Advice on refinishing a maple neck?

[Tibbonds]

So I built up a Telecaster kit from Brandoni about 7 or 8 years ago now, put a Kent Armstrong pickup at the neck and an SD Lil Tele 59 at the bridge. It sounds and plays GREAT, I really don't think I could have bought a pre-built guitar as good as this for anywhere near as cheap.

One problem I've always had is the neck. I sprayed it with some crap I got at the time, supposed to be a spray on satin varnish or something. It's always been kind sticky, and it collects finger muck all over the place, and I mean it builds up a real heavy layer of the stuff really quickly. I have to regularly sand back the grime about every 6 months or so.

So now I'm sick of doing that, I want to strip it back completely and start afresh. It's a maple neck and I want to go with a satin finish. Is it possible to leave it bare and just use some kind of oil on it? or doe sit need to be lacquered and then fine sanded for the satin finish?

[jkingma]

Tru-Oil on a neck really gives a nice feel. It can be satiny to glossy depending on how many coats you put on it.

[Old Cane]

Yeah, tru-oil will get you back in business really quick. The problem is it's a gunstock oil/finish. You may not be able to get it where you are. I'm trying real hard not to get political.

[Shoved BassVIII]

To the best of my knowledge, Birchwood Casey products are available in the UK

[Giant]

i have a new MIM Strat with a fresh maple neck. would this tru oil be ok for that neck? also, do you guys have any pics of a neck finished with it? thanks.

[Tibbonds]

Right, cheers guys. So the oil gives it enough protection to not get impregnated with sweat and filth?

[Gary in Boston]

My experience with Tru or Tung oil is it's a wonderful forgiving finish. You can put one coat or many on the same piece of wood. I am not sure it ever really seals the wood however because each additional coat penetrates to harden. I had one guitar years ago I swear had 20 coats on it. In the end I sprayed nitro over it w/o problems and in fact the multi coats of Tru oil may have acted like a sanding sealer / grain filler. Whatever you have on there now that never has seemed to dry is curious. I one sripped some maple drum shells and could not get any oil based finish to compleatly dry and ended up stripping it back and using a water based poly to finish it.

That's my two cents I haope it helps.

Gary

[tonewoods]

I really like French-polished shellac on a Fender-ish neck...

[Tibbonds]

Ah, so 'Tru-Oil' is just Tung oil then?

I seem to remember that I finished the body itself with Tung oil. Stained it cherry red first, then oiled it. Many coats later it's a lovely finish that's shiney to look at but satin to touch.

That would be perfect for the neck too.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

[Gary in Boston]

Yes it is my understanding that Tru Oil and Tung Oil are the same thing. Best of luck on your work and have a Merry Xmas.

Gary

[fernando]

>I really like French-polished shellac on a Fender-ish neck...

you are talking about this products?

any pictures of the result?

thank you

[morroben]

Tru-oil is a good option...that's what we used when I worked at EB/MM along with with a wax. At home I use Bri-wax...accomplishes the same thing with less steps.

[dpmulvan]

I have been using this product called bush oil for the last year and it is awesome. You can can intermix or tint with oil base colorants or dyes,you can also spray nitro or rubbing varnishes and even urethanes over it after 72 hours.Just wipe on liberally let sit a little bit and wipe off. I like to use amber shellac prefer chips but you can buy the pre made amber put that on with the bush oil, great warm vintage tone.It's made in amsterdam NY by a master craftsman I'm not sure how easy it is to get outside of upstate NY but i'm sure he has a web site

[Axis29]

Originally Posted by fernando

>I really like French-polished shellac on a Fender-ish neck...
you are talking about this products?

any pictures of the result?

thank you

This is not a true french polish, just shellac: http://www.artisticremodelingofva.com/johnf/shelac/

However, if you've ever been to an antique store or someone in your family had an antique cupboard or bureau that was over 100 years old, you've probably seen French Polish.

Actually if you ever seen an old violin, like a real old violin or cello or some such stringed instrument of good quality, you've seen a French Polish. It's been use don these kinds of instruments for centuries!

[fernando]

yes I've very prob. seen it on old forniture but I preffer to know the specific products you guys used and tested and from there find local subs. Also, some of you tested to apply nitro later, etc.... it makes it easier for a beginner to start with specific known products, I'd say...

So, one can treat a neck with just shellac and use it?
Or wax ( Bri-wax ? Superwax ? ) has always to be applied later?
Will it be soft and fast or a bit sticky?

That would be good news, since I preffer to deal with shellac, wax, etc. than with nitro, etc... as soon as I get such a nice colour as John F. got in his tests (it looks gorgeous John!)
So I'd like to learn more about this kind of finishing please!

Would this kind of finish be ok for a refinish? Or it only work over really raw necks?


Same for Tung-Oil: just using Tung-Oil it's enough for a neck? Will it be sticky? Can be applied as a refinish? (I mean after sanding a bit one of those current pale poly-finished necks)


I always thought that a harder finish (poly, nitro) was necessay on necks so the wood won't warp with time...

[Axis29]

Shellac is good to go over old finishes, or raw wood.

The biggest issue with Shellac is that it will dissolve if alcohol gets on it. This can get messy... especially if you ever play in a bar or drink while playing! (and I'm not just talking about how bad you can sound if too much alcohol is applied internally!)

I have used Zinser brand from a can (that's what those examples are) and I have used flake and mixed it up fresh. You will get better results from flakes, but if you check the date on the can and it's not too old, you shouldn't have any real issues either!

I have built several pieces of furniture and used shellac from the can with excellent results. Here's a piece that's been stained, shellac'd and then wood finish from a spray can: http://www.artisticremodelingofva.co...iors/index.htm I used just a little mahogany stain and a little darker stuff down in the crevices. Then amber shellac and Deft clear wood finish over top.

I sanded the flat surfaces very lightly in between shellac and top coating. Then about a week later waxed it with Briwax (I love Briwax!) I also like Johnson's Bowling Alley Wax. It's been installed for almost two years now and the clients say it still looks perfect.

Shellac is a decent enough finish, but will get soft in some instances. I think it comes from older can shellac. I remember in middle school shop we use dit for salt and pepper shakers and it held up for years in my parents kitchen.

[fernando]

thank you John (your work looks beautiful)


any description of the feel of a neck with
shellac / shellac+wax / or tung-oil, please?

Also, would any of this cans work to give a vintage tint to a neck?
(the idea is to refinish a pale neck currently finished in clear poly. I assume I just have to sand it a bit before refinish... and the idea is that I hope I can get those cans by mail being an European seller...)

[fernando]

I'm reading about appliying Kiwi brown or mid tan to a pale poly finished neck.

I'd like to know if I could apply shellac or something similar instead the shoe polish to get a vintage tint without sanding.

I'd love to do it the right way but I have not a shop now so I'm looking for simpler ways to do it... found the Kiwi method but would like to know other ways

[boris bubbanov]

I like John's recommendations the best.

*****

Just stop me if I am wrong, but I thought Tru-Oil was a modified linseed oil product, primarily, not Tung Oil? Still either can work fine.

We gotta figure out what is on there now, Tibbonds. I'd start by wiping it down with denatured alcohol; see what that removes. If nearly nothing, try wiping down next with Acetone. You might just find that the neck is 'good to go' with just a whole lot less varnish or whatever that's currently on there. Why, it could be one of the finishes recommended, that just never "went off" like it was supposed to and remained gummy ever since. Or the solvents in your hand sweat are breaking it down.

If acetone does nothing, I fold. John (Axis29) knows one heck of a lot more about wood finishing than I know, that's certain.

[fernando]

>Shellac is good to go over old finishes, or raw wood.

by "old" you mean old type like nitro, french polish, etc.?
Or just any previous finish (like poly)?