# how to apply tru oil?



## Overt1

im using it all over my maple fretboard/neck but im trying to achieve a gloss on the fretboard side and a satin feel on the back of the neck. after i apply it, there's definitely a gloss after a few hours, but there's also some little bumps everywhere. im just applying a thin layer with my fingers every couple hours or so.


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## fraser

i work it around the surface in gradually expanding circles until it gets tacky-
after a few coats let it dry a day or so, then repeat.
dont worry about the gloss until yu are done, otherwise youll put too much on the fretboard.
you can get a good gloss after 3 or 4 light coatings- once it hardens you can buff it out.
its best to give each coat at least a day to cure.
for the fretboard, just pay close attention as the oil starts tacking up, to make an extra effort to get it smooth,
you can get away without doing anything to it besides buffing it out.
0000 steel wool every couple coats helps to keep things smooth, and takes the oil right off the frets.
i dont know if its our climate or what, but i did a neck a few years ago, this time of year- one coat every few days, and it turned out far better than any ive tried to do faster.
im currently playing a neck i started 2 weeks ago- finished last week, so 1 week tru oiling-
its still sticky- and i only used 3 coats-
using steel wool 0000, you can make those bumps disappear- but wait a day first-
i steel wool every couple coats, but very lightly.
at the end itll polish up nice if yu want


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## al3d

Phrase got it pretty much on the noze there. in the winter, the longuer between coats, the best it is. 2 days i very recommended unless your house is very dry. DO NOT try to force dry tru-oil with, for exemple, a hair dryer"....

1 coat nicely rubbed in, 2 days..repeat. for a glossy finish, a minimum 5 thinly rubbed coats is needed or you can risk buffing it to the wood easily. 

Don't forget you can die your tru-oil to get a nicer amber tiint, if you do, last coat you put on should be untinted tru-oil..

Don't forget to show us the result..)


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## ajcoholic

where are you guys getting this stuff in Canada?

AJC


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## al3d

Canadien Tire, any Gun store basicaly


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## fraser

in my area, canadian tire and walmart dont carry it.
not many gun shops here either, but the ones we have all carry it.
i gotta think up north it would be available in the sporting section of a canadian tire or walmart- like in quebec.
but ill bet you can buy beer at canadian tire in quebec...
i was out at the bass pro shop in vaughn mills last year with some buddies from work, they have it, and i bought a few bottles while there-
you can also get it online, from some sources- its made by birchwood-casey
http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/


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## Overt1

in vancouver, im getting it at reliable gun. canadian tire doesn't stock it here. 

thanks for the tips.


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## Shooting Star

Hi all,
In Edmonton, I get Tru-Oil at Wholesale Sports. I use it a lot on walking sticks and canes that I make as well as on my very first guitar neck project which is still in progress. 3 coats so far. Good tips on using it given above by Fraser and al3d. In my case, I tinted (stained) the neck with water based anilne dye stain before applying the tru-oil. I haven't tried tinting the oil itself. I used the dye powder named "honey tone amber" from Lee Valley Tools.

One thing about Tru-Oil is that it has a "shelf life" once the bottle is opened and is exposed to the air since it dries to tacky quite quickly. It helps to keep the lid on as much as possible even between "dips" into the bottle during a coating application. I use it quite a lot, and with the bigger 8 fl. oz. bottles, I haven't been able to use it all up before it starts to kind of gel in the bottle. It helps to shake the bottle with the lid on tight once in a while. Not a big issue, but something to be aware of.


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## fraser

Shooting Star said:


> Hi all,
> In Edmonton, I get Tru-Oil at Wholesale Sports. I use it a lot on walking sticks and canes that I make as well as on my very first guitar neck project which is still in progress. 3 coats so far. Good tips on using it given above by Fraser and al3d. In my case, I tinted (stained) the neck with water based anilne dye stain before applying the tru-oil. I haven't tried tinting the oil itself. I used the dye powder named "honey tone amber" from Lee Valley Tools.
> 
> One thing about Tru-Oil is that it has a "shelf life" once the bottle is opened and is exposed to the air since it dries to tacky quite quickly. It helps to keep the lid on as much as possible even between "dips" into the bottle during a coating application. I use it quite a lot, and with the bigger 8 fl. oz. bottles, I haven't been able to use it all up before it starts to kind of gel in the bottle. It helps to shake the bottle with the lid on tight once in a while. Not a big issue, but something to be aware of.


another thing you can do, when you first open it, dont pull the foil off the top- just poke a hole in the foil, and tip the bottle to get the oil-
then when storing, screw the lid back on, and store the bottle upside down, sitting on its lid-
this way the skin forms at the bottom of the bottle, leaving good stuff easy to get at-


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## Shooting Star

Hey Fraser,
Thanks for the (upside down) tip. I'm going to do that from now on. I have yet to use up a whole bottle of the stuff before it starts to set up and give me problems, in spite of the fact I probably use it more often than most of those in the forum who do the occasional guitar neck with it. By the way, I'm up to my 6th coat on the tele project neck I'm doing and it's looking very nice indeed. It's quite glossy already and I think with some buffing as suggested above, it will turn out great. Thanks to all for the advice.


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## anaerobe

What a great thread.

One question. Everyone talks about buffing out the dried product. How do you guys "buff" the dry Tru Oil out?

Buffing wheel, or by hand? Or ....?

Thanks,
Ian
(Winnipeg)


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## fraser

i buff it out by hand myself- simply using old denim, like a piece of old jeans.
just go over the neck with the material, use some elbow grease and itll polish up nice.
at this point ill often see minor imperfections or high/low spots as the shine begins to take-
i simply go back to steel wool to pretty it up some at the problem area, then repeat the buffing.
ive also heard of people using brown paper bags as a buffing cloth.
im sure you could use a buffing wheel and some compound or whatever, but i dont find it necessary.
tru-oil is very forgiving and easy to work with.


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## gooberman

ajcoholic said:


> where are you guys getting this stuff in Canada?
> 
> AJC


I bought mine at the Bass Pro in Vaughn, but like everyone else said, gun shops etc.


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## Traivs

The biggest thing with Truoil finishes is surface preparation, especially if you're oiling the whole guitar. If you only sand to 220 grit (as with lacquer) the oil will seep into the wood and kill your tone. It's imortant to micro-mesh the surface your oiling up to 12,000 grit. That way, the oil won't penetrate the wood, and you'll end up with a really great-looking finish. Also, applying one coat of a non-drying oil, such as lemon oil, when you're finished will help protect it from fingerprinting and whatnot.


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## fraser

> the oil will seep into the wood and kill your tone


uhhhhh.........9kkhhd


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## JDH55

to the fellow that was asking where to get Tru-Oil in Canada, I am in Ontario and as far as I know it is banned here in Canada, at least here in Ontario (I could be wrong). I buy it in the US and forget to declare it at the border. The stuff is great but in my opinion it is one of the most toxic substances ever created. Every time I have it around it brings out a chronic bad cough that can last for days. Apply it on a hot sunny day and you can re-coat in 3 hours. Tru-Oil takes two weeks to harden fully so try and put off your sanding as long as possible.


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## JDH55

regarding applying Tru-Oil, I am currently putting it on a bare wood (sanded) fender body. I have tried many methods of application and the best way I have found is the use a tiny rag and put it on in very thin quick, long strokes. Resist the temptation to get the job done quickly, build it up in thin layers. I don't thin it and the stuff gets tacky real fast which can lead to big problems if you continue applying it. As I stated earlier I feel the finished product is without equal if done properly but beware as there is a kind of art in applying the stuff. Takes a while to get the hang of applying it and it is kind of tricky to work with at first. Takes a lot of patience. Tru-oil suggest you wipe it on with your fingers but I found it went on too thick that way. good luck


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## davetcan

I purchased both the Birchwood Casey oil and wax from the local gun shop here in London just a couple of months ago. No ban here that I'm aware of. Absolutely terrific stuff.

I use the Ernie Ball method for application. Wipe on a thin coat, let dry for about a minute, wipe of. Repeat as necessary. Follow up with the wax if you want to. I'm only using this on the back of my maple necks btw. Feels wonderful when I'm done, smooth as silk. I do use 0000 steel wool as required.




JDH55 said:


> to the fellow that was asking where to get Tru-Oil in Canada, I am in Ontario and as far as I know it is banned here in Canada, at least here in Ontario (I could be wrong). I buy it in the US and forget to declare it at the border. The stuff is great but in my opinion it is one of the most toxic substances ever created. Every time I have it around it brings out a chronic bad cough that can last for days. Apply it on a hot sunny day and you can re-coat in 3 hours. Tru-Oil takes two weeks to harden fully so try and put off your sanding as long as possible.


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## JDH55

thanks for the tip on applying Tru-oil Ernie Ball style, never heard of that way before


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## Jocko

When I use Tru-oil I wipe it on with a piece of kitchen towel then immediately wipe the excess back off with fresh kitchen towel. I then allow a minimum of 24 hours before lightly buffing with 0000 steel wool. After cleaning down I repeat the process. Once I have lain down about 20 coats I leave the top coat un-polished. I then hang the woodwork up in a cupboard and allow it to cure for a month before commencing assembly.


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## al3d

Jocko said:


> When I use Tru-oil I wipe it on with a piece of kitchen towel then immediately wipe the excess back off with fresh kitchen towel. I then allow a minimum of 24 hours before lightly buffing with 0000 steel wool. After cleaning down I repeat the process. Once I have lain down about 20 coats I leave the top coat un-polished. I then hang the woodwork up in a cupboard and allow it to cure for a month before commencing assembly.


20 coats?...my goad...can you still feel the frets?..LOL. i do that same techics, and after 5 or 6 times, i remove at least 2 coats with steelwool cause it feels to tick..


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## Swervin55

So, apparently our tighter Canadian import laws have affected the supply of Tru-oil (Birchwood-Casey) in Canada. Wholesale Sports no longer stocks it nor does Cabela's. I called a local gun shop and got the same story. The US distributors don't (or won't) label it as required by our import laws (or something to that effect). If anyone has any information as to where to get this stuff in Canada, I would very appreciative.


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## Gizmo

I've had the very same problem, tried a bunch of gun shops and sports outlets and the story goes something like..."hmmm, can't seem to get that anymore".

I've given up looking and settled on polymerised Tung Oil from Lee Valley.



Swervin55 said:


> So, apparently our tighter Canadian import laws have affected the supply of Tru-oil (Birchwood-Casey) in Canada. Wholesale Sports no longer stocks it nor does Cabela's. I called a local gun shop and got the same story. The US distributors don't (or won't) label it as required by our import laws (or something to that effect). If anyone has any information as to where to get this stuff in Canada, I would very appreciative.


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## Jocko

al3d said:


> 20 coats?...my goad...can you still feel the frets?..LOL. i do that same techics, and after 5 or 6 times, i remove at least 2 coats with steelwool cause it feels to tick..


This was on a body. I have not used it on a neck. The point of my post was, as Mr Miyagi says, "wipe on, wipe off"


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## al3d

Jocko said:


> This was on a body. I have not used it on a neck. The point of my post was, as Mr Miyagi says, "wipe on, wipe off"


OH...on a body?..for a naturall finish i guess!....


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