guitar_ed Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 Hi All, I may be doing a project involving teaching kids how to build a Saga T style guitar. I want to use Tung oil to finish the bodies, because I don't fancy spraying 6 bodies with nitro. Has anybody done this before, or used Tung oil on another Basswood project? Any input would help. Thanks, Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page_Master Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 go for it daddy go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 yeh man tung oiled finish would look awesome. man i love those PRS style saga kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 The only problem with that is that most Saga guitar bodies are made out of sometimes 5 to 7 pieces laminated together, which just doesn't look good with a natural or clear finish. You'd just have to find out when you get them what they'd look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckguitarist Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 Wes used tung-oil on his neck-thru V. I don't think he recommended it...I don't remember why though, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 I think he didn't recommend it for the body but it was fine for the neck, IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 I may be doing a project involving teaching kids how to build a Saga T style guitar. I want to use Tung oil to finish the bodies, because I don't fancy spraying 6 bodies with nitro. Is it spraying the finish you don't fancy? Have you considered a wipe-on poly finish? I seem to recall Jehle used a wipe-on for his guitar(s) but his website seems to be being updated. I posted this link to Lizzy Daymont's carvin build before. She used tung oil with Minwax Wipe-on Poly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted January 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 Howdy All, Thanks for the comments & suggestions. I am working a project in East San Jose to teach the kids how to build & play an electric guitar. I don't want to spray anything. Too much time, etc. But I like the idea of Min-Wax. I will look into it. Min-Wax for the body, Tung oil for the neck. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckguitarist Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 If you want, you can probably just PM wes and ask him about the tung oil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 actually i don't reccomend it for anything anymore.what happened was i read a book which told me everything i ever needed to know about different types of finishes,and although it is a better moisture barrier than lindseed oil,tung oil is still not a very good barrier. the whole point to wood finishing is to protect the wood from scratches and most importantly from moisture,which will destroy the wood over time.tung oil is a soft finish which barely protects against moisture and not at all against scratches. a hard finish such as laquer or polyuerethane is MUCH better protection. the thicker the coat the better the protection.tru oil is the only decent oil finish because it is polymerized which makes it harden and makes a better barrier.it is still inferior to varnishes. my suggestion is to get some aeresol nitro from reranch or stewmac and put a nice thick gloss coat on.it will look better and your guitar will be more stable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted January 19, 2004 Report Share Posted January 19, 2004 Aren't those SAGA bodies sealed from the factory? That should eliminate any stability problems, so all the finish has to do is look nice (enough) and provide some mechanical protection. You could use any good brushing finish, even brushing lacquer for furniture, or spar varnish. Tru-Oil, or any good gunstock oil, won't give much mechanical protection. Or you could just use a roller and nitro lacquer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 19, 2004 Report Share Posted January 19, 2004 if the body is sealed then tung oil is useless and tru oil will not stick well either.shellac will and so will nitro...depending on the sealer but i don't know iftheyt are sealed or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butnut Posted January 19, 2004 Report Share Posted January 19, 2004 I've used all sorts of stuff in my furniture refinish biz. For a low-end but decent finish, I liked the Homer Fornbys wipe-on poly satin finish. Looked real nice for something I applied with a piece of foam. I'm suprised you are'nt building the bodies from scratch Ed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted January 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2004 Hi BN, Believe it or not, it is cheaper to buy to the Saga kits than to build one from scratch. The problem is that I would use higher quality woods, etc. Not to mention the time requirement. For teaching kids to build a guitar, when you have to call people and beg for money, $$$$ becomes real important. Plus ease of use. But I do appreciate the thought BN. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John@B.F.EGYPT Guitars Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Yep-they are sealed with what appears to be (smell) like polyester-think paint. Re- Ranch stuff is actually really nice to use/cost effective if you can't hook up a compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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