Imzadi Posted June 8, 2007 Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 Hi all, Just bought a body very similar to this: http://warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_bodi...eWood_filter=13 And I was wondering what you guys would do to finish it? I'm thinking either oil or Deft. I want to keep the natural finish, but to really bring out the grain I'm not sure exactly what to do with it. I'm going to use it with a MIM strat neck and electronics. Thanks, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imzadi Posted June 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 Any thoughts??? It's going to be light wood, and I haven't seen a lot of light wood with an oil finish. Just wondering if it would work very well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 I guess you could just do a natural finish, but I never thought flamed maple tops looked that great just cleared over. I think you should go with a translucent burst. That would be rockin', IMHO. But if your going oil, I would use Tru-oil. Or you could use something like boiled linseed oil and clear coat over it. CMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imzadi Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I've read a lot on here about Tru oil but I've never used it. When I ordered the body I figured I could just clear coat it but now I'm not sure what I want to do. I want the flame top to stand out but I want it to look cool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 (edited) I can tell you, it will stand out with a stained translucent finish. Here is a very nice example: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...st&p=308544 and http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...st&p=309363 Here is an example of the boiled linseed with clear coat (props to cbaker over at the reranch forum): Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of a Tru-oil finish. I can tell you though, it won't be as glossy as lacquer and it isn't as tough. The main advantage to oil finishes is the ease of application and a nice feel, which is why they are mostly done on necks. But if you don't clear coat, I would recommend Tru-oil only, because it is the toughest finish and you can get a better gloss with it than you can with other oils. CMA Edited June 10, 2007 by CrazyManAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imzadi Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Nice pictures! I think the staining is beyond me. I don't have any scrap to test it with because I'm just getting the body, not making it. Do you think if I spray it with Deft it will bring out the finish as well as Tru oil? I want something fairly simple and that doesn't take 6 months to cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 (edited) Tru-oil will pop the grain. The boiled linseed oil/DEFT will as well. Probably both about the same. It is really a matter of which you prefer. Tru-oil will give a satin like feel and will probably be less glossy. DEFT will give a harder (more protective) and glossier finish. Me personally, I would opt for a BLO/DEFT finish rather than Tru-oil. I like the idea of a longer lasting/harder and glossier finish. That and I don't mind the feel of lacquer (which some don't like). But, my opinions aside, I think you're good either way. And just to let you know, here is what cbaker said about that neck: "It is about 8 coats of linseed over a couple of days. I would wipe on a good coat, let it dry for about 3-4 hours and repeat till it seemed to not take anymore, then I put a lot of Bill's nitro clear on it." He is referring to ReRanch clear, but you can use DEFT. And once you get done spraying the clear, you only have to wait a month and then you can wet sand and polish it. Here is a nice tutorial on spraying lacquer: http://reranch.com/101a.htm CMA Edited June 10, 2007 by CrazyManAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imzadi Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thanks for the link. Well, it sounds like I can go either way. If I use Tru oil though, I can put the guitar together quicker, right? With Deft I have to wait a month to let it cure? I like the idea of a harder finish. But I HATE poly finishes. They feel so plastic and unnatural. I like feeling the wood. I have a Warwick Standard bass that I just love the feel of. Would the the Tru oil give me more of that kind of feeling finish? Oh and where do you get Tru oil? I've seen Formby's tung oil and Danish oil at Lowes, but not Tru oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 (edited) You should be able to find tru-oil at a gun shop. Just as an FYI, DEFT (and similar products) is not poly. They are nitro. The feeling is really irrelevant for the body though, I would think. You could just do tru-oil on the neck for the feel. CMA Edited June 10, 2007 by CrazyManAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imzadi Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 You should be able to find tru-oil at a gun shop. Just as an FYI, DEFT (and similar products) is not poly. They are nitro. The feeling is really irrelevant for the body though, I would think. You could just do tru-oil on the neck for the feel. CMA I'll check it out. Btw, do you know if poly or nitro cures faster? I generally don't like poly but I was thinking that if I didn't put as thick of a coat on it (like Fender does) maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Poly cures much faster than nitro, but I wouldn't let cure time be my ruler for judging finishes. An important part of finishing is not rushing it. I don't really like poly either, and I think nitro looks better. Plus, nitro isn't as hard to get off if you decide to refinish it; poly is like glue. In any case, it isn't the end of the world if you end up not liking whatever you choose. The nice thing about a finish is that it can be redone until you like what you see (or you get tired of refinishing it ). CMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 As a fan of Tru-Oil, I'd say spend $6 and get a bottle to test with. It is easy to work with, drys quick and gives maple a nice butterscotch tone. If you don't like it, you can easily sand it down and do something else. Here is a maple / African mahogany lap steel I finished with Tru-Oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Quarter, That's a nice looking finish on that lap steel. Did you do any type of grain filling to the mahogany? Or was it just many layer of tru oil + sanding to get it to look like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thanks, I was very happy with how it turned out. I did the grain fill kinda like how you would do in a french polish. I applied a good wet coat of Tru-Oil, let sit for a day, then took some 240 and wet sanded with Tru-Oil, wiped it dry across the grain, let sit for a day, then went on with the normal coat applications. Here is a full pic of the maple / mahogany one And here is a mahogany / maple version I also did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Awesome, thanks for the info, that's good to know. I'll have to give that a try. Cool looking guitars as well, very Art Deco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Very nice lapsteel Quarter! CMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.