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danish oil, tung oil?

Newby needs some help. I've done a couple of guitars with red oak necks & fretboards. I've stained the necks then poly coats. Have only stained the fretboards.

Now, I've got a neck almost complete. It's maple with a walnut fretboard. The frets are installed already (probably a mistake).

I'm thinking Danish Oil on both first to set deep in the wood. Then something extra on the maple neck only for a satin finish, maybe poly?

I like the idea of the danish oil's finish soaking into the wood.....Looking for ideas from more experienced builders. I like the raw colors and the natural tints of the woods so I'd like to enhance the grain but I'm not looking to darken the woods. What would you do and why?

Fretboard: Lemon oil, Olive oil, Danish oil, Tung oil, tru oil?

Maple Neck: Danish oil with poly coat, Tung oil buffed a little, tru oil?

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Al LaFaver on July 29, 2015 at 3:01am

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Permalink Reply by Mark C on July 30, 2015 at 2:14am

I use formby's tung oil. Usually 3-4 coats. It builds up to a nice finish. Poly always runs so I rarely use it. With tung, less is more. Brush or wipe on small areas then wipe down immediately wth the grain where possible making sure no drips or build up. The wiping down is the hardest as tung sets up quickly. Re-wet your wiping cloth if nec. Dry 24hrs., buff gently with 0000 steel wool. Blow or wipe off dust with tack cloth and repeat until you get the finish you want. You'll think your not applying much of a coat, but repeated thin layers produces a fine finish. That's my 2cents.

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Permalink Reply by Mark C on July 30, 2015 at 2:24am

To clarify, I'm mostly talking about the finish on the instrument body, back of neck and headstock. Although tung is ok on fretboards , sometimes I just want the feel of wood, so maybe one coat on fretboard or a natural sealing stain . I've used REM oil (Remington gun oil) on fretboards to good effect. If you use tung on fretboards , just remember to wipe off excess thoroughly. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on July 30, 2015 at 7:37am

Totally agree!

Haven't tried Remington's oil. Thanks for the tip.

Last week I broke down and tried Minwax "Wipe On Poly" on an odd-shaped piece of furniture that needed more protection than just oil. I'm impressed. Rub on a THIN coat, wait, buff w/0000, rub on more, etc. No runs & no brush strokes. Multiple thin coats are better than too much at once. Gonna' wait 2 weeks to cure and then buff paste wax with a 0000 pad to get a final polish.