For any wipe-on oil finish

[Lonnie B]

Hmm! That sounds good. Guess we all have our own way of applying it. Now I'm old but back in the day when you went into a gun shop to buy the Tru-oil. You bought a much smaller bottle. Now on that bottle were the application directions. They directions from the maker was to apply it with your finger. But that was a long long time ago. When I bought my first bottle on the internet a couple years ago I freaked. Eight ounces really? I had never seen a bottle larger then about 1 1/2 fl. Oz. What am I going to use all that stuff for? Anyway a couple guitars later I replaced that big bottle with another. I did latch onto Dave's idea of poking a little hole in the paper seal. I love that idea as the bottle I threw away was all yucky. Some had hardened. I had to re-poke the little hole the other day. I've used the product since the sixties and consider it the best on the market.

[Lonnie B]

You know I was eating breakfast right after I finished writing the last posting. I got to thinking and after my breakfast. I walked to my back room which doubles as my inside shop. I read the directions on the bottle and yes the manufacture still says to apply with your fingers. Now it also says or a cloth. I don't remember them saying use a cloth back in the day. But I'm 70 yrs old next year. I'm trying to remember what took place 46 yrs ago. My gracious I sometimes have difficulty remembering why I walked into the room. I do feel less like a Neanderthal for using my finger when everyone else uses something else.
I'm just beginning in this luthier business. So I'm still acquiring tools knowledge etc. Some things die hard. I thought I remember Dave spraying the product on. Now to me that sounds a superior way of application to me. I however smoked most of my life. Quit now for eight years. But it did it's damage as I have COPD. So I'm very carefull about protection. Really don't see myself spraying it on. The odors from the way I put it on are virtually non-existant. Maybe my smeller don't work. But just rambling on about a product I've used for more then half my lifetime. I would like to say that I was very surprised upon joining this forum to find other people used this product regardless of how they apply it. Whatever gets the job done folks. :0)

[Dave Bagwill]

Hi Lonnie - I've read in a few other places that applying with the fingers is the way to do it, and I've done it on necks. Maybe I'll give it a try on the body - like you said there are different ways.
I'll be 67 next birthday, and......man, I just forgot what I was going to say....:-)

[Lonnie B]

Lol- Dave you are a trip. Yes the directions say to apply it the way I do including the steel wool between coats. It is not as messy as the cloth application as you only put a drop on your finger. It's not a toxic substance and will wipe away with an old Tshirt. Plus washing your hands afterwards. I just remember everyone in Gun School doing it that way. Now the bottle says use no pore filler. I know you guys make a slurry in an attempt to fill the poors. Well the finger method presses it into the pores and believe me you can see them filling as you get more coats on. In school the recommended number of applications was thirty coats. Phew! I've never made thirty coats as about nineteen all the pores are filled and the finish is lovely. So by then I am so sick of doing it I just wanted it done. I have seen rifle stocks with thirty coats and it is a joy to look at. Now before I say this let me remind you that this happened nearly fifty years ago. Some students used a pore filler before they used the Tru-Oil. It gave the gunstock a yellowish look that I found detrimental. However,If you found a method of filling the pores using the oil itself. Then it probably wouldn't happen. Maybe the more modern products wouldn't give off the yellowish tinge. I've finished a lot of things with it. All made of wood. Never have I been dis-satisfied with it. When I apply it I make tiny overlapping circles untill the portion(top,back,side) I'm working on is completely covered. Then is when I turn on my magnifier glass light and using my finger rub everything down in a straight line with the grain. The idea being is to completely cover the instrument using as little of the product as possible. Sometimes in the beginning you do get to much and you get sags and even runs. No matter how hard you try these things still happen. That's why the steel wool between coats.
Now not to be too long winded but after the coats are on one is supposed to use the very fine volcanic powder with a lubricant and polish more. Hate to say this I tried that once. More $&:;@ rubbing. I found that if your carefull and religiously use the steel wool the last coat you apply(unless the cat doesn't rub up against it)doesn't need anything more done to it as you can see for days and your just banging your head against the wall by rubbing on it anymore.

[rusty999]

Dave, I see this is an old post but just wondering have your methods changed with regards to finishing since this was posted or is there anything I should watch for.?

I finally managed to get hold of Minwax--never knew it was available here in Europe--and its this one:



So, I'm looking forward to using it on the back and sides of a rosewood B/S acoustic dread.
I have pore filled the back with an old fashioned method of Egg white and wood dust and I applied 3 coats of that --looks great.
I'm hoping to wipe on or maybe brush on the Minwax but will follow your method and it should work out well.
I was hoping to french polish/shellac the top

I have another guitar almost completed where I was going to experiment with Brush on Varnish on Rosewood again and then once again french polish the top so I'm hoping someone could recommend the best brush varnish on available for that one?
Thanks for all the support
Rusty

[Dave Bagwill]

Hi Rusty - I've used that exact product and had very good results, using the same method of application that I use for TO . I have not used it over the egg-white/sawdust pore-fill and I would suggest taking a little extra time with some scrap to make sure everything works together.