easily available alternatives to tung oil

varunkapahi · #1 08-20-2010, 04:11 AM

somehow i cant find tung oil here so are there any alternatives to tung oil? are there any common alternative names to tung oil!?
i just reprofiled/reshaped a neck and i need to put some finish to it. its yellowish wood could be maple i think
can the "dunlop guitar fretboard" lemon oil do the job?

edit: will linseed oil work?

pbd · #2 08-20-2010, 04:25 AM

lemon oil, linseed oil. I use a mix of equal parts lemon/linseed on my fretboards after I clean them and polish my frets

Todd

varunkapahi · #3 08-20-2010, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbd

lemon oil, linseed oil. I use a mix of equal parts lemon/linseed on my fretboards after I clean them and polish my frets

Todd

would you use just the lemon oil on on a recently sanded neck?

pbd · #4 08-20-2010, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

would you use just the lemon oil on on a recently sanded neck?

when I polish my frets, I also take steel whool and basically sand my fret board to clean my finger goo off the fret board. I am talking about a rosewood fret board in this case.

Schlyder · #5 08-20-2010, 04:35 AM

I use lemon oil as well as hempseed oil. The hemp seed oil is very nice, and the wood really likes it. It really soaks in well.

varunkapahi · #6 08-20-2010, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbd

when I polish my frets, I also take steel whool and basically sand my fret board to clean my finger goo off the fret board. I am talking about a rosewood fret board in this case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlyder

I use lemon oil as well as hempseed oil. The hemp seed oil is very nice, and the wood really likes it. It really soaks in well.

how about linseed oil? does that work if the neck is maple?

Schlyder · #7 08-20-2010, 04:55 AM

linseed oil will work too.

pbd · #8 08-20-2010, 05:20 AM

yup linseed by itself will work too

joeyl · #9 08-20-2010, 05:41 AM

tung oil is also called teak oil sometimes. Really though any clear varnish or polyu thinned with mineral spirits will do as an alternative

varunkapahi · #10 08-20-2010, 06:01 AM

do i need to apply the oil and then set it aside for like 24hours!?

i have to take that beater out for some jams for the next couple of days. so would it be a better idea to oil it a couple of days later or oil it and then take it out the same day?

ani10s · #11 08-20-2010, 06:14 AM

i (think) its also (maybe) called china wood oil.

Hookus · #12 08-20-2010, 06:18 AM

Teak oil and Tung oil are not the same thing for starters.

Don't use lemon oil as a finish. I think folks believe you are talking fret board, not neck. Lemon oil is junk for a wood finish.

Don't let any oil soak for 24 hours unless you want a sticky mess that will have to be resanded and started over. Follow the manufacturers instructions on whatever finish you use, that simple. If it says let soak for 5 minutes and wipe, do it. Trust me, you probably don't know better than the manufacturer. Manufacturers put instructions there because they want you to be successful with their product.

varunkapahi · #13 08-20-2010, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hookus

Teak oil and Tung oil are not the same thing for starters.

Don't use lemon oil as a finish. I think folks believe you are talking fret board, not neck. Lemon oil is junk for a wood finish.

Don't let any oil soak for 24 hours unless you want a sticky mess that will have to be resanded and started over. Follow the manufacturers instructions on whatever finish you use, that simple. If it says let soak for 5 minutes and wipe, do it. Trust me, you probably don't know better than the manufacturer. Manufacturers put instructions there because they want you to be successful with their product.

i have got a bottle of linseed oil with no instructions!

202dy · #14 08-20-2010, 06:20 AM

Lemon oil is not a finish. It will not polymerize. It will not harden.
Linseed oil is not a finish. It will not polymerize. It will not harden.

Boiled Linseed Oil is a finish. It will harden.
Tung Oil is a finish. It will harden.

Wipe on a generous amount. Let it set for five to ten minutes. Wipe it off. You are done with that coat.

Wait a day before applying another coat.

The idea is to wipe it off before the finish begins to get sticky. When does that happen? Impossible to say. It is dependent on the product you purchase, the temperature and humidity, the age of the product, and the thickness of the coat you apply. The only way to get an idea is to test it on some scrap, preferably the same species. Repeat: Test on scrap.

After a couple of coats, use some 0000 steel wool to lightly rub the back of the neck. Then apply the next coat. As and option, after the last coat, you may apply a coat of good paste wax. Some folks like it. Others do not. Test on scrap.

The program outlined about, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year after that (Yep. This was the old recommendation.) isn't really necessary. If you apply five to seven coats you will be happy with the results. When the finish shows wear, you can apply a few coats to repair it.

varunkapahi · #15 08-20-2010, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 202dy

Lemon oil is not a finish. It will not polymerize. It will not harden.
Linseed oil is not a finish. It will not polymerize. It will not harden.

Boiled Linseed Oil is a finish. It will harden.
Tung Oil is a finish. It will harden.

Wipe on a generous amount. Let it set for five to ten minutes. Wipe it off. You are done with that coat.

Wait a day before applying another coat.

The idea is to wipe it off before the finish begins to get sticky. When does that happen? Impossible to say. It is dependent on the product you purchase, the temperature and humidity, the age of the product, and the thickness of the coat you apply. The only way to get an idea is to test it on some scrap, preferably the same species. Repeat: Test on scrap.

After a couple of coats, use some 0000 steel wool to lightly rub the back of the neck. Then apply the next coat. As and option, after the last coat, you may apply a coat of good paste wax. Some folks like it. Others do not. Test on scrap.

The program outlined about, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year after that (Yep. This was the old recommendation.) isn't really necessary. If you apply five to seven coats you will be happy with the results. When the finish shows wear, you can apply a few coats to repair it.

thanks! that helps
ok so i dont know if my linseed oil is boiled or not, should i boil it anyway so it works for me!? edit: i figure if it was already boiled then it would be hard solid already so i gotta heat it and then apply it before it hardens?

lbwdog · #16 08-20-2010, 07:04 AM

I used Tru-Oil (gunstock finish) after sanding the back of my neck. I applied a coat, let it dry thoroughly, then steel wooled it. Repeated about five times. The Tru-Oil drys to a hard finish, and I love the way it feels on the neck.

joeyl · #17 08-20-2010, 07:17 AM

dude is in India, I doubt they have Birchwood Casey's tru-oil there, but I agree it is a nice finish

mulchor · #18 08-20-2010, 07:31 AM

In the US, you get tung oil, teak oil, gunstock oil in the same place as you find wood stains, varnish, and other finishing products: A hardware store or paint store.

If the neck has finish remaining from before, it's going to be best to address it appropriately. For example, if you have a thick coat of polyurethane that remains on part of the neck with bare wood from reshaping in other areas, putting gunstock oil on it will leave you with a weird ugly mess.

Any sort of repainting or refinishing, you do NOT want to rush into. If you need to play the instrument this weekend, take it out and play it ugly. Then when it can have time, finish it.

varunkapahi · #19 08-20-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulchor

In the US, you get tung oil, teak oil, gunstock oil in the same place as you find wood stains, varnish, and other finishing products: A hardware store or paint store.

If the neck has finish remaining from before, it's going to be best to address it appropriately. For example, if you have a thick coat of polyurethane that remains on part of the neck with bare wood from reshaping in other areas, putting gunstock oil on it will leave you with a weird ugly mess.

Any sort of repainting or refinishing, you do NOT want to rush into. If you need to play the instrument this weekend, take it out and play it ugly. Then when it can have time, finish it.

i dont mind keeping the neck as is forever but i've been told its better if i finish it. so i have got linseed oil but do i need boil it before i apply it?

also i just got Polyurethane clear wood finish from the paint store. they said thats the only wood finishing thing they have besides varnish idk whats the difference between this and varnish it might just be the same. there is a pretty good sized paint/wood/hardware market near by and they have never heard of tung oil or china wood oil

should i apply linseed oil and then seal it with the poly clear wood finish oil i have?

202dy · #20 08-20-2010, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

thanks! that helps
ok so i dont know if my linseed oil is boiled or not, should i boil it anyway so it works for me!? edit: i figure if it was already boiled then it would be hard solid already so i gotta heat it and then apply it before it hardens?

No! Not unless you have a burning desire to become homeless. The flash point of linseed oil is 222C. The boiling point is 343C. You might be inviting a large kaboom into your domicile.

Modern "boiled" linseed oils are not actually boiled. There are driers and other chemicals added to it that help the raw linseed oil to polymerize.

As to whether or not the product you have is Boiled Linseed Oil, it should say so right on the container. If it does not, assume it to be raw linseed oil.