Show me your Tru Oil finishes!

[fourstringbliss]

I'm thinking about finishing some wood parts with Tru Oil and want to see what I might be able to achieve. Please show me any basses or bass parts (necks, knobs, etc.) that you've finished with Tru Oil.

Thanks!

[JP Morin]

look at the warwick site there some example... also some Ibanez model has oil finish...

You can have pretty good results with oil and wax but you have to give extra care than other finishes, especially at the start with the wax buildup, if you want it to be really shiny and you don't want the wood color to change...

I love and prefer oil finish as it's way more natural looking with the wood... less plastic looks... it worth the extra care for me

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by JP Morin

look at the warwick site there some example... also some Ibanez model has oil finish...

You can have pretty good results with oil and wax but you have to give extra care than other finishes, especially at the start with the wax buildup, if you want it to be really shiny and you don't want the wood color to change...

I love and prefer oil finish as it's way more natural looking with the wood... less plastic looks... it worth the extra care for me

Thanks! I was planning on putting on three oil coats, then buffing with #000 steel wool, then three more coats, etc. until I had about 9 coats on. What kind of wax would I put on after that?

[RandyMolson]

I think JPM was talking about a rubbed oil finish, not Tru Oil.

Here is a neck that I recently stripped bare and refinished with Tru Oil. I added coats until it matched the original 30+ year old finish on the back of the headstock. I would guess around 20 coats went on it until it was dark enough to match to old finish.

Can't be too aggressive with the intermediate sandings. Do it just enough to keep it smooth or you be sanding away all your progress.

You need to dry it in a clean-room environment. Can't just set it out to dry because dust will settle and rough up the finish. I put my necks inside a section of 4" PVC with the ends sealed off with plastic bag & rubber bands.

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by RandyMolson

I think JPM was talking about a rubbed oil finish, not Tru Oil.

Here is a neck that I recently stripped bare and refinished with Tru Oil. I added coats until it matched the original 30+ year old finish on the back of the headstock. I would guess around 20 coats went on it until it was dark enough to match to old finish.

Can't be too aggressive with the intermediate sandings. Do it just enough to keep it smooth or you be sanding away all your progress.

You need to dry it in a clean-room environment. Can't just set it out to dry because dust will settle and rough up the finish. I put my necks inside a section of 4" PVC with the ends sealed off with plastic bag & rubber bands.

Nice SD Curlee! I have an old one from the first series and it has a bad truss rod design, which I'll be fixing soon.

We have a local luthier in MKE who went from sweeping the floors at SD Curlee to being the production manager and he told me they originally used tung oil but your choice may actually be better. Any shots of the front?

[RandyMolson]

Sure, I did a thread on that Curlee resto.

SD Curlee Restoration

[tbonesullivan]

Just go look for pictures of MusicMan basses and guitars. The "hand rubbed gunstock oil and wax blend" is Tru-Oil followed by Birchwood Casey gun stock Wax.

[Rodger Bryan]

One of the keys to achieving a consistent finish with this stuff is allowing sufficient time for the final coat to harden before doing the final buffing. If you have a glossy finish in mind, TruOil can get you there, but it takes patience, practice and a plan.

My last step was lightly buffing with high-quality 0000 steel wool, followed by a touch of wax. For more info on TruOil techniques, check out the MIMF website, register and search the library for relevant discussions. Good reading!

I used the Butchers brand wax blend.
R

[wave rider]

Check the Wishbass Club threads:
Wishbass Club Part 10 - Best Wishes

Thunderritter, 49sfine, and others have done a lot of refinishing with True-Oil and are very generous with advice. Tung oil is another good oil finish and I have one finished (by the previous owner) with Teak oil that I like a lot.

=wr=

[lowphatbass]

[HaMMerHeD]

Oiling:


Oiled:


Back:


That is 6 coats on maple, every other coat lightly sanded with 0000 steel wool. I let the final coat cure for a week and "buffed" with a cotton cloth and lemon oil.

[ampegfuzz]

I'll see what I can do from my phone
Before


After


You can even see the paper towel I used to apply it in the bottom of the second pic

[49sfine]

After struggling with hand application techniques for Tru-Oil I finally switched over to using it in their aerosol form. It's a little tricky to not get it to sag, but with practice I'm mastering it. I apply 6 or so coats of shellac first, sanding those out after each one and then apply 15 - 18 coats of Tru-Oil sanding back every 3 coat or so. After a 14 day cure time, I buff the finish and then wax it. The results can be seen in some of my Wishbasses pictured below. Personally, I would never do under 12 coats as the difference is noticable now that I have tried it so some many different ways. One can also dull the finish with #0000 steel wool for a more subdued look, but the application is the same.

[billiam5billion]

Tru-oil is super easy and it holds up like armor. This bass is gigged at least 3 times a month for almost a year and it still looks great.

[jazzbo58]

Here's mine.






Cheers,
Jim

[gaudenti]

I've got an Epi TBird with the "natural" finish. Should I do something to protect the wood, with something like Tru Oil? I want to keep the natural look; I don't want a super shiny finish. I don't mind if it gets darker, I just don't want it glossy.

Any suggestions/comments/criticisms/pictures are welcomed . . .

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by gaudenti

I've got an Epi TBird with the "natural" finish. Should I do something to protect the wood, with something like Tru Oil? I want to keep the natural look; I don't want a super shiny finish. I don't mind if it gets darker, I just don't want it glossy.

Any suggestions/comments/criticisms/pictures are welcomed . . .

I'm sure it has a satin lacquer finish - it's definitely not raw wood. You don't need to add anything to that wood at all.

[HillBillyWannaB]