oil finish on a maple neck...what oil?

[skh515]

I don't know this for sure, but I believe you will have to oil then wax the neck (wax would keep the oil from penetrating the wood, right?) That being the case, I'd apply the oil and see how it feels. You might be happy with just the oil. If not, then you could wax.

I like Danish Oil. Watco is the brand recommended to me by a first-rate luthier. Home Improvemnet stores sell it. From what I understand, Tung Oil is/can be very toxic, so handle with care.

[XSSIVE]

hmmm sooo many options lol...i think trueoil will get the closest to what i want. i want it too feel like raw wood but have some protection. and perhaps a wax after it since that's what they seem to do on the music man guitars. is there any form/brand of wax i should be lookig for in specific? i see brixwax was mentioned are there others that are good or better perhaps? the fact that the danish oil dries hard makes me think it will feel more like a thin painted finish which is not what i'm looking for with this neck.

thanks everyone.

-Mike

[Blueline]

john's set up sounds pretty damn good
i'd agree
when i tue-oil a neck
its
1) sand
2) sand
3) yes, keep sanding
4) sand with 0000 steel wool
5) apply tru-oil (thin coat and then wipe it off - yes, wipe off what you put on - you've already put on enough)
do this in the morning - at night before you hit hte sack, do it again
repeat
after 4-8 of these very thin coats
wait 2 weeks
lightly buff with 0000 steel wool
then you can lemon oil it, if you don't drop it because its already too slippery

now that the cat is out of hte bag - i guess im' out of business

[XSSIVE]

2 weeks worth of finishing for oil...yikes i thought this would be a real quick thing of a day or two. hmmmm maybe i'll have my luthier do it since i have no patience lol.

-Mike

[Blueline]

that's 2 weeks to cure
the finishing itself can be done in a couple days

[XSSIVE]

oh ok, well that i may (and i stress may lol) be able to handle haha. it's 1am and i'm a bit tired i guess i just saw 2 weeks and thought...oh crap hehe. thanks for all your help/info!! i just thought and oil finish aside from feeling amazing would be real quick compaired to paint to do and i could get playing faster...guess not.

-Mike

[Curly]

use Tru Oil and finish with Gun Stock Wax made by the same co. ... I've found the best price at Bass Pro Shops

yes, sand well to about 400 grit, and finish with 600, and tack between coats as John said

I like to hand apply the first coat thinly and leave it alone, then use a cloth for the next few coats, wiping off with a paper towel

I used a light amber dye on my last neck, and it turned out well, as you can see here:
http://www.bluestheater.net/strat54-fin-neck.html

[yontz]

I can't feel the danish oil finish, even though it dries hard.. it's so watery thin it goes into the wood, and definitely looks and feels like oil, not like a paint. Only takes a couple coats. Not as much work as traditional oil finishes..

[yontz]

From reading about Tru Oil, they claim it also dries hard, plus you can actually build it up to a thickness, unlike watco. JohnJohn, is this what you've experienced?

[XSSIVE]

As you can see from Curly's guitar that oil is as good as a clear in terms of esthetics,when done right.
Curly's guitar neck is beautiful,it shows what you can a little patience and the right blend of materials and technique can do.
Curly-great job,I'm jealous.

curly's neck looks amazing and i would have thought it was paint...

BUT

that's not what i'm looking for here. i'm looking for a finish that still looks like raw wood and still feels like raw wood with little to NO gloss to it like the necks on all the EVH guitars where you pick it up and wonder if they forgot to finish the neck lol.

-Mike