Refinishing a Warmoth Neck

[Sharkfinger]

Did this early hours of NYE 2018 after I got home from a gig.  Started on the whisky and seemed like a good idea

I should mention I've never done anything like this before, so a complete amateur.

Bought new from Warmoth, it's a roasted maple neck so technically doesn't need a finish.  Super satin smooth but wasn't getting on with the bare wood finish, so wanted to go for a gunstock oil finish.  

The pictures are vaguely in chronological order.  There's an initial rub-down (with coarse steel wool) to get a few months of playing grime off and a light rub down with super fine (0000 grade) SW between coats.

 

At the beginning:

Coarse SW:

So some wood is off

Masking up the fretboard, so don't get the finish on the fretboard.  Making sure the tape is properly stuck down at the edges, so it doesn't seep in.

Thin tape, so just 2 columns wont cover it at it's widest point.

 

Microfibre cloth, cut into pieces, as will be useless when the finish dries on it:

 

Decanting some into a small cup to use a bit at a time without polluting the pot:

First coat goes on:

First coat finished:

 

A little browse of the 'library' while I wait for that coat to dry

Dried after 20 mins or so.  Fresh wood soaked it right in.  Has really brought out that 'quilting' in the back of the neck!

Gave it another very light coat before going to bed.

Next morning after light rub-down.  Then put everything away. 

 

A couple of evenings later, gave it got another couple of coats with light coat between.

Finish actually got too think so knocked it almost right back to wood. 

At this point, pretty much all the grain has been filled.

And the feel is almost indescribable.  Super smooth and satin but nowhere near glossy or sticky.

I coated over and rubbed down the decal too, in case you're wondering.

Edited February 12, 2019 by Sharkfinger

[BassTool]

Nice neck! 

Am I right in assuming you didn't do the slurry buff through the grits then? Just the one coat with the wire wool or is there more?

Good pics 😎

[Sharkfinger]

5 minutes ago, BassTool said:

Nice neck! 

Am I right in assuming you didn't do the slurry buff through the grits then? Just the one coat with the wire wool or is there more?

Good pics 😎

No slurry, no. Didn't trust myself to get it right, so coat then buff, repeat 4 times till the grain was filled (though not completely on edge of fretboard), then knocked it right back almost to wood, then the lightest coat I could.  The stuff has soaked into the wood, so the protection is there.  

I gave it another light rub and coat about a year later and will probably do that every year.  Don't know if it's recommended but hey-ho, seems like a good idea to me.

Edited February 12, 2019 by Sharkfinger

[BassTool]

3 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

No slurry, no. Didn't trust myself to get it right, so coat then buff, repeat 4 times till the grain was filled (though not completely on edge of fretboard), then knocked it right back almost to wood, then the lightest coat I could.  The stuff has soaked into the wood, so the protection is there.  

I gave it another light rub and coat about a year later and will probably do that every year.  Don't know if it's recommended but hey-ho, seems like a good idea to me.

Nice one! This stuff has been a revelation to me, you can achieve anything from a silky smooth satin finish all the way up to a gloss with amazing results 😎

[Sharkfinger]

 

59 minutes ago, BassTool said:

Nice one! This stuff has been a revelation to me, you can achieve anything from a silky smooth satin finish all the way up to a gloss with amazing results 😎

It's good stuff.  I refinished the wooden handle of a 50's teapot with it.  Other half was pleased, so "that practice on the bass wasn't wasted".  Her words.