Noob Re-finish question.

[Kennethfaria]

So i was oiling up my fretless Brice HXB 405, the other day. And i accidentally got a bit of oil on the body. I looked at it and i have to say, It looked GREAT! Really brought out the "dimension" (if thats the right word) of the wood. Its a Bubinga "top". Unfortunately after a few minutes it dried and went back to do matte/satin finish.

If i somewhat sanded this down, with fine grit sand paper, and applied Tung oil would the "brilliance" of the wood come out more?
And is this even possible?

Thanks.
Ken

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

So i was oiling up my fretless Brice HXB 405, the other day. And i accidentally got a bit of oil on the body. I looked at it and i have to say, It looked GREAT! Really brought out the "dimension" (if thats the right word) of the wood. Its a Bubinga "top". Unfortunately after a few minutes it dried and went back to do matte/satin finish.

If i somewhat sanded this down, with fine grit sand paper, and applied Tung oil would the "brilliance" of the wood come out more?
And is this even possible?

Thanks.
Ken

Yes, if you do it right with the right products. There have been countless threads about that. Better read up before you start or you could wind up with a mess.

[Al Heeley]

You'll get a good level of gloss with repeated (eg: 6 or more) very thin coats of tru-oil rubbed in and sanded once dry with really fine grit paper. Allow final coat to dry a few days then use fine automotive cutting compound to buff up and finally a good quality hard furniture wax.

[Kennethfaria]

Hey even if it is a photo finish/veneer!? thats great!


would tung oil be fine? i have a full can of it downstairs.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

Hey even if it is a photo finish/veneer!? thats great!


would tung oil be fine? i have a full can of it downstairs.

If it's photo finish veneer then no, don't use an oil finish like tung oil. You could put a coat of clear gloss varnish over the top which might make it look a bit deeper because of the gloss versus the matte finish. The easiest to work with is Minwax Wipe On Poly, which like the name suggests, you wipe on. It's put on with a cloth or paper towel in thin coats until you get the desired look. You'd have to thoroughly clean the bass first. I'd wash it down first with some dish soap and water then a good cleaning with naptha.

Minwax Wipe On Poly is easily available (Home Depot, etc.) and costs about $19 for a quart which is way more than you need.

[Kennethfaria]

would i need to sand first or just thoroughly clean?

I think i have some of that downstairs Its either Varnish or poly. would furniture varnish work the same or poly would be my best bet. Just asking all the questions before i make a mess.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

would i need to sand first or just thoroughly clean?

I think i have some of that downstairs Its either Varnish or poly. would furniture varnish work the same or poly would be my best bet. Just asking all the questions before i make a mess.

I'd be cautious of sanding as that veneer is very thin although sanding does help adhesion. Since it's a matte finish I think the poly will stick well if it's clean.

I recommend the wipe on poly because it's been thinned out just right for cloth application, it dries quickly, it's easy to find and it hardens well with a high gloss. I don't know what you have stored but I'm wary of using any old, opened Minwax poly because it may have partially cured in the can and can give poor results. Other old varnishes can be past their prime too. Some won't harden fully if too old.

Regular varnish works well too if you thin it down right and is what I use a lot, but it's harder to find the good stuff. I use it a lot because I use a lot of it and I can make it up cheaper. You can also brush it on full strength but that requires good brush work with a good brush and careful sanding between coats.

The Wipe On Poly is the easiest for a beginner to use, dries fast and pretty hard ( harder than Tru Oil or other oil/varnish blends ) and isn't all that expensive. 2 or 3 coats wiped on thin with a very light sanding (don't cut through the varnish) with 400 grit paper between coats will be enough. It comes in gloss and satin. Get the gloss.

[Kennethfaria]

ok i think I'll try it on a scap piece of wood just to get my sanding/applying technique right.

Thanks for the help, Ill update this when its done.

Ill try it with the varnish i have now, and if it doesnt work, ill get the poly.

With previous varnishing jobs, i've notice that streaks appear, and dust settles and dries. Is there anything i can do to avoid this?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

ok i think I'll try it on a scap piece of wood just to get my sanding/applying technique right.

Thanks for the help, Ill update this when its done.

Ill try it with the varnish i have now, and if it doesnt work, ill get the poly.

With previous varnishing jobs, i've notice that streaks appear, and dust settles and dries. Is there anything i can do to avoid this?

Good idea to practice first. It'll take more coats on the wood because you'll have to fill the grain with varnish whereas your bass body is impervious to the varnish. You'll also have to do more sanding to get a smooth surface.

Prevent dust by cleaning the work area well and use a varnish that dries quickly. One of the reasons I recommend the Minwax. If it's warm enough it dries to the touch in an hour. I sometimes make a cover out of cardboad to set up over a piece while it dries.

It's tough to avoid dust nibs. That's why the final coat of a traditional varnish finish is rubbed out with fine sandpaper and polishing compound. To get rid of the inevitable dust marks and get it to a mirror like shine.

I often use a very fast drying varnish from Benjamin Moore called "one hour clear varnish" It dries to the touch so fast that you don't have time to go back with your brush to correct any runs or drips so you need a good brush and very steady hands and some experience with it. It dries before any dust has a chance to settle. I often thin it with an equal amount of naptha and use it as a wipe on finish. It works great for that too. You can apply 4 coats a day, sanding lightly between coats. You can sand the first coat after 1 hour and succeeding coats after 2. Sherman Williams makes a similar product as does Zinnser.

Good luck with it.

[Kennethfaria]

thanks, Looks like ill be doing this when it warms up. Its -5 right now :P

So in order to get a good shine, i need to sand an polish with some car wax?
I don't want the thing to shine shine, I want it to look natural and vibrant.

Nonetheless, will practice before touching the bass.



While we are on the subject of refinishing.
Im using some roundwounds on my fretless, and ive noticed there are a few "ridges" showing on the board. I know there's epoxy, but i dont want to change the tone of my bass, I find it perfect for the music i play... Do i have any other options?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

thanks, Looks like ill be doing this when it warms up. Its -5 right now :P

So in order to get a good shine, i need to sand an polish with some car wax?
I don't want the thing to shine shine, I want it to look natural and vibrant.

Nonetheless, will practice before touching the bass.



While we are on the subject of refinishing.
Im using some roundwounds on my fretless, and ive noticed there are a few "ridges" showing on the board. I know there's epoxy, but i dont want to change the tone of my bass, I find it perfect for the music i play... Do i have any other options?

There have been a number of threads about various fingerboard treatments. If you do a search you'll find them.

The Wipe On Poly will dry to a gloss shine if you buy the gloss version and not the satin. You won't necessarily have to polish it out if you get a good final coat on without dust nibs and application marks. See how good a job you do and then decide. If you go with the satin version it won't be much of a change from what you already have.

[Kennethfaria]

alright. regarding the neck i've been searching but im not finding good stuff.
The reason i don;t want to use epoxy is because i like the tone i'm getting from my bass. Is there anything else i can use to make it harder? I heard some people used super glue, but i cant imagine how it would act as a finish.

[Kennethfaria]

But if i did use epoxy how much would i need? I plan on going to home depot to get some stuff tomorow, and taking care of the fretboard is more important than the body.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

But if i did use epoxy how much would i need? I plan on going to home depot to get some stuff tomorow, and taking care of the fretboard is more important than the body.

You need to get an epoxy which is made for brushing on like a varnish. Regular epoxy glue is way too thick. I used an epoxy made for coating bar tops. There was way too much in the 2 part kit. You only need a few ounces. But that was the smallest amount I could find there. Boat builders use a 2 part epoxy for laminating and coating wood. System 3, WEST, and Industrial Formulators are the ones I've seen.

Before you do it better read the threads on how it's done. It's tricky and messy and if you screw it up that epoxy is very hard to remove.

There is a bit of a change in sound. Some added high end zing.

The epoxy will slow down the wear on the board, but it itself will mark some with use. It takes several days to harden fully so once the last coat is on give it some time before playing. Epoxy is very temperature sensitive. Work in a warm room, don't mix more than you need at one time, don't get it on your skin or in your eyes. Cheap foam brushes work to apply it but fall apart quickly.

[Kennethfaria]

ok. Right now im practicing on some scrap pieces of wood, wiht some Varnish from Behr.
Im going to keep going till i get the desired shine.which im guessing will be a lot of coats.
Thin coats should do the trick right?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Kennethfaria

ok. Right now im practicing on some scrap pieces of wood, wiht some Varnish from Behr.
Im going to keep going till i get the desired shine.which im guessing will be a lot of coats.
Thin coats should do the trick right?

Yes, thin coats are better. They dry faster, don't run or sag as readily and are usually more even with less application marks. Behr varnish is pretty good stuff. As long as it's not old or contaminated with tiny dried particles or dirt from your brush it should be fine. I always pour off a usable amount of varnish into a suitable container and work from that to avoid contaminating the can of varnish. Rinse your brush out in clean paint thinner before use and shake, spin or squeeze the excess out just before starting to varnish. That will clean some dust from the brush and prevent the varnish from hardening deep in the interior of your brush and ruining it.