Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jantan ux on August 2, 2012 at 9:13pm

Danish oil is made of  Polymerized Linseed oil  or Tung oil.  

I'm going to use china wood oil aka tung oil.   Tung oil is best. Thats what I have read.

Many other varnishes don't dry hard and worst ones stay sticky.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on August 3, 2012 at 9:06am

I love Danish oil. As The Kid says, a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. I think a quart is more than enough for a lifetime of necks (for the average builder at least) so per neck, not very much at all and it is very easy to work with and leaves a nice semi matte finish that feels great and does not stick to your hands. Speaking of sticking to your hands and stuff, I can see me turning the several tubes of crazy glue technique into an embarrassing trip to the emergency room! " Don't forget the gloves" Hah, cracks me up!!

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on August 3, 2012 at 9:17am

p.s I apply the oil after doing any gluing to the neck, like fingerboards and nuts since the glue will not stick to oil (unless maybe it's crazy glue then I don't know, it sure sticks well to skin!)

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Permalink Reply by Dave on August 3, 2012 at 2:01pm

Tru-Oil is the greatest, for maple necks and other woods that need a hard, glossy surface. And it is cheap and easy to use. It's technically a varnish, I believe.

For rosewood and ebony fingerboards, plain old mineral oil (what mom gave you to make you poop) is all you need. Wipe it on, let it sit, wipe it off. Repeat as desired, although you don't really have to.

Two cheap products that work really well!

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Permalink Reply by Nobby 1974 on August 12, 2012 at 11:52pm

I use Mylands pale shellac basecoat on necks:

http://www.mylands.co.uk/p-293-2000-pale-shellac-sealer-basecoat.aspx

I apply a thin coat with a soft brush or cloth, wait 20 minutes on a warm day, rub back firmly with fine wire wool, then reapply, wait another 20 minutes, more wire wool rubbing, add another thin coat, and repeat. Three coats should do, but you can do more. It fills grain well and polishes up beautifully with some beeswax and feels silky smooth and sort of warm... unlike spray laquers/acrylic and the like, which I find can be a bit 'sticky' even when dry.

I've also used tru-oil on headstocks and bodies. That stuff is brilliant but takes more work than the shellac base I find.

For ebony and rosewood fingerboards (in fact probably any dark wood), plus +1 for mineral oil or, if you are feeling fancy, get yourself some lemon oil

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Permalink Reply by Mark Mowatt-Wilson on October 19, 2012 at 10:34pm

Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll try a Tru-oil finish to  begin with.  

I've been bitten by the Cbg bug,  it won't be my last build! There will be plenty of  opportunity to try a few of the suggestions!  

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Permalink Reply by G.S.Monroe on October 26, 2012 at 4:29pm

This just might sound crazy, but one of my favorite finishes is very old school... ancient even. It brings out the color of the wood very well. It leaves a satin finish (non-glossy), and is silky smooth for fast necks. even when I use the tung oil, I will do this with the finger boards after the fretwork.  The method? hand rubbed virgin olive oil. buff it into the wood with fine steel wool. rub it in "wet" and use a dry cloth to wipe off the excess. First you use 400 grit to smooth the wood, then apply the olive oil liberally over the wood... let it soak in good, and buff in small circles with the fine steel wool. Try it once on a scrap piece of wood and see if you like the results.

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on October 26, 2012 at 9:19pm

This is a common topic on CBN. Here are a few links to other threads on this topic...

1. What finish should I use on box with both paper and wood?
2. Neck and fingerboard finishes
3. CBG Underground Finishing Tips & Tricks
4. Favorite method of wood finishing?
5. Seal the wood

Probably can find more info by using the CBN search feature in the upper right corner of each CBN web page.

-Rand.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on October 28, 2012 at 12:31am

I don't like to put a finish on a fingerboard.This one is sanded then polished using nylon net fabric

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Permalink Reply by Mark Mowatt-Wilson on November 23, 2012 at 12:05am

Nicely finished !

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Permalink Reply by Roger Franklin Weston on October 31, 2012 at 7:18am

I use a light brushed coat of varnish to seal the grain of the fingerboard, applied once the slots for the frets have been cut but before the frets have been fitted. Once dry, lightly sand the fretboard, then fit the frets. Once the cbg is finished but minus the strings, apply 4 or 5 coats of beeswax buffed to a shine between each application. I finish the rest of the cbg with 4 or 5 thin coats of varnish.

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Permalink Reply by Robert John Spotti on November 23, 2012 at 1:33am

I sand and then use 0000 grade steel wool apply my frets then apply lemon oil. I do several passes let it dry and repeat it until  it s not being absorbed as quickly generally at least four times.What I like best about the lemon oil is there is no build up and can be repeated as often as you wish. I like to use minwax tung oil on the backs of my necks  and boxes.

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