Tung Oil Finish Question

[RETROROD]

I have a couple of questions for those of you that have used Tung Oil on struments finishes, please.

Is TO a suitable finish for a raw mahogony neck? If so, would it be best to use grain-filler prior to finishing or would the coats build up fast enough (without Gr/fill) to give a smooth finish?

If so, how many coats would be necessary to accomplish a lasting finish?

I am just weighing options and thinking ahead, for a change...Ha!

Rod

[RETROROD]

Gotcha! When asking my original question, I was equating pure tung oil as a "better version" of Tru Oil. Now through education I understand the difference. Tru Oil being a 'polymerized type' of tung oil...correct?

It is always a great thing when I have a "meeting of my mind"....;-)

[Andrew]

Tru oil has polymerized tung oil and/or boiled linseed oil, as well as some varnish, as well as thinners to keep things to a workable consistency, so youre half correct I think (Ive done no formal research, this would be a very brief summation of what Ive read). To look at it in basic terms, you have pure or 'raw' drying oils (tung, linseed, and a few others), then you have polymerized drying oils, which are heat treated to encourage faster drying and better film building characteristis and then thinned back to a workable consistency, and then you have varnish oils (Tru Oil) where varnish resins are added to the polymerized oil to further augment the characteristics of the film that's created.

[Robbie Collins]

I used Tru-Oil on a ebony fretboard I converted to fretless. Two coats wiped on and it dried glossy. I took it to satin with 0000 steel wool.

Also, I wiped 2-lb cut shellac onto a dyed mahogany body and finished with steel wool and it's beautiful. Not as durable as Tru-Oil but a nice finish.

[William F.Eden]

Retrorod have you ever tryed puting four coats of thin C.A on a neck??? IT will give you a very fast working neck.I have done a few of them this way and the players seem to like it very much.And you get a good hard finish out of it as well .But it will not change the coulor of the wood.If you require some coulor you need to put your coulor on first but not on bare wood.Bill...........

[Andrew]

How do you go about doing this?

[William F.Eden]

Andrew what part do you want to know about???BILL...........

[Andrew]

I guess everything after the wood prep lol.

[William F.Eden]

Well I just take a piece of 6mill plastic about 10" square and fold it into a 3" pad and put the thin C.A on that a little at a time and wipe it on the neck. Then let it dry for a 1/2 an hour or so  then put another coat on untill you build all the coats on that you want Then you just finish sand or steelwoll it just like you would do with Laquer.  Be shure that you have lots of fresh air and a very good mask  as this stuff is not good for your health....Bill..........