Butch Snyder
ObsoleteChickenPickingologist
I am stripping the paint of my ash-body Tele and going natural. I'm thinking of either doing a tung oil finish or lemon oil. Any thoughts?
Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
- Thread starter Butch Snyder
- Start date
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
I *think* tung oil should offer more protection.
I *think* tung oil should offer more protection.
Bezmotivnik
New member
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Tung oil finishing is real. Here's the Wikipedia entry on it.
Good luck!
None of the so-called "lemon oil" I've seen was even real lemon oil. It was just cheap mineral oil with some yellow coloring and scent in it, maybe a little bit of the real thing. This is typical of the stuff you buy in guitar stores.
Tung oil finishing is real. Here's the Wikipedia entry on it.
Good luck!
Butch Snyder
ObsoleteChickenPickingologist
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
I have some Tru-Oil. I had an EBMM guitar that I had to keep treated with Tru-Oil and wax.
I have some Tru-Oil. I had an EBMM guitar that I had to keep treated with Tru-Oil and wax.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Zerb is right - Lemon Oil is a wood conditioner and won't work for what you want. Most of it's just lemon-scented naptha (lighter fluid) anyway.
Tung or Tru oil is the way to go.
Zerb is right - Lemon Oil is a wood conditioner and won't work for what you want. Most of it's just lemon-scented naptha (lighter fluid) anyway.
Tung or Tru oil is the way to go.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
When you treated the guitar, did it continue to feel "right" like the original EBMM neck finish? I love the way they finish their necks - they feel amazing. If your oil/wax combo did feel right, would you mind sharing the formula?
When you treated the guitar, did it continue to feel "right" like the original EBMM neck finish? I love the way they finish their necks - they feel amazing. If your oil/wax combo did feel right, would you mind sharing the formula?
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
What did you think lemon oil should be? Oil squeezed from lemons? lol! The mineral oil based stuff is what I use for polishing because it's non-flammable and non-toxic. Works just fine. Basically baby oil with a lemon scent added. But like Zerb said, Tung Oil is the stuff to use as a finish...dries hard in the cells of the wood so the finish is in the wood rather than on it. Lew
What did you think lemon oil should be? Oil squeezed from lemons? lol! The mineral oil based stuff is what I use for polishing because it's non-flammable and non-toxic. Works just fine. Basically baby oil with a lemon scent added. But like Zerb said, Tung Oil is the stuff to use as a finish...dries hard in the cells of the wood so the finish is in the wood rather than on it. Lew
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Gosh.... with a name like "lemon oil", I don't see how that could possibly be confusing
Butch Snyder
ObsoleteChickenPickingologist
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Yes, it was fine...
I took the neck off the body then cleaned it with Murphy's oil soap; diluted 3:1 with water.
I then rubbed the oil on with a paper towel.
After the oil dried, I hand-rubbed the wax on. After the water evaporated, I wiped the excess off.
I put the neck back on the body and that was it. I did that once every 6 months.
Yes, it was fine...
I took the neck off the body then cleaned it with Murphy's oil soap; diluted 3:1 with water.
I then rubbed the oil on with a paper towel.
After the oil dried, I hand-rubbed the wax on. After the water evaporated, I wiped the excess off.
I put the neck back on the body and that was it. I did that once every 6 months.
Redmist
New member
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Real lemon oil is just that - squeezed from lemons, and does dry to a matt finish sufficient enough for finishing fine grain wood. Guitar product lemon oil is a mis-nomer however and contains very little in the way of pure lemon oil.
Similarily, most available tung oil products do not contain pure tung and effectively coat the wood with a varnish, defeating the purpose of a wood which can still breath. Use pure tung, applied correctly, then periodically apply pure lemon oil to maintain a satin sheen.
Real lemon oil is just that - squeezed from lemons, and does dry to a matt finish sufficient enough for finishing fine grain wood. Guitar product lemon oil is a mis-nomer however and contains very little in the way of pure lemon oil.
Similarily, most available tung oil products do not contain pure tung and effectively coat the wood with a varnish, defeating the purpose of a wood which can still breath. Use pure tung, applied correctly, then periodically apply pure lemon oil to maintain a satin sheen.
loudriver23
New member
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Quick Tung Oil question, can you add some color with a stain first then use Tung oil to seal the grain, or is a Tung Oil finish best if used over bare sanded wood?
Quick Tung Oil question, can you add some color with a stain first then use Tung oil to seal the grain, or is a Tung Oil finish best if used over bare sanded wood?
Redmist
New member
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Haven't tried pre-staining so not sure, but remember that the first few diluted coats of tung need to seep well into the wood for a good finish, so a woodstain that seals the grain a bit may hinder this. It would prob still work but maybe not give as durable a finish.
Haven't tried pre-staining so not sure, but remember that the first few diluted coats of tung need to seep well into the wood for a good finish, so a woodstain that seals the grain a bit may hinder this. It would prob still work but maybe not give as durable a finish.
More-Gear-Than-Skill
New member
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
M'kay, reranch.com has a good forum about all this. I did two guitars in "rustin's danish oil" which is a comercial tung-oil, with some additives.
You wanna sand out all the previous coatings/preps.
Super smooth a nice.
Brush the stuff on, let it rest for 5 min, towel off, set aside. Repeat a number of times. www.rustins.co.uk
I did the first one ( and ibanez EX superstrat) with a little pre-staining before. Not the best results, as the different body planks drank it up differently, making the multi-piece more obvious.
You can stain the oil beforehand too...
The next, a mex strat, i just left plain. It turned out caramel and nice. Not the most hardwaring finish. Big knock will still dent the wood.
But the guitars resonate wonderfully, compared to the thick polys
M'kay, reranch.com has a good forum about all this. I did two guitars in "rustin's danish oil" which is a comercial tung-oil, with some additives.
You wanna sand out all the previous coatings/preps.
Super smooth a nice.
Brush the stuff on, let it rest for 5 min, towel off, set aside. Repeat a number of times. www.rustins.co.uk
I did the first one ( and ibanez EX superstrat) with a little pre-staining before. Not the best results, as the different body planks drank it up differently, making the multi-piece more obvious.
You can stain the oil beforehand too...
The next, a mex strat, i just left plain. It turned out caramel and nice. Not the most hardwaring finish. Big knock will still dent the wood.
But the guitars resonate wonderfully, compared to the thick polys
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
This just kills me...I can't stop laughing.
Dave
I finished my strat with Tung oil, it was as easy to put on as pissing in the shower.
This just kills me...I can't stop laughing.
Dave
B
BigDaddy
Guest
Re: Tung Oil vs. Lemon Oil
Neither commercially sold tung oil or lemon oil are what they say they are.
Tung oil is really wiping varnish and a very good finish if built up over time. You can keep adding a coat anytime you want to.
Lemon oil is a wood conditioner and the stuff they sell just smells like lemon.
Real tung oil is not that good for a finish and doesn't get that patina varnish does.
Neither commercially sold tung oil or lemon oil are what they say they are.
Tung oil is really wiping varnish and a very good finish if built up over time. You can keep adding a coat anytime you want to.
Lemon oil is a wood conditioner and the stuff they sell just smells like lemon.
Real tung oil is not that good for a finish and doesn't get that patina varnish does.
