Used lemon oil on a RW fingerboard and now it's even more dry? ***?

[contakt321]

I tried searching for this and couldn't really find anything useful.

I just bought a used bass that had a pretty dirty rosewood fingerboard, so after searching the forums, learned that lemon oil could help clean it. I bought the Kyser Stringfellow oil and followed the directions but now (2 days later) the fingerboard looks extremely dry, especially towards the edges (by the E and G strings) additionally, I am seeing little white slivers in the grains as well. Anyone know why this is happening and what to do?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by contakt321

I tried searching for this and couldn't really find anything useful.

I just bought a used bass that had a pretty dirty rosewood fingerboard, so after searching the forums, learned that lemon oil could help clean it. I bought the Kyser Stringfellow oil and followed the directions but now (2 days later) the fingerboard looks extremely dry, especially towards the edges (by the E and G strings) additionally, I am seeing little white slivers in the grains as well. Anyone know why this is happening and what to do?

The little white slivers sound to me like wax. There may be some in that product. Wash it down with mineral spirits (paint thinner such as Varsol) or naptha, to clean off the residue and dirt and other oils. Then get a bottle of mineral oil from a drug store and wipe it down with a little bit of this. Let it soak in for a few minutes then wipe off the surface oil.

[lefty007]

I have read the some lemon oils contain detergents and drying agents, so it may dry the wood.

I thought that boiled linseed oil was best.

I use this:
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...ingerboard+Oil

Also, I little goes along way; just a few drop is all you need.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by 62bass

The little white slivers sound to me like wax. There may be some in that product. Wash it down with mineral spirits (paint thinner such as Varsol) or naptha, to clean off the residue and dirt and other oils. Then get a bottle of mineral oil from a drug store and wipe it down with a little bit of this. Let it soak in for a few minutes then wipe off the surface oil.

Agreed on the mineral oil, as opposed to lemon oil.

Either one can be used but lemon oil can be destructive. Citrus oil is a main ingredient in some paint removers.

Used in moderation, neither is likely to hurt anything. Used in excess the oil can accumulate under the frets in the little cavity that lies between the bottom of the fret slot and the bottom of the fret tang. I don't think that soaking the FB glue joint in a mild solvent can be a good thing.

JMHO

[62bass]

Originally Posted by lefty007

I have read the some lemon oils contain detergents and drying agents, so it may dry the wood.

I thought that boiled linseed oil was best.

I use this:
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...ingerboard+Oil

Also, I little goes along way; just a few drop is all you need.

I like to use boiled linseed oil too. I just don't recommend it for anyone who doesn't know what it does and how to use it.

Boiled linseed oil (flax oil) is linseed oil with metallic drying agents added. It dries hard (or somewhat hard) like a varnish. It was one of the main ingredients in many old time varnishes. It's still used in some varnishes and paints. I like it because it fills the pores of the wood, looks good, darkens as it ages and partially waterproofs the wood. It's a nice antique oil finish on many woods.

The downsides are--it'll make a gummy mess if you get it on other finishes and don't clean it up. It'll make a mess of the fingerboard if you don't clean up all the excess before it starts to dry. You have to clean it off the tops of the frets before it starts to dry. It takes about 24 hours to dry before you can use it.

Used properly on dark fingerboard woods I like it a lot.

[WDfusion]

I have a friend who does a lot of setup and he said the other day he was given an old guitar that was past down from the person's grandma or summin. Anyway, the fretboard was soo dry he could't believe it but he said after about 2-3 lem oil coatings it got back to normal! Check you are applying it, waiting a minute and then scrubbing it in real hard and it might be ok.

IMO, lemon oil is great and i've been told by many pro techs that it doesnt affect your fretboard whatsoever.

[Figjam]

Make sure yours does not have a drying agent.

[saxnbass]

I use Dunlop:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Kit?sku=425271

Lemon Oil can sometimes dry out, you shouldn't use it to try and oil the fretboard. You should use it to clean it.

[NKUSigEp]

I skipped through most of this thread so I don't know if anyone's mentioned it but Old English lemon oil furniture polish. It's amazing how great this stuff is for fretboards. Mine all look amazing - and the jazz bass I've had for 7 years!

PS - I use it in lieu of wax on my Thumb bass as well for the whole body. In the year that I've had it, the wood hasn't dried out or cracked or anything like that. It's amazing. Cheap too!

Say what you want, I'm just speaking from years of personal experience.

[joegeezer]

This will sound really dumb to you guys, but I've tried all the various stuff, linseed oil, tung oil, and the like. They all dry up eventually, even linseed oil will dry up and harden, and the fretboard will dry out again. What I have tried now and use, is an oil that doesn't go bad, doesn'tdry out, doesn't hurt wood at all. Bear Oil The finest rendering of bear grease is the bear oil. The only oil that is finer, is Whale Oil, but is extremely hard to find, and very expensive. It's what all the oldtimers used on their fine wood items in the old days. Call me nuts, but it works great. Makes your boots water proof, and dogs, leave you alone too. Fact.

[McHack]

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I skipped through most of this thread so I don't know if anyone's mentioned it but Old English lemon oil furniture polish. It's amazing how great this stuff is for fretboards. Mine all look amazing - and the jazz bass I've had for 7 years!

PS - I use it in lieu of wax on my Thumb bass as well for the whole body. In the year that I've had it, the wood hasn't dried out or cracked or anything like that. It's amazing. Cheap too!

Say what you want, I'm just speaking from years of personal experience.

Word... Old English Lemon Oil keeps things NICE! And it IS available in your local grocery store in the furniture polish section.

[soniq]

Holloway House Lemon Oil user here...quite similar to Old English.

[Greenman]

Clean the fretboard with naptha to remove crud. for a dry board apply a coat of raw linseed oil and see how long it takes to dry. If it dries quickly or soaks in easily, apply another coat. If it keeps soaking in, keep feeding it. Once it takes longer to soak in stop. Let it sit a couple of days to dry. Clean again with naptha and apply two or three drops of boiled linseed oil (or double boiled if you can find it) and work in with the heat from rubbing untill dry. Polish with a soft rag. Done.
This will take maybe three or four days but you will like the feal. Now every time you have your strings off clean with naptha and apply boiled oil only. (two or three more drops)

[62bass]

Originally Posted by joegeezer

This will sound really dumb to you guys, but I've tried all the various stuff, linseed oil, tung oil, and the like. They all dry up eventually, even linseed oil will dry up and harden, and the fretboard will dry out again. What I have tried now and use, is an oil that doesn't go bad, doesn'tdry out, doesn't hurt wood at all. Bear Oil The finest rendering of bear grease is the bear oil. The only oil that is finer, is Whale Oil, but is extremely hard to find, and very expensive. It's what all the oldtimers used on their fine wood items in the old days. Call me nuts, but it works great. Makes your boots water proof, and dogs, leave you alone too. Fact.

Yes, my dad used a bear oil, called Neatesfoot Oil on his work boots and hunting boots. They smelled terrible but stayed waterproof. I don't know if I'd put it on a fingerboard though. I doubt it would hurt anything.

Old English Lemon oil is mostly mineral oil with a lemon scent and a bit of dye for colour. It works fine too.

[lefty007]

Man, this is like a potato salad recipe: everybody has a slightly different version.

[iriegnome]

I have been using Trombone Valve oil on my rosewood fretboards since the mid-80's. They are like brand new. A little steel wool to clean, a dry cloth wipe down and a drop or so in each fret space. I rub it in like hand lotion and let it sit for a couple of minutes to allow it to soak in. Then I take that clean dry cloth and rub the fret board down to get the rest of the oil off and to help it into the board. My fretboards are in fantastic condition and I do not use anything other than the Valve Oil.

[202dy]

You are right. Everyone does have a different version. Most of the pros use boiled linseed oil. That said, there are enough exceptions to that rule that it isn't a rule. Dan Erlewine suggests lemon oil in his Guitar Player Repair Guide. Lemon oil is mineral oil with some lemon scent meaning that it has nothing to do with lemons other than the odor. Some swear by neatsfoot oil. (Thanks 62bass. I didn't know it was a bear oil. We've used it on leather boots for decades.) Others suggest tung oil. An instructor at college used vegetable oil-a very bad idea because vegetable oil contains fats that will become rancid as they break down. Some use tru-oil which is an oil used on gun stocks. Not sure what its composition is.

I like boiled linseed oil because the fingerboard stays darker longer. A neck treated with lemon oil seems to look dry and untreated in a short period of time.

Don't oil too often. Over oiled boards tend to have punky fret slots. They can be a real nasty chore to refret. The bottom line is use what makes you happy and what makes your bass happy.

[bikeplate]

HI

All the luthiers I know would never use lemon oil. Horrible. Boiled linseed oil

Rob

[ibnzneksrul]

I've been using Planet Waves Hydrate.

Don't know what's in it, but it seems to be a nice conditioner for dry rosewood. No residue that I could see or feel.

[62bass]

I believe Tru oil is linseed oil based. If using linseed oil, remember--regular linseed oil will not dry and will make a mess. Boiled linseed oil is the one to use. In the old days they used to heat the linseed oil up to very high temperatures. Then when cooled down and applied it would dry. These days they don't boil the boiled linseed oil. They add metallic drying agents to do the same thing.

Boiled linseed oil is quite thick at room temperature. If applying it to wood as a method of bringing out the qrain I heat it up to about the temperature of a hot cup of coffee and wipe it on. It penetrates faster that way. It also dries faster so you have to work quicker.

Linseed oil will darken the wood (one of the reasons I like it) and also will darken even more with age. i did a pine table with it about 10 years ago. It has a beautiful nut brown colour now. I soaked in several coats of heated boiled linseed oil, wiped off the excess, let it dry for a couple days, then varnished it. If you put it on a fingerboard, get all the excess off and remove it from the frets before it starts to set up.

Vegetable and plant oils have been used for thousands of years as a wood finish. They're still used in paint and varnishes to add flexibility to the cured finish.