how to remove tru-oil

[old_picker]

i know a lot of people like this stuff but i have started in on a maple neck with it and after about 7 light coats dont like it that much and aint really going to fit with this project - body is danish oil

how do i get it it all off so i can redo with danish??

 

[Rhomco]

Citris Strip

Will take it off. It comes off all to easily.
Good luck with your project,
Rob

 

[WrayGun]

Just had the same situation. Acetone takes it right off.

 

[old_picker]

Just had the same situation. Acetone takes it right off.

sure did - right to the bare wood - doubt i will bother with tru-oil again

 

[Jupiter]

Is that acetone going to eat the plastic dots off my Warmoth fretboard too?

 

[flyingbanana]

sure did - right to the bare wood - doubt i will bother with tru-oil again

What didn't you like about Tru Oil?

 

[RodeoTex]

Best way is to never put it on in the first place. I don't know why guys do this.

 

[Sharp5]

Did you let it cure for a little?

 

[Jupiter]

Best way is to never put it on in the first place. I don't know why guys do this.

I'm no expert, but I'm thinking maybe it's cuz it feels good, looks good, isn't expensive, doesn't require a spray booth or respirator, can be applied in the winter, etc.:neutral:

 

[flyingbanana]

I'm no expert, but I'm thinking maybe it's cuz it feels good, looks good, isn't expensive, doesn't require a spray booth or respirator, can be applied in the winter, etc.:neutral:

Not as toxic as some other coatings, cures to a tough finish, easy for beginners to use, brings out the grain nicely, can be used over a dye or stain, can be easily reapplied or repaired if you get a ding or scratch, doesn't affect the tone like 5 inches of poly ; ), can buff to a nice shine...oh and I just realized we were supposed to be talking about a neck here and not a body...can be applied **minimally** to the back of a neck and polished out to a really smooth and fast playing finish.

I may have left something out.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Is that acetone going to eat the plastic dots off my Warmoth fretboard too?

Acetone likes to melt plastics. A sharp blade works really well to strip finish between frets.

 

[Jupiter]

Acetone likes to melt plastics. A sharp blade works really well to strip finish between frets.

Thanks Colt. I was afraid of that. Need to research a bit more about scraping technique now; I've never tried that before. How exactly do you do it without gouging the wood?

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Thanks Colt. I was afraid of that. Need to research a bit more about scraping technique now; I've never tried that before. How exactly do you do it without gouging the wood?

Carefully and Deliberately.

I use a pocket knife, but I keep my knives razor sharp. I hold them perpendicular to the fret board, and with even pressure, I draw them back adjusting pressure as necessary to prevent gouging. Once you figure it out, its a great technique to remove scratches and the like after fretting a guitar.

When done correctly, scraping yields a smoother surface than fine grit sandpaper. Fiddle makers don't use sand paper at all. They claim it clogs the figure in the maple. They use planes and scrapers.

 

[Tom Pettingill]

... after about 7 light coats dont like it that much and aint really going to fit with this project - body is danish oil ...

I'm guessing that its the gloss thats developing that you don't like and does not match the body. You don't have to get it all off and can use some fine steel or synthetic "steel" wool to knock it down and then wipe some Danish on.

 

[rcboals]

I finished a flame maple top mahogany back Tele body with Tru-Oil over a year ago. It was my third build. I didn't really like how the finish turned out. I was able to remove the Tru-Oil easily after it was on there over a year with Acetone. I have sprayed nitro and it looks great. I won't use True Oil again on anything that needs to be glossy and smooth. Never enough time to do it right the first time, but always enough time to do it over

 

[drmcclainphd]

Acetone will indeed take it all off. It will also suck the moisture out of the wood and dry it out unlike any other strictly chemical treatment. You use oil to seal wood and prevent excessive drying (and still many use humidifiers), so why would you use something that would do to a neck what decades of aging might?

Citrus strip might work for you, but after 7 coats it may have penetrated deeply. If that matters and you truly need to extract it, use an oil similar (Tru-oil being linseed) thinned with something that will allow it to penetrate but not evaporate too quickly. Put on the thinned oil, wait, then wipe it down with dry absorption rags like microfiber. When you're not getting any change from these attempts, go to plain thinner/solvent. Once or twice is about all you'll be able to do, because any remaining will either have been taken off, or will have penetrated so deeply that you won't be able to get to it. But the surface should be well cleaned by now and that's what matters to your danish oil.

Denatured alcohol will thin and penetrate best, but evaporates fastest. Naptha and mineral spirits would be better choices, though more work. The best thinner to use in a case with prolonged exposure including handling, is DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide). Sold as horse linament at places like Southern States and Tractor Supply. So non-toxic that it's ingestable. Very high vaopr pressure (little fumes, slow evaporating), little smell. It will attach itself of an oil and draw it out. It stays attached so well that it takes some tricky chemical engineering to reclaim used DMSO in industrial applications. In fact, I would go as far as to recommend its use by itself from the get-go. I've used it to remove everything from carnuba wax to epoxy, and the cleaned wood took its new coatings without any problems.

I can think of worse things to use than acetone. Not all of them would involve burning creosote and a branch chipper.

 

[old_picker]

crikey - surprised to see this old thread come up from 4 1/2 years ago
things changed a lot in my finishing since then - btw that neck come up squeaky clean with acetone in a few minutes work. never done any drying damage to the neck either

 

[Flakey]

Glad it did! drmcclainphd's post is worth the price of admission alone!

 

[rcboals]

Glad it did! drmcclainphd's post is worth the price of admission alone!

Yup, except can't really get a good feel how he really feels about acetone. All I wanted to confirm is acetone worked great getting the tru oil off the body. It didn't take much and worked great the nitro went on no problem.