Finishes

[Don Summers]

It is almost finished. I want to do a less hazardous finish on my new Flying V bass with a Black Limba body and neck. In the past most of my finishes were automotive catalyzed urethane or nitro lacquer. Who can give me some tips on wipe on poly finishes? Don't care about shiny gloss and would prefer a satin look. Please

 

[Flying B]

Osmo oil will give a nice satin sheen with zero nasty fumes.

 

[Arie X]

osmo looks nice and i'll have to try it someday.

for a wipe on poly, a good choice would be minwax wb satin. dries really fast. easy peasy, minimal odors. i've done a bunch of instruments with it.

prep wood> first coat> de-nib/cut> more coats, more cutting> final coat> optional cut> wax it up for the win. victory!

 

[dwizum]

Minwax wipe on oil based satin poly is easy to use, looks good, has high durability, and cures fast. Two coats a day, gentle scuff in between, and you're done in three-ish days. It's cured enough to assemble the instrument a few days after that. You can leave it as-is or buff with paste wax to get a little more sheen.

 

[Don Summers]

The other piece of info, I always use 100% wax-free shellac on bare wood before fishing. It seals the wood very well and hardens the surface.

 

[Don Summers]

Osmo oil will give a nice satin sheen with zero nasty fumes.

Osmo oil will give a nice satin sheen with zero nasty fumes.

I love Watco Danish finish oil on furniture and I have used it on fretboards in the past. I have not used this yet but I have new can of Watco Wipe-On Poly. I will try in on some of my scrap pieces.

 

[rudy4444]

I love Watco Danish finish oil on furniture and I have used it on fretboards in the past. I have not used this yet but I have new can of Watco Wipe-On Poly. I will try in on some of my scrap pieces.

Osmo PolyX hard oil is a different class of product from either topical poly finishes or penetrating oils. You can see my description of the product and see the steps for application HERE.

 

[Arie X]

The other piece of info, I always use 100% wax-free shellac on bare wood before fishing. It seals the wood very well and hardens the surface.

a fine plan -for anything other than waterbased wipe on poly. for those, you are better off using a wash coat of the actual finish itself, or perhaps a vinyl sanding sealer.

not 100% sure, but i think minwax makes a sanding sealer for use with wb poly.

rudy4444 is a big champion of the osmo product and it looks and reads like choice stuff. sounds like a good start if you are so inclined.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I don't remember the brand (almost 20 years ago), but I used a wipe on poly gel. It was thick enough to fill the grain pores in mahogany and give a very smooth semi gloss finish on my 6 string. Not the best pics, but it gives you an idea of the finish. I've also used Tru-oil with great success.