Tung or tru-oil on an unfinished neck...

[DarthElvis]

Hi there. I'm looking for some advice. I've got an unfinished 1/4 sawn maple neck coming from Warmoth.

What I'm looking to do is finish it up with a nice 'aged' amber tint. I don't want to spray, since apartment living is not condusive to spraying smelly crap everywhere, so I would like to do a nice 'rub-on' finish.

What I need is for some kind soul to point me in the right direction, should I use Tung oil, or Tru-oil. (Tung is easier to get since there is a Lee Valley here, not so sure about Tru-Oil)? What kind of tint should I use ? Sanding sealer necessary, etc ? And is there an easy to understand tutorial somewhere ?

I appreciate any help. Thanks.

[Jim DaddyO]

I did my neck with Lee Valley water based aniline dye (amber) and tru-oil. I finished with steel wool and got a really nice feel to the neck. It took 2 applications to get the neck this dark, and I did use steel wool before I oiled too.

[DarthElvis]

That's beautiful . Just the look I'm going for.

[Overt1]

I see that you're in West Van. I would call around any gun shops in your area to see if they have any. If there aren't any, there's a shop in Vancouver called Reliable Gun and Tackle that stocks them

[zdogma]

I wouldn't use tung oil for a guitar neck, its pretty smelly, stays tacky/wet for a long time and attracts dust. For furniture I've switched to the polymerized tung oil it might be OK:

Polymerized Tung Oil - Lee Valley Tools

[DarthElvis]

I see that you're in West Van. I would call around any gun shops in your area to see if they have any. If there aren't any, there's a shop in Vancouver called Reliable Gun and Tackle that stocks them

No there isn't any gun shops in West Van. The blue-hair brigade would shit their collective pants (more than they normally would anyways) and have it shut down in minutes. But thanks for pointing me to the shop you mentioned, I'll head there.

[cqdx]

If you are lookig for TruOil, you can buy it at Wholesale Sports.

Wholesale Sports

cheers

[MapleMan]

Personally, I have always found a natural Tung Oil finish to be the best for an oil finished neck.

Unlike what someone said a few posts up ^^ I find that Tung Oil dries quickly, can be applied more readily, and has a more natural feel to it than Tru Oil.

Tru oil is basically a polymerized linseed oil, so it should be tackier than Tung oil, but it should also have more of a colour, and a protective sheen.


At current however, I used a special modified polymerized Tung oil. If applied in the correct manner, you will have an incredibly soft subtle finish, with great strength, natural luster and quality. But, it does take decently longer...similar to an oil and wax treatment.


In short.

Tung Oil > Tru Oil
Polymerized Tung > Tung > Tru


Everyone has their own experiences, I just dont like tru oil for the sorts of woods I would be using it for. Maples, rosewoods, and varying mahogany species.