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Oil neck finish questions

G

goodchicken

Sep 3, 2019
24
4
#1
Could certain "oil" finishes possibly need reapplying after wear?

I wonder this because I've heard Tung Oil needs reapplications over time (from wood-worker's perspective), and some necks are said to be coated with "Tung Oil". I'm using quotes there because the actual ingredients of some of these products seems to vary, so there's no real standard it seems.

Is a regular waxing the trick for maintaining those types of finishes w/o needing to reapply the oil? I don't really like that idea. Just as I don't like the idea of reapplying oils over time. I was considering trying to use some "real 100% Tung Oil", thinning with Mineral Spirits, and then seeing how that works out...just want a better idea of what I'm in for and if I should consider another finish.

I imagine the end results can depend on environment and maybe how much sweat is involved (and how much said sweat is similar to Xenomorph blood). So maybe generalizations are all we can go with here?

Also, I've heard of people making there own finish out of equal parts Mineral Spirits/Boiled Linseed Oil (or maybe a different oil?)/polyurethane. I'm guessing that would be a bit tougher of a finish than the Tung approach?

Thanks for any thoughts!
 
#4
I think it's worth pausing this thread and asking you to step back from the discussion about material choice, and tell us what properties you want in your finish, and why you want them. Then, we can talk about material and process. When you start the conversation with materials and try to work backwards to your requirements, it can get confusing.

The typical "hand rubbed" satin look that many people associate with oil finishes like tung oil or tru oil can be achieved with lots of different products. You're right that actual oil finishes can wear quickly (where "quickly" may mean years) but the other side of that coin is that you can repair them fairly invisibly, and some people like the worn-in look. Meanwhile, you could instead use a thinned poly finish rubbed on to achieve pretty much the exact same look and feel, but with more durability (at the expense of more labor intensive repairs).

In other words - the wear/repair cycle of an actual oil finish is seen as an advantage by some people (who will be happy with oil finishes) and a disadvantage by others (who might be happier with a different material, applied to give the appearance of an oil finish). So we need to know what you're really after.
 
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#5
Guzzi Toad said:
Both Linseed and Tung Oil are indeed considered Drying oils:
Linseed oil - Wikipedia
Tung oil - Wikipedia

Tru-oil is Linseed (and other natural) Oils:
Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

The difference though, of course, is that Tru-oil and other blended oil finishes have other components added to make them dry much more quickly and to a harder surface. Actual pure tung oil or pure lineseed oil can take weeks or months to fully dry. Even though they are technically drying oils, I don't think it makes sense to use them on an instrument but I guess that's just my opinion!
 
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#6
I'd agree, I used Tung oil on a few furniture projects, and on humid days they still feel faintly sticky years later. I've tried all the drying oils like Watco, haven't found anything better than Tru Oil so far. You can build it up to whatever level of gloss you want, but Watco will never get beyond satin, and it stinks for weeks. The Stewmac Fingerboard oil is also really good, it seals the wood up but doesn't leave much of a visible finish, hardens it too.
 
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#7
fwiw, occasionally i use a tung oil spar varnish that i modify with an accelerator and have converted it to a wiping varnish with a thinner. within a week it hardens up like old lacquer and passes the thumbnail test. took me about three months to get the ratios right. so, actually you can harden up a tung oil product if you want to or need to.

i agree though, i think we need more detail before jumping to the advice portion of the program.
 
#8
dwizum said:
I think it's worth pausing this thread and asking you to step back from the discussion about material choice, and tell us what properties you want in your finish, and why you want them.
Click to expand...

Very slick for that "fast" feel. Durability would be nice too, I don't want an aged look 10 years down the road, I want a still new look. I would have guessed a urethane or polyester would be the thing for that, but it seems plenty of people and some big name manufacturers use some sorts of oil finishes...so there's my curiosity.

I'm not sure if polyester would be viable, I've heard it's finicky to work with.
 
#10
Jeff Siddall said:
I used tung oil (real tung oil, but polymerized) on the last bass I finished and it is not even remotely sticky. Within days it felt as hard as a varnish. This is pure tung oil that has been thinned with mineral spirits but does not have varnish added:

Polymerized Tung Oil - Lee Valley Tools
Click to expand...

Tung oil (a drying oil), polymerizes by itself when exposed to air but LV has helped it along apparently by "heat treating" it. If legit, it could give you what you want. Test it on a sample of wood.
 
#11
This was done in 2013 with the Lee Valley Tung Oil and its still fine.
DSCF3045.JPG

I'm also just starting this one with the same oil.
IMG_6143.JPG
 
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#14
Pure tung oil, and linseed oil, are very different than "tung oil finish" products and boiled linseed oil. The former two are very difficult to use because they take weeks or months (most likely) to cure. And they stink. And the protection they provide is minimal on handled objects like a guitar. It's really helpful for discussion to state exactly what type and brand of finish you are talking about.

The Formby's tung oil finish is completely different (it's an alkyd varnish, I believe) and it's a great finish, as is Tru-Oil. They cure much faster. BLO has additives that make it much different, chemically, than pure linseed oil. It still takes days to cure, but not months.

Gilmourisgod said:
The Tung Oil I used that never quite dried was Formby's, maybe I got a bad batch? I used it over a cedar blanket chest more than 10 years ago, and on humid summer days it's STILL a little sticky!
Click to expand...

All these wiping finishes have a shorter shelf life that we want to think about. Yours may have been old, or yes, a bad batch, or maybe the chest had remnants of finish on it, or some silicone residue (like Pledge), or the cedar oil itself caused it. I've had great results with Formby's, and if I did, than anyone can.

If you can smell the finish, it's not really ready to be handled.
 
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