What would you recommend for finishing a mahogany neck and a fretless oak fingerboard?
I have looked into tru-oil and read that it should be easy to work with. They don't sell tru-oil here in Denmark but I've read that you can mix your own concoction from boiled linseed oil, turpentine/white spirit and oil based lacquer and just rub it on with a piece of cloth.
Will I be able to get a nice finish with this method and is it difficult to do?
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I tried the home made "Danish oil" on some scrap and it seems promising. It will go on my neck.
I was tempted by a piece of Ipe at the lumber yard and bought it for my fretboard. I should never have done that. You need dynamite to tool that wood! - And that piece of satanic wood just laughs at the humble assortment of tools I have in my makeshift apartment workshop and spits them right out.
So now I have decided to buy a piece of beech wood for my fretboard since I can easily get one of just the right thickness.
Now the colour of beech is not very interesting so I have to stain it. I have never stained wood before so I would like some pointers for how to get the best result.
First, I am NO expert on this... This is what little I know, and has worked for me....
There are lots of resources on the web. I have had mixed success with water based stains, but oil based stains (to me) work the best. Keep in mind that the picture on the can of stain is only on 1 wood sample... your mileage may vary.
Invest in some gloves, be sure to HAND sand your parts down to at least 150 grit sandpaper or even 220 for best results. Some sand down to 400, but I think that's overkill. If you machine sand a piece, it can heat the wood and cause it to harden/polish. This will alter how it takes the stain and can lead to an uneven finish. I often use a belt sander for shaping, but always finish by hand. A good orbital sander might not do this, but I don't have too many power tools.
Staining is pretty easy... Wipe/brush it on, wait, wipe it off and let it dry. If it isn't dark enough, do it again...
Some stains will take multiple layers, others won't. The real trick is: Make sure the piece is clean, free of dust and debris. Don't be afraid to really soak a small piece of a rag. I normally don't need a piece larger than 3" square.
Once the stain is dry, finish it any way you want. (Lacquer, oil, etc.) Any tooling (fret cutting, etc.) should be done before staining. You have to be really carefull when cleaning up (filing) your frets on a stained board as you'll end up filing the board at some point, which is one of the reasons rosewood is used for dark fretboards: the color goes all the way through, and cannot be scratched off.
Oh: If you are using oil based finishes: READ THE WARNING LABEL: Oil finishes heat as they dry, and can combust! I have a small paint can with water in it. all my oil rags get put in there when I am done. At some point, they get laid out flat on a fireproof surface (gravel outside) to dry prior to disposal.
I used linseed oil outside one day in the summer, and left the rag balled up on a rock... I found it later as a pile of charred ash... That could have been my house...
Sorry, no idea. in my limited experience, I've always used oil based.. They take longer to dry, but to me, that is an advantage to getting an even stain. When I tried water based stains on a large project, it was really difficult because it dried so quickly.
Another question... Would it be smartest to glue the fingerboard down and shape it to fit the neck and then stain it or to shape and stain it before it is glued down?
I have used Linseed oil, Nitro-lacquer, and Danish oil.
From what I can tell, Danish oil does contain linseed oil. I love oil finishes on raw wood. I mostly use the Lacquer to protect box finishes.
For a darker finish, I will use an oil based stain, then either linseed or danish oil. The danish oil seems to dry faster than straight linseed oil, but that could just be me.
Years ago I played in a Southern rock band. One of the other guitar players, there were three of us, Would buy these expensive Gibson guitars and strip the finish completely off the neck. Replace it with tung oil. He said he loved the feel of real wood over the plastic feel of a good finish.
Danish oil or Tung oil like Dan said are two great options. Either are easy to use, and the more coats put on, the better the finish. Buff lightly with coffee filters once last coat is dry.
Dave Onastik > Scott aka Farmer TedMarch 24, 2014 at 12:48pm
Nice tip on the coffee filters. I've been using #0000 steel wool, but will try the filters next time.
Replies
I tried the home made "Danish oil" on some scrap and it seems promising. It will go on my neck.
I was tempted by a piece of Ipe at the lumber yard and bought it for my fretboard. I should never have done that. You need dynamite to tool that wood! - And that piece of satanic wood just laughs at the humble assortment of tools I have in my makeshift apartment workshop and spits them right out.
So now I have decided to buy a piece of beech wood for my fretboard since I can easily get one of just the right thickness.
Now the colour of beech is not very interesting so I have to stain it. I have never stained wood before so I would like some pointers for how to get the best result.
First, I am NO expert on this... This is what little I know, and has worked for me....
There are lots of resources on the web. I have had mixed success with water based stains, but oil based stains (to me) work the best. Keep in mind that the picture on the can of stain is only on 1 wood sample... your mileage may vary.
Invest in some gloves, be sure to HAND sand your parts down to at least 150 grit sandpaper or even 220 for best results. Some sand down to 400, but I think that's overkill. If you machine sand a piece, it can heat the wood and cause it to harden/polish. This will alter how it takes the stain and can lead to an uneven finish. I often use a belt sander for shaping, but always finish by hand. A good orbital sander might not do this, but I don't have too many power tools.
Staining is pretty easy... Wipe/brush it on, wait, wipe it off and let it dry. If it isn't dark enough, do it again...
Some stains will take multiple layers, others won't. The real trick is: Make sure the piece is clean, free of dust and debris. Don't be afraid to really soak a small piece of a rag. I normally don't need a piece larger than 3" square.
Once the stain is dry, finish it any way you want. (Lacquer, oil, etc.) Any tooling (fret cutting, etc.) should be done before staining. You have to be really carefull when cleaning up (filing) your frets on a stained board as you'll end up filing the board at some point, which is one of the reasons rosewood is used for dark fretboards: the color goes all the way through, and cannot be scratched off.
Oh: If you are using oil based finishes: READ THE WARNING LABEL: Oil finishes heat as they dry, and can combust! I have a small paint can with water in it. all my oil rags get put in there when I am done. At some point, they get laid out flat on a fireproof surface (gravel outside) to dry prior to disposal.
I used linseed oil outside one day in the summer, and left the rag balled up on a rock... I found it later as a pile of charred ash... That could have been my house...
John
One more question... Does it make any difference if the stain is oil-based or alcohol-based?
Sorry, no idea. in my limited experience, I've always used oil based.. They take longer to dry, but to me, that is an advantage to getting an even stain. When I tried water based stains on a large project, it was really difficult because it dried so quickly.
Another question... Would it be smartest to glue the fingerboard down and shape it to fit the neck and then stain it or to shape and stain it before it is glued down?
I have used Linseed oil, Nitro-lacquer, and Danish oil.
From what I can tell, Danish oil does contain linseed oil. I love oil finishes on raw wood. I mostly use the Lacquer to protect box finishes.
For a darker finish, I will use an oil based stain, then either linseed or danish oil. The danish oil seems to dry faster than straight linseed oil, but that could just be me.
John
Years ago I played in a Southern rock band. One of the other guitar players, there were three of us, Would buy these expensive Gibson guitars and strip the finish completely off the neck. Replace it with tung oil. He said he loved the feel of real wood over the plastic feel of a good finish.
Danish oil or Tung oil like Dan said are two great options. Either are easy to use, and the more coats put on, the better the finish. Buff lightly with coffee filters once last coat is dry.
Nice tip on the coffee filters. I've been using #0000 steel wool, but will try the filters next time.
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