tru-oil, again

[Tim R]

Hello all.

I have reached the finishing stage for my first build 000. I will try to use tru-oil for the neck, back and sides, and possibly French polish for the top.

I have no experience finishing, but I have read a number of different procedures for tru-oil finishing here and elsewhere. Below is a fairly simple approach for tru-oil that I gather will work and look good (if done right) based on what I’ve read, even if not absolutely optimal. I hope the group can help me confirm that it is okay or identify problems.

1) Sand as usual 120/220/320/400 grit
2) Apply tru-oil and sand at 400 grit to fill pores. Follow produces for this described on another thread on this forum.
3) Sand through progressive grits up to micro-mesh 12000 as desired.
4) Apply stain if desired (neck)
5) Sand again after stain with smallest grit used (?)
6) Apply multiple coats of tru-oil following instructions found elsewhere.
6) Hang guitar for 10 days to cure
7) Polish out with burlap and apply lemon oil.

Please let me know if either this looks good or needs modification.
Thank you!
Tim

[deadedith]

Tim - a couple of suggestions:

1) Sand as usual 120/220/320/400 grit
I would suggest doing the pore filler earlier on, around 150 grit. You really need to make sawdust at this point
2) Apply tru-oil and sand at 400 grit to fill pores. Follow produces for this described on another thread on this forum.
You will get better results mixing the TO about 3:1 with mineral spirits - that's 3 parts min spirits, 1 part TO - just for the pore filling. You can also use naptha. Practice practice on some other porous wood to make certain you have the method down.
3) Sand through progressive grits up to micro-mesh 12000 as desired.
4) Apply stain if desired (neck)
5) Sand again after stain with smallest grit used (?)
6) Apply multiple coats of tru-oil following instructions found elsewhere.
Thin thin coats is the key. I use a cotton ball as an applicator, rub the oil in a 1/4 of the back or top or side, making certain the last few strokes of the cotton ball are with the grain; then before it dries or gets sticky, wipe off with the grain with a folded paper towel wrapped around a flexible foam block. Make sure to get all the surface oil off - that is most important.
6) Hang guitar for 10 days to cure
7) Polish out with burlap and apply lemon oil.
You can use very fine steel wool to take down the gloss and get a lovely sheen; or the burlap; or you can go the whole high gloss path with the polishing procedures used for lacquer or any other finish

[Jim_H]

What kinds of woods are we talking about?

[Tarhead]

I had good results using a paper coffee filter to apply the TO. It didn't want to set up in a cool shop (stayed sticky) so I brought it inside between coats. Exposure to sunshine helps it to harden.

[Tim R]

Thank you for the suggestions Dave and Tar. Jim: mahogany neck, IER back/sides, Engelmann top.

[Jim_H]

I don't have a lot of experience with tru-oil. I used it to refinish an all mahogany Ukulele.

What I found was that the process is fairly forgiving, as long as you use lots of very very thin coats, and don't try putting it on even a little heavy.

I pore filled with zpoxy, but I am going to try using the sanding method others have described using the oil and sandpaper (sounds messy).

A while back someone posted a link to a process that involved using armor all (!) in the process, supposedly to shorten the cure time. I played around with this on some scrap mahogany I had here, and while I can't say if it really shortened the cure time, It doesn't seem to have had a negative effect at all. The sample looks still looks great six months down the road. That process was a hand rub process, using your fingers and palm to run the oil in. I'm not sure how good an idea this is from a toxicity standpoint.

[deadedith]

Jim, you are right about it being messy. I now fold up a paper towel and hold it against the binding in the area I work the pore fill slurry in; the towel catches any far flung goop. This has made it a
relatively clean operation. That, plus I don't do a large area at a time - 1/4 of the back, say, at a time.
Dave

[Ben-Had]

+1 to what Dave said. I used the process on my #4 (neck only) and it worked great. The only thing I did different was use coffee filters for zero lint.

[deadedith]

Tim - coffee filters right out of the box? I took a couple out to the shop and was a little hesitant to try one because it seemed 'stiff', compared to a cotton ball. Does it soften up as soon as the TO is applied to it? I'm definitely down for less lint.
Thanks
Dave

[Jim_H]

I haven't tried the coffee filters, but i don't see a reason why it wouldn't work.

I picked up some of these circular pads at Woodcraft one day.

I cut them into pie shaped wedges of various sizes depending on what I'm doing with them.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200480 ... -Pads.aspx