demon Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Was wondering how many coats of tung oil it would take to stop the grain lifting on a neck from the sweat off your hands when you play. On most of the necks that I have oiled ive put up to 5 or 6 good coats well rubbed in, and the necks have been beautifully glass smooth, but if ive been holding them by the neck with sweaty hands the grain has lifted slightly giving a rough feel and making re-sanding neccesary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 "How much" is a good question, but not an easy answer... in my opinion. If the grain is lifting, then you don't have a perfect seal. That either means putting on more and more coats of tung oil, or using something over the tung oil... like wax. When I work with the "consumer grade" tung oil (as opposed to pure tung oil) it isn't unusual for me to put on 10-20 coats, depending on the piece of wood that I'm using and the look that I want. I would agree with anybody who says that tung oil requires tons of patience. But, on the right project, I think it's worth every coat. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demon Posted November 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 i definately agree with you on that one, the finish you get is absolutely beatiful with the oil, and you dont get that slight resistance to to sliding your hands down the neck that i think you get with lacquers. Is there any special method to getting waxes to adhere to the oiled surface? I remember an RG i did my first natural finish on. I kept changing my mind on what sort of finish to give it, first it was waxed, but it was too much effort to maintain (Much more fun to play than maintain lol) so then i put a linseed finish on it (I'm still not sure whether i prefer a linseed finish or a tung finish) then tried lacquering over it. Of course after a couple of weeks, a lot of the lacquer was rubbed off where my hands and arms were rubbing against it. I jus checked my supplies, and it is pure tung oil that I have got. I suppose Ill just have to be patient and apply many more coats. I actually really enjoy oiling necks. The beautiful sheen that you get with a nicely figured wood really makes it worthwhile. I dont even notice the time going by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executioner606 Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 The oil finish is definatly worth the effort. I have one neck finished in tung and another done in linseed. Theyre smooth as heck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Is there any special method to getting waxes to adhere to the oiled surface? I've used a couple diferent kinds of automotive wax... but I don't use the "pure" tung oil. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 No special method. You use paste wax, which usually has oil as one of its ingredients. Something that violin makers use as a first coat is raw egg white. It kind of seals the wood. Then apply your oil or varnish on top of this. Try experimenting with it and see if you like it. I read about it in a violin makers forum that someone posted a link to on this forum. I've tried it, and it helped to protect the wood better, and build a better coat of oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirdstone Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I have just oiled a neck (maple)with boiled linseed oil.It feels great but as the guitar is not yet in action it has not had any wear. I am wondering if I should have used tung oil as I have since read that its more durable than boiled linseed oil and it is less prone to becoming sticky with repeated coats.Any opinions/observations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I knew a guy in Missouri who swore that the best finish was numerous solid coats of tung oil (with light sanding in between as the grain filled) followed by a finishing coat of boiled linseed oil. I tried the same process on a gunstock I made for my brother, and I honestly can't tell the difference between that finish and the ones where I just used commercial tung oil. And I have never tried using just boiled linseed oil. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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