Sanding out scratches AFTER starting Tru-Oil?

[swagbotbilly]

Just did my second coat of Tru-Oil. Putting it on pretty light - dropping it onto the body relatively liberally and then rubbing it it with a cloth. It is soaking up pretty good, by the time I finish the whole thing it's already dry to the touch.

I noticed some scratches on the arm contour where it looks like I carelessly sanded across the grain.

What is the best technique to go back and fix these, if any? And by that I mean, can I just go back and sand this one area? Or would I realistically need to go back over the whole body? I know folks talk about "burning through" the TO...

I probably **could** leave them, but I'm hoping that since I'm so early in the finishing process, and I'm really just going for an unfinished finished look, it might be worth going back and fixing.

Thanks!

 

[MonetBass]

Yes, you could just sand that area where the scratches are, then add two coats of the Tru Oil back. And would recommend putting the oil on a lint-free cloth to apply to the body. You'll get more consistent results that way.

 

[swagbotbilly]

Yes, you could just sand that area where the scratches are, then add two coats of the Tru Oil back. And would recommend putting the oil on a lint-free cloth to apply to the body. You'll get more consistent results that way.

Perfect. I will do that then.

In terms of lint-free cloths, I washed some old t-shirt rags, as I've seen some do, but do you have any recommendations?

 

[MonetBass]

Perfect. I will do that then.

In terms of lint-free cloths, I washed some old t-shirt rags, as I've seen some do, but do you have any recommendations?

That's perfect. It's what I used on the guitar I built in 2020.

 

[swagbotbilly]

Great! I had been wiping it down with mineral spirits after sanding as well. Any issues with the Tru-Oil? I also have some naptha

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Great! I had been wiping it down with mineral spirits after sanding as well. Any issues with the Tru-Oil? I also have some naptha

The main thing to know about Tru-Oil is: Don't put on too many coats, too thick, too fast....or it can take months to fully cure. Wipe on a thin coat per day, and you are okay.

Also, if you are doing a basic Tru-Oil style finish, it's a good idea to wipe the whole thing with one coat first, let it dry overnight, then do a real good inspection. The amber tint of the Tru-Oil will go down into any deep scratches and make them stand out. That's the time to go over the whole thing carefully and sand out any scratches and tool marks. Before you put on any more coats. The more coats you put on, the harder it will be to sand spots and then get the tint to match.

 

[swagbotbilly]

The main thing to know about Tru-Oil is: Don't put on too many coats, too thick, too fast....or it can take months to fully cure. Wipe on a thin coat per day, and you are okay.

Yep - this is the plan!

 

[Pocket4]

Related to this - I have a maple fretboard and plan a 3rd try to reduce scratches in the Tru Oil finish. The thing about this is inevitable scratch lines running across in between the frets. I have a pack of finger width micro sanding pads when I get the urge. Rather not apply any more coats. Anyone have a good solution for this?

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Just did my second coat of Tru-Oil. Putting it on pretty light - dropping it onto the body relatively liberally and then rubbing it it with a cloth. It is soaking up pretty good, by the time I finish the whole thing it's already dry to the touch.

I noticed some scratches on the arm contour where it looks like I carelessly sanded across the grain.

What is the best technique to go back and fix these, if any? And by that I mean, can I just go back and sand this one area? Or would I realistically need to go back over the whole body? I know folks talk about "burning through" the TO...

I probably **could** leave them, but I'm hoping that since I'm so early in the finishing process, and I'm really just going for an unfinished finished look, it might be worth going back and fixing.

Thanks!

Sand them out.

The good thing about oil finishes is that they're very thin, and you can keep doing as many coats as you want. Then, you can very easily just knock them back down and start over from scratch anytime you want.

 

[rudy4444]

Perfect. I will do that then.

In terms of lint-free cloths, I washed some old t-shirt rags, as I've seen some do, but do you have any recommendations?

I make up "fads", which are similar to the pads used for French polishing. A couple of small squares of tee material and a rubber band makes a quick throw away applicator for each new coat. The details are in step #110 at THIS link in my build topic.