sanded my maple neck to bare wood - what oil to seal it?

[tedmanzie]

previously i sanded the gloss laquer to matt on my fender maple neck, i liked it so this time i've sanded further to a bare wood finish.

i read that bare necks need sealed but i'm getting mixed reports on what to use.

any help appreciated!

[nugget]

[url="http://www.ockenden-timber.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=419"]http://www.ockenden-timber.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=419[/url]

3-4 coats rubbed on with a clean rag, best neck finish ever! feels like bare wood but protects the wood. Super simple and very quick

[PlungerModerno]

Anything is probably better than nothing - but I wouldn't use olive oil!

I'd go with anything used to finish gunstocks or kinfe handles - here's a fun vid I watched recently that helped visualize some of the properties of a few oil finishes: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDiN9TCZkHk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDiN9TCZkHk[/url]

[sifi2112]

Tru-oil .... I've used it a few times to good effect.

[tedmanzie]

thanks
the other one i read was Tung oil, any experience with this?

[Grangur]

Linseed oil or Danish oil. These give a good non-sticky finish.

I've never used Tru-oil, but doesn't that leave a high gloss finish? I know I saw a vid on using it to get a good shine.

[MoonBassAlpha]

+1 for Tru-Oil. It CAN be built up to give a shine with enough layers and elbow grease, but a couple of thin layers wiped on gives a fairly natural feeling finish and the colour change is about like lightly dampening the wood.

[JJJack]

+2 on Birchwood Casey Tru oil. I believe it's what Musicman recommend on their website.

[tedmanzie]

thanks, funnily enough i got exactly that Tru oil yesterday so will be applying it this weekend

[PlungerModerno]

Good stuff. Let us know how it turns out.

[wrinkleygit]

almond oil for me, was recommended by a local ukulele maker, buy it from holland & barratts or health food shops, a little goes a long way, so good the wife uses it to bring up old/antique furniture, mike b.

[Andyjr1515]

Top tip with tru-oil is to sand wet, using c 1000 grit wet n dry and using the tru-oil rather than water, to create a slurry. Then wipe it off and buff it immediately. When it's dried, repeat a couple of times - you will end with a silky smooth, satin feel neck that is to die for..

[Grangur]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1431716360' post='2774366']
Top tip with tru-oil is to sand wet, using c 1000 grit wet n dry and using the tru-oil rather than water, to create a slurry. Then wipe it off and buff it immediately. When it's dried, repeat a couple of times - you will end with a silky smooth, satin feel neck that is to die for..
[/quote]

Many thanks for the tip.

[tedmanzie]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1431716360' post='2774366']
Top tip with tru-oil is to sand wet, using c 1000 grit wet n dry and using the tru-oil rather than water, to create a slurry. Then wipe it off and buff it immediately. When it's dried, repeat a couple of times - you will end with a silky smooth, satin feel neck that is to die for..
[/quote]

Does the wetndry not leave a black residue on the bare wood?

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1431721782' post='2774447']


Does the wetndry not leave a black residue on the bare wood?
[/quote]
Not if you use the proper stuff...

[DaveFry]

Below is a maple neck I treated with tru-oil .
( Lower , obviously , - upper is just a work-in-progress lap steel )



I had sanded the Stagg neck back to bare wood , but before I applied the tru-oil I masked off the centre and headstock with tape and treated the edges with a home-made ebonising solution .

Recipe ;
Take steel wool and wash it in hot soapy water to remove the anti-corrosion coating then put it in a glass jar .
Fill jar with white wine vinegar and leave overnight with the lid loose .
Apply to wood with paper towels , renewing towels as necessary to avoid contaminating solution in jar .
When dry sand again to flatten the raised grain .

Note for using tru-oil ;
It is possible for rags soaked in tru-oil to self-combust if scrunched up in an enclosed environment ( eg bin ) so unravel them flat on a non-combustible surface to dry before throwing away .

[tedmanzie]

[quote name='DaveFry' timestamp='1431948564' post='2776424']
Below is a maple neck I treated with tru-oil .
( Lower , obviously , - upper is just a work-in-progress lap steel )



I had sanded the Stagg neck back to bare wood , but before I applied the tru-oil I masked off the centre and headstock with tape and treated the edges with a home-made ebonising solution .

Recipe ;
Take steel wool and wash it in hot soapy water to remove the anti-corrosion coating then put it in a glass jar .
Fill jar with white wine vinegar and leave overnight with the lid loose .
Apply to wood with paper towels , renewing towels as necessary to avoid contaminating solution in jar .
When dry sand again to flatten the raised grain .

Note for using tru-oil ;
It is possible for rags soaked in tru-oil to self-combust if scrunched up in an enclosed environment ( eg bin ) so unravel them flat on a non-combustible surface to dry before throwing away .
[/quote]

interesting thanks.
so the additional process is to obtain the colour changed edges on the neck?

[DaveFry]

Yes , to fake a 3-piece laminate neck .
It was just an experiment on a £35 bass that I defretted and coated the fingerboard with superglue .
On the front I experimented with pyrography ;
( Lower is a HB f/less ubass )


Because tru-oil is linseed based you can tint it with artists linseed oil paints .
I used yellow on the front of the body to make the alder look more like spruce , and red on the back to resemble mahogany .

[tedmanzie]

interesting! thanks

[PlungerModerno]

Very interesting - using Tru-oil as a stain and a finish . . . that gives me some ideas...