Jump to content

Mahogany & Tru-oil


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 95
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Don't forget I dyed it first! The first picture up there is with the dye with no oil over it. My friend loved this finish so much, he's having me do the same finish but with a black dye on his Jackson Dinky. Also, my friend mentioned it would be funny to take a picture infront of the "little boy peeing" statue. He was correct! So here's the photos in correct order:

IbanezSR4061.jpgIbanezSR4062.jpgIbanezSR4064.jpgIbanezSR4065.jpg

IbanezSR4063.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't know 8 ounce bottles were available. Thanks for that.

I have trouble with the oil developing a skin on top before I use up a 3 ounce bottle. You can break through the skin and get to the oil underneath, but then you also get little blobs of oil skin on your project that you have to remove. I guess how fast you use it up depends on how many coats and how many projects you have going. For large volumes of work, the bigger bottle would be great.

Wal Mart is like 2 blocks from my house, so factoring in driving costs or shipping costs to save a couple of bucks on a bigger bottle, I don't know that it would save much $ for me, but I certainly see your point.

That neck looks very nice! Great job!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jon, just to clarify. When you wet sanded, what did you use as your lubricating medium? A water/soap mix or something along those lines, or did you use the tru oil?

Strictly hot water. After sanding it for about 20-30 seconds, I'd run over it with a paper towel to pull all the oil off so it doesn't dry on that way. I'll probably do dove soap and water next time, think that's where I screwed up this time around. I've always used dove soap / water in the past, but I was afraid that might screw something up with the oil. We'll see!

Thanks guys, he should be dropping his guitar off sometime soon. It will be done in less than one week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How does it feel?

Hard to explain. But it doesn't feel dense like a nitro laquer or poly finish. It feels extremely solid, like some of the more expensive furniture with a varnish finish out there. The feel is exactly what I've been looking for a neck finish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got the guitar an hour ago and just got the chance to take it apart. I'm not sure when I'll have time to work on it, but I'll have it complete before this upcoming Thursday. We've decided on a black dye. Should look kickass when I complete it!

Dinky1.JPG

Dinky2.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have trouble with the oil developing a skin on top before I use up a 3 ounce bottle. You can break through the skin and get to the oil underneath, but then you also get little blobs of oil skin on your project that you have to remove.

I've had good luck with just poking a pin hole through the foil for easy dispensing and then storing the bottle upside down when not in use.

Any skin that may form is then on the bottom of the bottle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I never posted progress pictures of my 6-string being finished with tru-oil in this thread, but it came out nice. It's not a very durable finish overall, it has taken a few minor scratches from being played frequently. I still need to wire it, though! The finish definitely turned out great and I highly recommend it if you can't afford spray equipment and several rattle cans. If you want a similar look, stick with satin polyurathane. It's worlds stonger.

6-string%20Fretted%2020.JPG6-string%20Fretted%2016.JPG6-string%20Fretted%2017.JPG

On note of the Dinky guitar I have been refinishing for my friend, tru-oil is a very poor choice for wood that does not have the grain showing very much. I just couldn't make the tru-oil bring out a nice looking finish with the stuff, and I explained to my friend that tru-oil wasn't made for this kind of finish we're going for. Although it felt very comfortable, I encouraged him to go with a finish change for a better look. So now I'm about to finish it up with some polyurathane, last coat will be going on tomorrow. Definitely exciting, over 15 hours into this neck for free.

Dinky%205.JPG

Dinky%204.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How many coats of Tru-oil is that, Jon? The more the wood soaks up on the first coat, the better it seems. Especially mahogany, which has an unending appetite for the sticky stuff. Subsequent coats just level off the pores and build a better overall finish. I did the Thunderbird in Tru-oil, and despite me being about to refinish it in black, Tru-oil has been a good finish. As you say - not as protective as poly of course!

Edited by Prostheta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a fair amount. I liken Tru-oil to how a clam makes a pearl, in that very thin layers upon layers of oil build up to create a fairly tough shell. The first coat being the base which permeates the medium on top of which all other layers sit.

I sound like a freaking hippy. Someone shoot me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although this is hardly related to the thread, I'm sure a few of you guys would like to see the final product of the Jackson neck that did not work out with tru-oil. All done refinishing the neck. I've still got a lot of learning to do, but this was good practice.

Dinky%206.JPG

Dinky%207.JPGDinky%208.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

I've gotten to the point of testing the finish on a mahogany offcut.

It's looking good, but I have a question or two:

When wet sanding with Tru-oil, are you (speaking to everyone who's done it) wet sanding, then letting the coat dry and sanding most of the wet sanded coat back down, or wet sanding and then scraping off across the grain, or something else?

I put on one coat, let it dry, lightly steel wooled, put on another coat, let it dry, lightly steel wooled, wet sanded with 2000 grit and Tru-oil, scraped off across the grain, let it dry (still drying actually).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When wet sanding with Tru-oil, are you (speaking to everyone who's done it) wet sanding, then letting the coat dry and sanding most of the wet sanded coat back down, or wet sanding and then scraping off across the grain, or something else?

To start with, I'll do a good heavy first coat, let dry, then use some 320 / 400 with Tru Oil and work small areas creating a slurry, then wipe / scrape it off cross grain.

Once dry, I build coats and level sand with 600 and a little mineral spirits till the last of the little pits are gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that.

I've been doing some experimenting, had two false starts, but I think I'm on the right track now.

First I sanded to 400, put a pretty heavy coat on, then wet sanded with 400 and Tru-oil, but I didn't let the first coat dry enough.

Started over, followed Birchwood Casey's instructions (don't do that, by the way!): put on a coat and let the wood absorb as much as it will absorb, wipe off the excess, let it dry for 24 hours, then wet sand with 180 and Tru-oil (that's their suggestion...not a good one at all; I didn't think it would work but tried anyway). Way, way too coarse; left scratches all over the place. I don't know what they're thinking.

Going back to plan A, but letting the first coat dry for 24 hours before wet sanding with 400 this time, basically following your advice from there.

Edited by Rick500
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...