Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by 3 Chord Ziggy on February 12, 2020 at 2:27am

Let us know how that works out.  You're talking about just the fretboard, or the whole ax?

Permalink Reply by Matt Ranum on February 13, 2020 at 4:45pm

You can also look into Tru-Oil, its a gunstock finish made by Birchwood/Casey. You can get most anywhere that sells sporting goods. Its an oil blend that dries fairly quick and has good build ability. I've used it on walnut several times Put a few coats on, buff it down with steel wool and repeat and it will give you a nice smooth semi gloss finish.You can always take steel wool to it to dull it to a matte finish if preferred.

Permalink Reply by 3 Chord Ziggy on February 14, 2020 at 2:31am

Yeah, I looked hard at the Tru-Oil.  Seems easy to work with, relatively non-toxic, and easy to find, which is one of the crucial elements here in the middle of nowhere!  I may still experiment with that.  Right now this is all a "discovery learning" exercise.

Since I started this thread, I've taken the plunge and gone with the white oil on the fretboard.  It's a bit dull, but it's walnut and I haven't buffed it or anything.  Over-oiling is not a good thing, I realize, but I may dab a bit more on and give it a good polish, as you suggest.

Also did the shellac trip on the rest of the neck.  Washcoat, slurry fill, about 20 French Polish rounds.  Given that I have no idea whatsoever of what the heck I'm doing, I'm astonished at the shellac finish.  It's gorgeous.  Found a few streaks left by the pad (it was the pad, not me...:)...) and just ran a pad lightly-wetted w/ alcohol over it, they came right out.  It's astonishing.  And beats trying to set up a spray booth in a tiny, unheated shop when it's 6 degrees outside!

Thanks for the tip!

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on February 13, 2020 at 8:02pm

They ALL work...  Purists will say to use Lemon oil, but any drying oil will be fine, as will be shellac... Wipe it on thin, wipe off the frets...

It's all good.

Permalink Reply by 3 Chord Ziggy on February 14, 2020 at 2:33am

Note response to Matt above.  The sewing machine oil worked nicely.  And, yeah, we've somehow started on restoring old sewing machines, so we have about a gallon of the stuff lying around!

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 15, 2020 at 10:10am

We use black  walnut all the time as fretboards (when I say all the time, I mean hundreds and hundreds of them) and  it's absolutely fine. It does not need a finish, just a light application of lemon oil or similar fretboard  treatment. Don't put lacquer, shellac ,TrueOil, Danish Oil, tung oil or anything like that on  it, just lemon oil will do the job.

Permalink Reply by 3 Chord Ziggy on February 16, 2020 at 3:29am

Thanks for the info. Question:  what are you using for lemon oil?  Furniture polish stuff?  Pure lemon essential oil?  Specialized fretboard treatment stuff (eg: Dunlop)?  Your own concoction?  The Intergoogle is full of conflicting info (surprising, I know), so would appreciate some first-hand input. thx

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 16, 2020 at 9:50am

We make our own fretboard treatments - a pure food grade mineral oil with essential lemon oil, and also a fretboard cleaner and conditioner with oil of Atlas Cedar. Don't use furniture polish as it usually has stuff you don't want such as  silicone in it - the commercially available fretboard oil by Dunlop etc is fine, but as we make so many guitars, we prefer to make our own fretboard treatment and make it available too the public rather than buy it in.

Permalink Reply by 3 Chord Ziggy on February 16, 2020 at 11:34am

Cool, what I needed to know.  I suspected that the furniture polish had elements that might not be desirable.  I'm a scientist by trade, but I'm retired and really don't feel up to running organic chemistry experiments!  I think we'll go with the commercial stuff.  Thanks, man, appreciate it!

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