lacquer vs. oil

stringplayer · #1 03-10-2008, 08:29 AM

with what will I become the nicest figure in the wood ?

oil or lacquer?

i'm useing walnut and mahogany(top) for the body
birdseye maple en purplehart for the neck
paraju for the fretboard

greatings!!

joeyl · #2 03-10-2008, 08:36 AM

with a lot of dieting you will have the nicest figure in the woods, but nobody will see you

oil and lacquer will both give great results, oil will just take more time to apply for a good build up, and may require a little more care with cleaning and such.

stringplayer · #3 03-10-2008, 08:49 AM

isn't lacqeuring a lot more work than putting oil on?

sorry for my bad spelling...

joeyl · #4 03-10-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stringplayer

isn't lacqeuring a lot more work than putting oil on?

sorry for my bad spelling...

I agree, proper prepping is longer with lacquer, you have to grain fill, sand, spray sealer and then start spraying lacquer, however mahogany will drink the oil and you will have to do multiple coats over a few days.

lovemybasses · #5 03-10-2008, 09:21 AM

and will have heaviest bass in the world

stringplayer · #6 03-10-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovemybasses

and will have heaviest bass in the world

because of the oil?

lovemybasses · #7 03-10-2008, 09:43 AM

mahagony! and full of oil!!!!

stringplayer · #8 03-10-2008, 09:47 AM

the mahagony is only for the top
the body itself is made out of walnut

so for the weight its better to use lacquer?

**Rodent** · #9 03-10-2008, 09:58 AM

the relatively small amount of finish will have no significant impact on overall weight.

if you were to soak your bass body in a tub of either finish I'm sure it would add a measurable amount of weight - but that's not how it's applied

choose a finish that works best with the woods it's applied to, works best for the kind of care you will give it in the future, and works best for what you are capable of applying correctly

all the best,

R

Al Heeley · #10 03-10-2008, 09:58 AM

in sig nif i cant.
You may be looking at the difference between a few ounces and few more ounces. Eat salad twice a week instead of cheeseburger, there's much more weight shod than you'll ever notice with a bass round your neck.

Liko · #11 03-10-2008, 10:07 AM

Oil generally brings out figuring more than lacquer. Lacquer is a surface coat that is sprayed on, while oil is rubbed in. Think of oil as a very light stain in that regard.

If you're really looking for figure, get a true stain. Stewmac will have the bright colored stains like red, green, blue, yellow, purple, etc, while any "nude furniture" or home improvement store will be able to sell you more natural wood tone stains like walnut, teak, etc. Follow the directions, rub it on, let it sit, then rub it off. PRACTICE ON SCRAP WOOD FIRST! There's an art to staining, and it'd be heartbreaking to screw up your project baby with an uneven, swirled or otherwise imperfect staining job.

stringplayer · #12 03-10-2008, 10:18 AM

I think I'm going to use rustin danish oil.

i like the light colour of maple, with danish oil isn't the maple going darken to much? and can i also use this oil for the fretboard?

joeyl · #13 03-10-2008, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liko

PRACTICE ON SCRAP WOOD FIRST! There's an art to staining, and it'd be heartbreaking to screw up your project baby with an uneven, swirled or otherwise imperfect staining job.

good advice, however you can claim goof-ups to have been done on purpose and are part of "the art"

waseok · #14 03-10-2008, 10:35 AM

yeah, because of the oil? does it suck so much oil in to it? o.O

makaky · #15 03-10-2008, 10:43 AM

A long time ago, i sanded a Pbass and finished it with Danish oil. It looked very nice. The down side is the brightness of the bass was gone forever. I had to sell it to some blues player who liked the flat tone.

**Rodent** · #16 03-10-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makaky

A long time ago, i sanded a Pbass and finished it with Danish oil. It looked very nice. The down side is the brightness of the bass was gone forever. I had to sell it to some blues player who liked the flat tone.

just the opposite of what most people who claim to hear a difference report (i.e. most say that a poly spray finish deadens the resonance)

me thinks you simply needed to adjust your pickup height properly

all the best,

R

joeyl · #17 03-10-2008, 11:38 AM

well Wilser says that the poly finish does not let the bass breathe

I kidd.. I kidd (Triumph the insult dog)

stringplayer · #18 03-10-2008, 11:44 AM

i just found somebody who would like to lacquer my bass body and neck

he studies those things at school...

but now he asked me what he has to use for pore filling and what kinda lacquer

maybe you guys can help?

**Rodent** · #19 03-10-2008, 11:45 AM

I suggest you point your browser over to reranch.com and spend time reading the multiple articles on DIY finishing with Nitro

http://www.reranch.com

all the best,

R

joeyl · #20 03-10-2008, 11:48 AM

I would use an oil-based filler such as Bartley's, and then finish with nitrocellulose cans by Behlen or Minwax, cheap and effective. I usually use oil based fillers because it is easier to move around before it dries.
I have been eyeing buying my future supplies at rockler.com, they seem to have good prices on what I need.