Tung oil finishes

[Snikch]

I’ve just got hold of a rather lovely unfinished alder strat body and plan to give it an oil finish.

I was planning to use Tung oil, does anyone know the best place to get the stuff. Or can you just use any furniture Oil finish?

Also, it’s my first time finishing anything, are there any tips/tricks I should be aware of when applying the oil?

Thanks

[martinw]

Use Danish oil. It has some lacquer content, and is more hardwearing and permanent than a pure oil, which will need redoing at intervals.

[Philly Q]

Wez has done a lot of oil/wax finishes, I'm sure he'll be able to advise where to get the best materials and what brands to use.

[WezV]

i went with jonathans advice and finally tried tru-oil recently... i think i now prefer it to the danish  oil and bri wax i was doing before

but the danish oil and briwax is easier to find in the uk.  the finish is similar but the tru-oil needs less work and less re-oiling

[MrBump]

Does Tru-Oil come in different colours, or do you mix it with stains?

[WezV]

i have only used it natural

[Snikch]

Thanks for the info guys. Tru oil is proving very hard to come by so it looks like Danish oil is the way to go.

Wez, can I just ask, what exactly does adding a coat of bri wax do? Is it a must?

[WezV]

its not as necessary with tru-oil alone but with the danish oil finish it locks it all in a bit better - it depends on the wood you are finishing.  i have some macasser ebony for necks in at the moment and that wont need any finish at all!!

anyway danish oil & wax:

1. liberal coat of oil, leave 5 minutes, wipe off the excess
2. leave 24 hours
3. wetsand with the oil (pour some oil on the paper and sand with it) and 600+ grit finishing paper
4. wipe off the excess and repeat going up to about 1500 grit
5. leave 24 hours and repeat as necessary

that leaves it feeling really, really smooth  but it wont last like that for ever so adding bri wax with 0000 wire wool keeps it smooth for longer, still needs re applying every so often

i follow a similar process with tru-oil but leave it a few days, dont use any wax and finish off with a rub down with the wire wool as suggested by jonathan.  it still needs a bit of maintenance but not as often as the danish oil

http://www.thegunshop.co.uk/casey.htm

the good thing about both is that they will need less care as the years go on, they develop a wonderfull natural patina

on the dye and oil thing i think nolly's (iirc) blackmachine is a dyed maple + oil finish

[Snikch]

Wow! Wez thank you, that’s so helpful. :D

Does the wax interfere with the periodic refinishing of the oil? Or can you just apply oil over the top?

Also how often would you recommend reapplication?

Thanks!

[WezV]

i usually just add more wax every so often... how often depends on the woods used, the amount of play it gets and personal biology as well.

basically if it starts to feel a bit dry crack out the briwax and wire wool, give it a thorough rub down and a buff and its good to go again

[Snikch]

And is it a similar maintenance process with tru oil, just add more oil as and when it needs it?

[WezV]

yeah, pretty similar.  with the tru oil you wipe it on with a rag, let it dry and buff it out with 0000 wire wool.

with the wax you apply with the 000o wire wool, really working it into the wood - then buff with a rag

[tomjackson]

You can get Tru-Oil off ebay from the UK, it is widely available