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Unfinished Neck

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(@akflyingv)
Honorable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 406
Topic starter  

I ordered an unfinished neck from Warmoth.com and was wondering if anyone knows some good oils to finish with. I've heard that must be finished in a hard oil so they won't warp. Hopefully you guys have some suggestions, Thanks in advance.


   
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(@slejhamer)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3221
 

Tung oil is probably the most commonly used.

"Tru Oil" is a brand of boiled linseed oil with additional hardening additives - it is popular among rifle owners for finishing gunstocks. I think it's great for finishing guitar necks - silky smooth yet durable.

From what I have read in web forums, tung oil and Tru Oil are the ONLY hard-drying oil finishes that won't void the Warmoth warranty. But you should check with them to make sure.

Ernie Ball recommends Tru Oil for maintaining the Music Man neck:
How do I clean and maintain my Music Man neck?

A: To clean the neck, use a high-grade of lemon oil. If the neck is very dirty, try Murphy's Oil Soap diluted 3:1. Some players have found that using a toothbrush for cleaning is very effective.

Since the neck is unfinished, it is more susceptible to humidity changes. A very infrequent dose of gunstock oil will help to keep the neck maintained; we recommend Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, but any good quality gunstock oil will work. Use a small amount, leave it on for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a paper towel. After that, apply Birchwood-Casey Tru-Wax. Be sure to douse the paper towel with water before disposing of it! Read the wax and oil manufacturer's instructions regarding disposal of these used paper towels.

Birchwood-Casey products are available at most sporting goods or gun stores. Their web address is http://www.birchwoodcasey.com .

Rosewood fingerboards should not be treated with the gunstock oil; instead they should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil. Again, for cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. If the neck is very dirty, you can use a small amount of Murphy's Oil Soap, diluted 3:1 to clean it. Keep in mind that if the dirt has gotten into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps! On an unfinished neck, some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal. Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these oils or waxes.

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

Not an oil, but I've managed to put a pretty good spray-can nitrocellulose lacquer finish on a neck. Bought the lacquer from Stew-Mac, and used about 7 coats with light sanding in between. As it was a gloss finish, I completed the job with a handdrill mounted buffing wheel and various rouge/polishing creams.

I bought a can of Tru-Oil at the same time as the lacquer, and tried it on a test piece of maple. I wasn't too impressed by the appearance -- maybe a slight color additive to create a patina would help. Next time ...

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@the-dali)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1409
 

I actually think that tru oil was erroneously used on Barry Bonds. He denies the report.

I've never heard of a neck warping because of an incorrect finish. Is that really true, or just a marketing ploy? Seems unlikely.

I've used tung oil and it workedout very nicely. Youcan really feel the wood through the finish.

-=- Steve

"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"


   
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