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Oil Finish For Neck


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Fingerboard or back of neck?

Some like tru-oil, for the fingerboard, I'm a fan of that or linseed. For the back, tung oil/shellac come to mind.

True shellac is not really an oil, but a fav.

for the back of the neck...How about danish?

I vote Danish as well. It's also good for some fretboard wood.

Edited by NotYou
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wood type?

thats what i base my decision on. this even ended up danish oiled on the front and tru-oiled on the back and neck

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i was tru-oiling the whole thing - but didnt like how much it was building up on the wenge around the unfilled pores so took it back and wiped a bit of danish oil on.

truoil on maple, bubinga and a little wenge:

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Danish on wenge:

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First, a true oil (not tru-oil) will offer no protection against moisture and hand sweat. If that's what you want, you need a barrier finish. Look at lacquer, poly, or shellac for that. The tru-oil that's mentioned will build up a thickness as well, but I'd still use one of the main three for a barrier finish.

To answer your question, I use boiled linseed oil. It's the only oil that actually cures, and thus keeps the wood looking nice. It gives the wood a nice slick feel while both keeping the "wet" look and retaining the natural wood feel.

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According to Bob Flexner, Tru-Oil is a polymerized oil, which turns it into a type of varnish, and Danish Oil is really an oil/varnish blend. They may have started as linseed oil or have been mixed with it, but they aren't the same thing.

A couple of quotes from the book, both from chapter 5:

Understanding Oil

"They (oils) also cure soft. /snip/ You can't build a thick, hard, protective film on the surface of the wood the way you can with film finishes. "

Polymerized Oil

"This (polymerization), or an equivalent process, is what is done to /snip/ Tru Oil."

This changes the oils so that they complete their curing rapidly /snip/ and it makes the oils cure hard and glossy. In contrast to normal linseed oil and tung oil, it's possible to build the oils to a thickness on the surface of the wood"

So while Tru Oil may have started as an oil, it has been chemically altered, no longer behaves as one, and for our purposes shouldn't be considered one. It should be classigied as a film finish because it can be built up, just like the "big three".

You're right that the "big three" don't give the oiled finish feel. The closest you'd be able to get is with only one or two coats of shellac that's been buffed with steel wool. It won't be as "slick" as oil, but you can still feel the wood.

My honest suggestion would be to get some Tru Oil and linseed oil and test them both to see which one you like better. They both behave differently and will give a different result. Wez & I can peacefully debate the semantics all day long and never help you as much as that would.

I can offer first-hand testimony that Danish Oil and linseed oil feel very different, and that linseed is far superior in that realm. The end result also looks better. But that's also MY feel & taste, not yours.

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Wez & I can peacefully debate the semantics all day long and never help you as much as that would.

indeed... lets not bother with that! :D

and i wouldnt want to disagree with bob about polymerized oils, he is spot on ... just clarify that 'boiled' oils are polymerized. its heated to polymerize it which makes it thicker and quicker drying. some have nothing else added, but many products sold as 'boiled linseed oil' with have additives to make them dry quicker. its the exact recipe that seems to vary and produce different results and thats why i agree that you try and test what you can.

now stuff like 'danish oil' can vary quite a bit - usually tung or polymerized linseed. when describing danish oil i am talking about rustins as its my favorite of that type and i think its mainly tung oil - with a lot of other crap added to get it drying quickly

I now use danish oil where only the most minimal of finishes is needed... thats why i recommend it for wenge. on other woods i would finish it off with wax. The danish oil brings out the best of the wood, the wax adds some extra protection. just using danish oil will require a reapplication every so often.

for me its all about developing a patina like an old worn banister... something that is handled constantly, has very little finish remaining but feels completely smooth and sleek. this feel is possible with danish oil & wax or tru-oil... the application, final stages and aftercare are more important to it than the type of oil

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