Hi everyone, I'd like a bit of advice on what sort of finish I should use on fingerboards and necks. I'm after something practical to protect the surfaces.Also at what stage should it be applied, before or after fretting. Thanks ,Mark
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Danish oil is made of Polymerized Linseed oil or Tung oil.
I'm going to use china wood oil aka tung oil. Tung oil is best. Thats what I have read.
Many other varnishes don't dry hard and worst ones stay sticky.
I love Danish oil. As The Kid says, a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. I think a quart is more than enough for a lifetime of necks (for the average builder at least) so per neck, not very much at all and it is very easy to work with and leaves a nice semi matte finish that feels great and does not stick to your hands. Speaking of sticking to your hands and stuff, I can see me turning the several tubes of crazy glue technique into an embarrassing trip to the emergency room! " Don't forget the gloves" Hah, cracks me up!!
p.s I apply the oil after doing any gluing to the neck, like fingerboards and nuts since the glue will not stick to oil (unless maybe it's crazy glue then I don't know, it sure sticks well to skin!)
Tru-Oil is the greatest, for maple necks and other woods that need a hard, glossy surface. And it is cheap and easy to use. It's technically a varnish, I believe.
For rosewood and ebony fingerboards, plain old mineral oil (what mom gave you to make you poop) is all you need. Wipe it on, let it sit, wipe it off. Repeat as desired, although you don't really have to.
Two cheap products that work really well!
I use Mylands pale shellac basecoat on necks:
http://www.mylands.co.uk/p-293-2000-pale-shellac-sealer-basecoat.aspx
I apply a thin coat with a soft brush or cloth, wait 20 minutes on a warm day, rub back firmly with fine wire wool, then reapply, wait another 20 minutes, more wire wool rubbing, add another thin coat, and repeat. Three coats should do, but you can do more. It fills grain well and polishes up beautifully with some beeswax and feels silky smooth and sort of warm... unlike spray laquers/acrylic and the like, which I find can be a bit 'sticky' even when dry.
I've also used tru-oil on headstocks and bodies. That stuff is brilliant but takes more work than the shellac base I find.
For ebony and rosewood fingerboards (in fact probably any dark wood), plus +1 for mineral oil or, if you are feeling fancy, get yourself some lemon oil
Thanks for all the replies, I think I'll try a Tru-oil finish to begin with.
I've been bitten by the Cbg bug, it won't be my last build! There will be plenty of opportunity to try a few of the suggestions!
This just might sound crazy, but one of my favorite finishes is very old school... ancient even. It brings out the color of the wood very well. It leaves a satin finish (non-glossy), and is silky smooth for fast necks. even when I use the tung oil, I will do this with the finger boards after the fretwork. The method? hand rubbed virgin olive oil. buff it into the wood with fine steel wool. rub it in "wet" and use a dry cloth to wipe off the excess. First you use 400 grit to smooth the wood, then apply the olive oil liberally over the wood... let it soak in good, and buff in small circles with the fine steel wool. Try it once on a scrap piece of wood and see if you like the results.
This is a common topic on CBN. Here are a few links to other threads on this topic...
Probably can find more info by using the CBN search feature in the upper right corner of each CBN web page.
-Rand.
Nicely finished !
I use a light brushed coat of varnish to seal the grain of the fingerboard, applied once the slots for the frets have been cut but before the frets have been fitted. Once dry, lightly sand the fretboard, then fit the frets. Once the cbg is finished but minus the strings, apply 4 or 5 coats of beeswax buffed to a shine between each application. I finish the rest of the cbg with 4 or 5 thin coats of varnish.
I sand and then use 0000 grade steel wool apply my frets then apply lemon oil. I do several passes let it dry and repeat it until it s not being absorbed as quickly generally at least four times.What I like best about the lemon oil is there is no build up and can be repeated as often as you wish. I like to use minwax tung oil on the backs of my necks and boxes.
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