• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Tru-Oil For Dummies

#21
doran.dragic said:
@Bruce Johnson would the Varethane Ultimate Water-Base Polyurethane be a good choice for a maple neck? Also does it need need to be thinned if I want to wipe it on? How many coats would you recommend?
Click to expand...

Yes! Varathane Ultimate is an excellent finish for maple necks. It can be wiped on, just like Tru-Oil, right out of the can. No thinning needing. How many coats to put on depends what type of finish you want. For an "oil" style barely-there finish, one or two coats followed by light scrubbing with #0000 steel wool. For a thicker gloss finish, maybe 4-6 wiped on coats with some gentle level sanding between coats to see when it's fully filled and smooth. Then buff it up to a full gloss.

One warning: Varathane Ultimate is completely clear; it does not have any built-in amber tint like Tru-Oil and most oil-base finishes. If you put it on plain white maple, it will remain plain white. Most people like some tint on maple. If you want a tint of amber (or any other color) you have to add it to Varathane Ultimate.

If you want a nice warm amber tint, like what Tru-Oil does, and don't want to mess around with adding tints yourself, then I recommend using Minwax's Oil-Enhanced Water-Base polyurethane. Same easy application as Varathane Ultimate, but the oil-finish look is built in. It dries hard in a few hours, can be put on thin or built up and polished to a high gloss.
 
  • Like
Reactions: John_Nicholas and doran.dragic
#23
rwkeating said:
How easy is it to repair a Minwax Oil-Enhanced Water-Base Polyurethane finish? Is it as simple as applying more or are there particular steps that need to be taken?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can repair it easily by just adding more coats. If it's been on there for a while, it's a good idea to clean it carefully and scuff the surface lightly with 1000 grit soft pads (like Mirka Abralon), to make sure you get a good bond.

And remember that the Minwax does have an amber tint, so if you just touch up an area, that area will get darker. To keep the shade even, it's best to wipe the whole thing. Like you'd do with Tru-Oil.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rwkeating
#26
Just one coat of tru oil, then a coat of gun stock wax. Not sure how it will hold up but looks and feels great.
IMG_3303.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: MonetBass, 2saddleslab, Gilmourisgod and 3 others
#27
Zombie Thread! One thing I picked up someplace on TB that has worked really well with both Tru Oil and wipe on poly:

Go to any drugstore like CVS, Walgreens's, etc, or just any store that has a cosmetics section, and buy a bag of the foam makeup applicators. They come in different shapes, I like the ones about the size of a silver dollar, but they have all kinds, including wedge shapes for getting into tight corners. They are like the worlds finest foam brushes, and as you'd expect for something women use on their face, leave no brush marks whatsoever. You can control how much finish lays down by how hard you press, they just work incredibly well. I do the whole bass in overlapping strokes, let it self-level for a minute, and then gove over it wirh the grain one more time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beej and Zooberwerx
#28
Gilmourisgod said:
Zombie Thread! One thing I picked up someplace on TB that has worked really well with both Tru Oil and wipe on poly:

Go to any drugstore like CVS, Walgreens's, etc, or just any store that has a cosmetics section, and buy a bag of the foam makeup applicators. They come in different shapes, I like the ones about the size of a silver dollar, but they have all kinds, including wedge shapes for getting into tight corners. They are like the worlds finest foam brushes, and as you'd expect for something women use on their face, leave no brush marks whatsoever. You can control how much finish lays down by how hard you press, they just work incredibly well. I do the whole bass in overlapping strokes, let it self-level for a minute, and then gove over it wirh the grain one more time.
Click to expand...

Been a while since I've finished anything but I always did the application and rub-in with 2 fingertips.

Riis
 
#31
Gilmourisgod said:
Zombie Thread! One thing I picked up someplace on TB that has worked really well with both Tru Oil and wipe on poly:

Go to any drugstore like CVS, Walgreens's, etc, or just any store that has a cosmetics section, and buy a bag of the foam makeup applicators. They come in different shapes, I like the ones about the size of a silver dollar, but they have all kinds, including wedge shapes for getting into tight corners. They are like the worlds finest foam brushes, and as you'd expect for something women use on their face, leave no brush marks whatsoever. You can control how much finish lays down by how hard you press, they just work incredibly well. I do the whole bass in overlapping strokes, let it self-level for a minute, and then gove over it wirh the grain one more time.
Click to expand...
For cleaning and buffing frets I like the rectangular fingernail buffer blocks. They come in a few different shapes. I don't remember what fret erasers
cost but I get fingernail buffers at the dollar store. Now the 1.25 dollar store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beej and Gilmourisgod

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back