Any Tru-Oil users here?

[lungimsam]

Oilin’ a bass and was wondering:
1. what you all prefer for the sanding in between coats?
2. For final buffing?
3. Is it necessary to sand in between coats to an even satin sheen before adding the next coat or just one pass over to scuff and leave it alone even if it has uneven glossy/dry looking areas?
Thanks for the info.
Here it is after 2 thin coats.
Looks even until you look at it at an angle in sunlight, then you can see some areas glossier than others.

 

[Skywalker]

I would be inclined towards # 0000 steel wool

 

[Skywalker]

Looks really beautiful . I would say definitely don't apply more coats, as if you have some shiny patches, then that's already an excess oil film over the wood, which will tend to act like a flypaper trap, for dirt etc., seeing as oil is not hard drying. With an oil finish, you want it absorbed into the wood and then just go refreshing it periodically as it appears dry, but never leaving much film.

 

[steveintampa]

I did one partscaster in Tru Oil years ago. Wipe on a coat every morning, in the afternoon scuffed it with #0000 steel wool, tack cloth and another coat. 5 days later it was shiny like a gunstock.

I am using lacquer now. Both brush on and a spray on for the final coat. It's faster.

 

[chazmo]

@Christopher Cozad ?? Some advice for the ambitious lungimsam??

Lung, I know Chris has been doing some interesting things with his finishes...

 

[Walter Broes]

No real need to sand between coats.

At this stage, it looks like you're still only filling the body grain. You're gonna need at least a few more coats.

Once you have enough buildup on there and it's cured properly, you can basically treat it like lacquer and wetsand and polish.

 

[Christopher Cozad]

All good advice.

Tru-Oil works nicely as a finish, especially for guitar necks though, for the most glorious results, it does require a sufficient amount of time (translate: patience) to dry between coats. I learned about Tru-Oil when refinishing rifle stocks ages ago. I heard all the “myth-busting” stories from folks claiming they had successfully ignored the advice to allow 24 hrs between coats, as well as claims that 2 or 3 coats were sufficient. Following up any one of those stories, I confirmed the original advice was valid, and no myths had actually been busted. But I digress.

I tend to grain/pore fill prior to applying the oil or else, as Walter points out, one may end up needing a lot of oil to build your finish (and to overcome your telltale “glossy/dry” areas). An alternative finishing option to slathering on loads of oil is to “rub” down (using wool, not sandpaper) the exposed wood to the oil already in the pores, then apply the lightest topcoat. It takes a bit more care to pull it off, or you end up with a “mottled” look.

As @Skywalker and @steveintampa have already mentioned, wool is your friend over sandpaper which “loads” too quickly when sanding oils. I much prefer 3M’s synthetic wool to steel wool. Compare the two on a project and you will understand “why”. I use the “purple” sheets, # 7521.

A “Satin” and even a really nice “Semi-Gloss” look is readily achievable using Tru-Oil, depending on the degree of buffing and/or polishing you want to invest in. A “High Gloss” finish is not really possible, at least, nowhere near like what you would expect from a lacquer.

 

[steveintampa]

No real need to sand between coats.

At this stage, it looks like you're still only filling the body grain. You're gonna need at least a few more coats.

Once you have enough buildup on there and it's cured properly, you can basically treat it like lacquer and wetsand and polish.

There is a Tru Oil grain sealer and filler

Birchwood Casey Stock Sealer & Filler - 3 oz

Birchwood Casey Stock Sealer & Filler - 3 oz

shop.natchezss.com

 

[lungimsam]

Third coat starting to be uniformly glossy. At least the maple neck and headstock are uniform now. The mahogany body is getting there.

I have been waiting 24 hrs between coats and doing a light pass with gray scotch brite pad in between. Then I wipe off dust and apply the thin next coat. The coats seem to dry totally within 24 hrs. Today the glossy looks uniform with this coat. Looks like the surface was already grain filled by Gibson.

I think I will keep doing coats til it is totally uniform gloss looking and then decide if I want to keep it that way or maybe use their "Stock Sheen and Conditioner" to rub it down for a satin finish.

This bass was originally a satin finish but way too dark color for my tastes so I acetone wiped the nitro finish off and I see the wood did absorb enough of the original brown color of the nitro but it is like 50% lighter in color now and looks like a lighter walnut transparent color instead of so dark it looked black and depressing before hangin' on the wall. In the sunlight it has a nice warm golden undertone to it.

Is it ok to tru oil the fingerboard too? Not for glossy just to give it a couple coats since I'm inadvertanly getting some on it anyway. Been rubbing it off but maybe better to just give it a coat.

 

[lungimsam]

I heard all the “myth-busting” stories from folks claiming they had successfully ignored the advice to allow 24 hrs between coats, as well as claims that 2 or 3 coats were sufficient. Following up any one of those stories, I confirmed the original advice was valid, and no myths had actually been busted. But I digress.

It could just amount to weather in anyone's particular area. I do notice that when I apply it outside it seems to start drying and tacking up right after applying if it is windy outside.

It is weird: the Birchwood Casey bottle (I'm using their Gun Stock Oil) says let dry at least two hours. On their how to video they say 24hrs first coat, 12 there after, iirc.

I have just been doing every 24 hrs. Feels like it juuuuuuust hardens enough by that time so I would not want to sand earlier than that. That's how it is behaving so far, hanging in the garage during the day (70 degrees?) and in the basement at night (upper 60's?) with whatever Maryland humidity is now. I think in the house is around 60% according to my humidity measuring thingy I have in the room.

 

[steveintampa]

I like to do my finishes at 40% humidity. I can get that with an A/C in a small room. Any higher and lacquer will cloud. Did some Tru Oil jobs and it worked fine for that at 12 hours.

 

[lungimsam]

So how many tru oil coats is "enough" and how long before safe to reassemble guitar and play after the final coat?

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Looking good! 10 plus coats on the guitar body is advisable for maximum protection (it is up to you if you wish to settle for less). Allow a minimum of a week to thoroughly dry, though 2 weeks is better (if you can endure waiting that long - ).

Regarding finishing your fretboard, there are two schools of thought. One says any finish on any fingerboard is tantamount to guitar heresy, and the fretboard should only be lightly oiled. The other school sings that famous (edit - Waverly Brothers Less is More hit from 1963, “It’s my g'tar, see, I'll apply what I want to!”

The highest recommendation for fretboard treatment is typically Bore Oil (the real stuff), though I know of many examples of successful treatments using mineral oil, Lemon oil, Linseed, Danish, Tung, etc. and even petroleum distillate products. It is a big topic and lots of folks have preferences.

Unless your board is raw wood, it is possible something else has already been applied and attempting to add Tru-Oil over the top could introduce some chemical interaction challenges. If you do choose to Tru-Oil the fretboard, 5 thin coats should be sufficient. Wipe up completely as you go. Watch out for “build-up” or “damming" next to the frets. Once Tru-Oil drys, it could be a Hard Day’s Night getting it back off.

 

[lungimsam]

Thanks!
I'll probly just gray-scotch-brite-pad-sand the board then to get it clean and just use fretboard oil like I have been doing.

 

[lungimsam]

After the fifth coat, it’s getting glossier now the neck is maple and has a uniform gloss texture the mahogany though still showing pores. I guess this is normal and just keep lightly standing between coats and adding more coats. This is the fifth coat. It’s hard to see the unevenness unless you look at it at the right angle on the light. Actually, the neck has a little bit of that choppiness, but I guess that’s the kind of thing that you sand and buff out after the last coat correct?

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Looking good. The more porous wood of the body requires more finish (more coats). You can lightly “level sand” prior to top coating and buffing, if desired.

 

[lungimsam]

Thanks! I appreciate all the advice! I think I will go for 10 coats and then buff out and see. I think the maple neck will definitely be good by then. It doesn't seem to have pores. I'm surprised the mahogany is still porous even though Gibson pore filled. Since it was a factory satin finish bass maybe they didn't go as far as they do for the gloss guitars. But I am fine with some pore texture as long as I can get an even shine in the end. I might do satin finish anyway.

 

[steveintampa]

I did well over 10 coats on a Walnut top, Ash back tele. I had sanded it to 600. It came out great. Patience wins the day with Tru Oil.

Whats really good about it is that yo can make repairs to the finish if needed.

 

[James Hart]

not on a guitar, but only because I have yet to refinish one.

I do tung oil my cabinets every couple years. couple coats with some #0000 will between ever couple years

 

[lungimsam]

I had sanded it to 600. It came out great. Patience wins the day with Tru Oil.

The final sanding was to 600?