Tru-Oil prep and procedure

[Dave Bagwill]

I use TO for pore filling, sealing and finishing. The technique works well for me and the results are just what I am looking for. Nothing toxic, no spraying, minimum outlay to get started, no adverse effect on sound, and pleasing to look at and to touch.
Here is a picture of my finishing 'kit'. The hair dryer is certainly not a necessity, but warming the wood is acceptable and, I think, beneficial.
I use mineral spirits to mix 50/50 with the TO for the pore filling ONLY, and full strength TO subsequently. Paper towels (I like the blue shop towels), cotton balls - the big ones if possible, a firm foam sanding block to wrap sandpaper around, sandpaper grits from 100 to as high as you want to go (a GREAT advantage of using TO is that adhesion is not a problem; you can sand to 14,000 grit if you like, then apply the finish), steel wool - I use the steel wool pads (synthetic) that do not leave fibers that can scratch if not found - 00,000,0000. Regular steel wool works fine but one has to be very careful with how it is handled. I also have Scotch pads in maroon, grey and white.

http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad22 ... C00344.jpg

I will be posting the pore filling technique as I go along.

[Dave Bagwill]

I did one pore-filling session, using 1/4 TO and 3/4 mineral oil. The TO/sawdust mix fills well; be sure to wipe it off frequently, don't leave any sitting on top of the wood. If you do, you will have a little more sanding to do, not a big deal.

I did not fill all the pores with that one session, and in fact I am not going to do a second session for this reason: I sanded the back and sides (I've still got the protective cardboard taped to the top) to an 800 grit, cleaned off all the dust between grits with a shop vac brush and paper towel wrapped around a foam rubber pad.I am going to fill the pores that remain as I apply the finish. Avoid, if you can, the following:

- your fingers are oily, so use a cloth or a sock or something to move the guitar around while you are sanding
- ask yourself: is the wood being contacted by the sandpaper, or is the junk on the sandpaper rubbing on the wood? Try to clean the paper obsessively. If you set the paper down, blow it off before you use it, it may have picked up a sharp little speck that will draw a nice bunch of squigglies on your surface.
-use a pad or a block to do everything - wiping dust off, sanding any areas, be obsessive.

Then I took a cotton ball, put a little TO on it, and rubbed it in to a small area of the back. Any rubbing pattern is fine at first, but before it dries, run the cotton ball along the grain to even it out.
Then take a paper towel, fold it in quarters, and wrap it around a sponge block. Then wipe - with the grain - until the oil you just applied is smooth, no smudges, no prints. The wood immediately absorbs all the oil it can, so we just want to wipe off any excess.
Then continue with the rest of the guitar.

I'm letting it sit overnight. Here is a pic of just the back with the one thin thin thin coat of TO. Did I say thin? :-)
To be continued.

http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad22 ... C00356.jpg

[ken cierp]

Dave,

How much does that stuff (TO) cost and how much do you use to do a complete guitar including the pore filling?

[Dave Bagwill]

I purchase the TO at a local gun store or Big R for $5 - the small size. That is plenty for an entire instrument - sealing, pore filling, and finish coats. That includes back, sides, top, and neck.

[virgoka]

Hi, I am new here so please forgive any "dumb" questions ;-)

Do you finish the whole guitar with Tru-Oil? I mean including the top? I seem to read conflicting advice about this.

Another question. Any experience of using Z-Poxy under Tru-Oil?

Thanks for any advice.

[Dave Bagwill]

Virgoka - hi and welcome to the Forum!

As far as I can tell from reading, asking questions, talking to the people that make the stuff - TO is not a penetrating oil like Tung or Danish or others, and is applied in such thin coatings that it does not damage the sound producing qualities of the body or the top. I have a pretty good ear, and I've played for a long time, and I cannot hear a difference, nor does anyone who plays my guitars. That's the best case I can make. And yep, I use it for the entire instrument.
It's also good to remember that TO is basically a varnish.

I've always pore filled with the TO. You could practice on a piece of scrap material - in fact, I suggest it - to see what you think. It is WAY easier than the horror-producing stories I continually hear about the z-poxy, plus there is not another product that you have to buy, nor any toxicity.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it - however, I'm an old dog and realize that we all have to try what we have to try. If you do try the TO I will be around to answer and questions.

Again, welcome!!
Dave

[Dave Bagwill]

A couple more things to remember:

Keep your fingernails short when applying TO with cotton balls. One deep fingernail scratch can cause a degree of sadness that can only be matched by my 49'ers losing a game.

Lots of light in your finishing area. I use the clip-on shop lights in addition to my overhead lights.

I'll be posting some pix a little later.