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Tru-oil?

B

bobostein

Jun 5, 2009
211
5
#1
How hard is it to apply tru-oil? Is it sticky or is it a good idea to put some on the neck? Can I just rub it on the fret board and frets or do I want to do each space between the frets one by one and not get any on the frets? Sorry for all the Qs but this will be my first time putting a finish on a bass :)
 
#4
You DO NOT - DO NOT - want to apply Tru-Oil or any linseed-based product on a fretboard. if you do a bit of research on TB and other forums, you will find that people use many different kinds of products, but most of them haven't done 30 seconds' research on the product they use. Linseed oil eventually seals the surface, and over a period of many years, oxidizes and darkens. It is NOT suitable for periodic treatments of fretboards.

Start by reading this thread, which is active on TB now:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614490.

My personal take is that on the very, very rare occasion (once very few years) when oiling a fretboard might be desirable, Fret Doctor is the best choice. It is formulated for that specific purpose, contains no petroleum or linseed oils, and is a pure vegetable oil formulation.

I also suggest that if the fretboard has no problems and seems to be retaining its original color, it doesn't need to be oiled.

The fretboard on my 1963 P has never been oiled and is holding up fine.
 
#9
bobostein said:
How hard is it to apply tru-oil? Is it sticky or is it a good idea to put some on the neck? Can I just rub it on the fret board and frets or do I want to do each space between the frets one by one and not get any on the frets? Sorry for all the Qs but this will be my first time putting a finish on a bass :)
Click to expand...

Are you talking about periodic maintenance, or finishing a new neck?

If you're looking for periodic maintenance on a rosewood (or other) neck, then Tru-oil is definitely the wrong product. It would pretty much ruin a rosewood or ebony fretboard.

But if you're talking about finishing a a new maple neck, then Tru-Oil can be a great finish. There's a ton of information here:

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/

Many, many threads on Tru-Oil. Just do a search. Also check out "Houndog's Tru Oil finish" in the FAQ section. I've used it on a maple/rosewood guitar neck (NOT on the rosewood) and a maple/maple bass neck. Great stuff.

And, to answer your question, when used as a finish on raw necks, it is easy to apply.
 
#11
Hmmm. Well, I shouldn't have said that Tru-Oil will ruin a rosewood neck. It would ruin it for me.

Tru-Oil is a sealer (like linseed oil or tung oil) and will "finish" (seal and harden) the wood. This is not what I, personally, want for my rosewood fretboards, I like to use bore oil to prevent drying and (the possibility of) cracking. But I would never want to seal the rosewood.

So, to each his own. I love Tru-Oil as a finish, but I don't like to seal or finish my rosewood or ebony boards.
 
#12
jworrellbass said:
You won't hurt any of your frets if you put oil on them. I use cheese cloth or polishing rags to apply oil. Just follow the directions.
Click to expand...

Preach on Brother John!

Pilgrim said:
You DO NOT - DO NOT - want to apply Tru-Oil or any linseed-based product on a fretboard. if you do a bit of research on TB and other forums, you will find that people use many different kinds of products, but most of them haven't done 30 seconds' research on the product they use. Linseed oil eventually seals the surface, and over a period of many years, oxidizes and darkens. It is NOT suitable for periodic treatments of fretboards.

Start by reading this thread, which is active on TB now:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614490.

My personal take is that on the very, very rare occasion (once very few years) when oiling a fretboard might be desirable, Fret Doctor is the best choice. It is formulated for that specific purpose, contains no petroleum or linseed oils, and is a pure vegetable oil formulation.

I also suggest that if the fretboard has no problems and seems to be retaining its original color, it doesn't need to be oiled.

The fretboard on my 1963 P has never been oiled and is holding up fine.
Click to expand...

There are way too many things wrong in this statement for me to know where to begin.

jworrellbass said:
Oil Does Not penetrate into the wood.
Click to expand...

PREACH ON BROTHER JOHN!!

standupright said:
where does it go?
Click to expand...

Oils sit on top. Think of it like putting sand on a concrete surface. The smaller sands (oils) fall further into the concrete (wood).

Rocky said:
This may be a stupid question, but doesn't vegetable oil rot?
Click to expand...

It can rancidify if the oxidation goes wild. Citric acid would help slow the oxidation into a better coating. You could buy citric and add it or just go with lemon, orange, or even lime oils that already have it.

Fletcher Munson said:
...will "finish" (seal and harden) the wood.
Click to expand...

:Headsmack!
 
#16
I was trying to be helpful. I've used Tru-Oil in the past, and I find that it gives a nice hard-shell finish when multiple coats are applied. I can't speak to the effect of single coats, but most of the information I have found online which seems authoritative discourages the use of linseed oil products on fretboards.

I think Tru-Oil would be a good finish for any wood surface on which a hard shell is desired, such as a firearm stock, a solid body instrument, or perhaps a maple fretboard - which I hadn't thought about before the post in the thread above. I do not personally consider it an appropriate finish for a rosewood fretboard, and there is a considerable body of opinion which agrees with my stance. I am considering it for the body of a bass I'm working on, but I won't use it on the fretboard. Others may well disagree, but that's my stance.

If readers believe that oil does not penetrate into wood (such as a rosewood fretboard), then I encourage them to do more reading and research online, including examining the micro-photo online at: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. A Google search using the character string "does oil penetrate wood" will reveal numerous websites which contain clear references to oil penetrating wood. I leave the rest to the reader's judgment.
 
#17
Pilgrim said:
If readers believe that oil does not penetrate into wood (such as a rosewood fretboard), then I encourage them to do more reading and research online, including examining the micro-photo online at: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. A Google search using the character string "does oil penetrate wood" will reveal numerous websites which contain clear references to oil penetrating wood. I leave the rest to the reader's judgment.
Click to expand...

Are you referencing the sales pitch? Have you seen the cross section micrographs of the cells?
 
#18
Most of that page is indeed a sales pitch, but I found the photo quite illustrative, although the stated penetration illustrated is 30mm (1.18 inches) which seems like a lot. I'm wondering about that.

My belief based on research I have done today and 40-odd years of working with wood and using oil finishes is that some formulations of oil do indeed penetrate wood. I do not agree with blanket assertions to the contrary.
 

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