coats are applied. With 24 hours between coats.

Can I get away with 3-4? Not wanting a thick & shiny finish, if I can avoid it. Going more for a more matte/satin vintage look. But still smooooth.

 

[Swampy]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Oh, I've also seen where the second coat was applied with 800-1000g wet/sand paper. Anyone do this?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

I think 'as many as you find gives the feel you want' is the most apt here.

I've applied tru-oil with steel wool (same type of thing) after a couple of initial coats. It tends to mix the new oil with old and shove this mix into the pores. A good smoothing technique.

 

[Swampy]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Three coats in.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Nice work,man!

 

[jtougas]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Oh, I've also seen where the second coat was applied with 800-1000g wet/sand paper. Anyone do this?

As AlexR implies, that's usually done with more porous woods... maple's pretty close-grained. You could, but I don't think it'd hurt to skip it.

Tru-Oil gives you a similar finish, but builds up a little quicker, and you can maintain it the same way.

 

[Swampy]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Nice work,man!

Thanks! I'm thinking a couple more coats should do it.

As AlexR implies, that's usually done with more porous woods... maple's pretty close-grained. You could, but I don't think it'd hurt to skip it.

Tru-Oil gives you a similar finish, but builds up a little quicker, and you can maintain it the same way.

I applied the second coat with 800g. Figured it couldn't hurt. Just before applying each coat I hit it gently with 0000 steel wool, just to knock it down smooth. Seem right?

 

[dave74]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Anyone know how Carvin does it? My two tung-oiled Carvins (full-hog and full-maple) really didn't come with any shine,,,,,just a basic satin look/feel.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

I slathered big thick coats of Tung Oil on my Gibson neck as much as possible before it would get to the dripping point , and let it dry 24 hours between coats ( or more if it felt tacky) - about 10 coats and it looks as thick and shiny like a thick glass coated Auto finish-or a Gibson High end Lacquer finish.

 

[jtougas]

Re: Tung oil on maple neck. How many coats do you apply?

Thanks! I'm thinking a couple more coats should do it.

I applied the second coat with 800g. Figured it couldn't hurt. Just before applying each coat I hit it gently with 0000 steel wool, just to knock it down smooth. Seem right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil

The traditional technique for applying pure tung oil is to dilute the oil 1:1 with solvent, then apply a succession of very thin films with a soft non-fuzzy cloth such as tee-shirt cotton. Diluents range from traditional spirits of turpentine to any of the new citrus-based thinners to naphtha. The choice of thinner should be guided by how fast the coating needs to set. Naphtha works well in spray-on applications in well ventilated studios. Primary coats may be laid down at a 1:1 oil-to-thinner ratio, and successive layers, if not absorbed into the wood, at higher solvent to oil concentrations. This technique brings out the deepest color of the wood while maintaining a matte finish.

Tung oil finishes that start with polymerized oils or tung oil preparations are best applied in the fat over lean principle: thinned pure oil is applied to deeply penetrate the surface, to fill pores. Straight oil is then applied moderately to adhere to the surface and provide a good base for the thick gloss layers. The polymerized oil is then applied thickly as a single layer, allowed to fully dry, is buffed smooth with very fine sandpaper, then 0000 steel wool. The surface is wiped clean with a moistened rag, then allowed to dry. A final coat is applied fairly thickly (the oil will smooth itself into a glass-like coating) and allowed to dry for two to three days. Rags soaked with tung oil can spontaneously combust (burst into flame).[citation needed]