Uncle Os Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 Hey All you finish gurus out there! I'm finally getting started on these projects that I've been talking about as of late. But I have a question about finishing maple/maple necks. Every guitar I've built in the past was built around a neck that had already been finished, or I went with maple/ebony, maple/rosewood or mahogony/rosewood necks requiring no finish on the 'board. Most necks with a maple board, as you guys well know, are finished with nitro. I don't really care for the way they feel and truthfully, I prefer the feeling of raw wood. But... we all know what that leads to. So... I was wondering if putting tung oil on a maple fretboard would have any detrimental effects to the board itself. Would I have to worry about swelling or anything like that since the oil is absorbed into the wood? Any comments, questions or criticisms for the good of the cause would be greatly appreciated. MLAR, Cor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 You'd do better to use Birchwood Casey's Tru Oil. It's polymerized so it dried harder than traditional tung oil. Also tung oil absorbs into the wood and needs to be reapplied every so often. That being said, the only detrimental effect from using an oil finish on a maple fingerboard is the dirt factor. I personally dont mind the dirty relic effect but if you do then oil finishes aren't for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 I think only older Fender maple necks used nitro; the modern ones use a polyester-based finish which is really thick and hard, so the finish on the board doesn't erode as fast. I know what you mean about the 'sticky' feeling of nitro (my LP neck). I've done 3 necks with maple boards and I've used Minwax polyurethane on all 3; once it is buffed up, it feels pretty smooth and it is not as soft as a nitro finish. You can even gently sand down the back of the neck with 2500 or 4000 grit, or 0000 steel wool to get a more smooth feel (but with a flat finish). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 My finishes range from satin to glossy, and they're always as slick as wet glass. Tru-Oil does a good job of giving you a finish that looks/feels a lot like a tung oil finish... but it is harder and more durable. Personally, I prefer Gillespies tung oil, which is also a mixture of tung oil and other things, but it seems to have a higher tung oil content than the prodcuts by Birchwood Casey, Fornbeys, and Behr. I work the wood in between coats... the old finish/sand/finish/sand procedure. When the finish is finally sitting on top of the wood (instead of just soaking in) then I drop back to using steel wool. If I want a thin satin finish, I rub it down pretty hard with the steel wool before applying the next coat. If I want a deep glossy finish, then I'll be more gentle with the steel wool. When I get to the "last" coat of finish, I gently go over it (again) with 0000 steel wool, wipe on some Boiled Linseed Oil, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then wipe it off. Then I let the project hang for 3-5 days... just to make sure that the finish really has cured. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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