Official Luthiers Forum!

I’ve seen a few posts on IG lately about a few builders using something called osmo (brand) oil finish on their instruments. Does anyone here have any experience with this? I’m always open to new things and processes
B


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A friend who builds violins and violas uses it and loves it.

Ed M

Look up Josh's tuts on YouTube...

That would be Josh House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfdZWVTNyzE

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I was gonna ask haha thanks


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Interesting. They call it a hard wax oil. Wonder what that means. He is just using it for necks in the video. Are people using it for the whole guitar?

I did get in touch w him. He is only using it for necks. He said the gent who does “treehouse guitars “ uses it more than extensively . Not sure no if he is a part of this forum


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I have used hard wax oil (various brands, but Osmo is a good one) for whole instruments and really like it. Advantages are ease of hand application, non-toxic (actually certified food safe, I also use it on chopping boards), and infinitely repairable (sand out a ding or scratch, just rub on more oil and it blends right in). It cures to a very hard and durable finish with only a few coats, and enhances colour and grain in the timber very nicely. It also feels nice.
Disadvantages - it does not really build layers of finish so it does not achieve a polishable surface like you get with a lacquer, or even with Tru Oil (after a gazillion coats and a month of curing time). It is best suited to an open pore satin finish which you can buff. I happen to like that style (“treehouse guitar” if you like, no insult taken), and I don’t see the value of the finish with perfect pore filling and a lacquer, finish that looks like a pane of glass between me and the wood. If that iis your target you won’t like hard wax oil on the body of the guitar - but you might still love it on the neck.

I haven’t got a guitar handy to show you but here are a couple of chopping boards that I finished with hardwax oil and beeswax blend yesterday. Only one coat and no buffing at this stage. Some scratches and sanding marks still visible -but heck, they are chopping boards made from scrap so I don’t get too precious about it. Colours are nice and with a second or third coat and a buff they will have a nice sheen.

I'd like to hear even more opinions on this. Are there others who have tried it on acoustic bodies? If Osmo is designed for use on wood floors, it seems like it should hold up to the much more moderate abuse on an instrument.

English luthier Adrian Lucas uses it on acoustics.

https://www.lucasguitars.co.uk/finishes

I use OSMO Polyx Oil on all of my furniture that I build for indoor use. So easy to use and apply. I think it could be a great neck finish or solidbody finish, I don't think I'd use it on my acoustic bodies but maybe it is great. I love how easy it is to use and how natural it looks.

What turns you off to using it on an acoustic body?


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Snow,
I've been working with it on the Stauffer. I think it will work well. I think it really shines on a fretboard, and you could freshen it up just by cleaning, and wiping finish on the worn spots. In fact, you could do that anywhere. I found that it will go over Aqua Coat, which I should have used on the Spanish Cedar Neck. At some point I might sand it down, and do it over with the Ebony tinted Osmo, Now that is something that isn't easy at all to do with other finishes. We'll see what it looks like in a while.

It also is the fastest and easiest finish that I've ever used.

The LOOK?

I like it. It is like wood with an oil sheen. Looks very rich. It might get scratches, but it seems like it would be easier to fix than other finishes.

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Why be normal?

I've done probably 10 fender style electric guitars with Osmo PolyX. It doesn't gloss up at all, but gives a really beautiful "organic" semi gloss/satin sheen. I really like it, and the guitars "feel" really great in the hands. They develop a broken in patina quickly though, which is either a pro or a con I guess depending on your perspective. Having said that any guitar I play regularly ultimately picks up dings, dents, and scratches, and one thing I like about Osmo, vs film finishes is that even the wear ends up looking like part of the instrument, rather than like its skin is flaking or chipping off.

I'm not sure I'd like it on an acoustic though, and my feelings here are likely more psychological than anything else.

My finishing schedule is six days long, but could probably get away with three days if I really had to. Give myself a day or two to let it cure and I can assemble the guitar. And I could do it in the kitchen beside my wife making dinner if I had to.

I don't have much experience with other oil finishes, but with Osmo I feel like the finish can benefit from some maintenance, ie. semi regular cleaning and a thin reapplication of the oil. Osmo sells a top oil product for this application.

I’m liking it!

It goes on really easy and feels very silky - this after 2 coats, two to go.

I followed the House Guitar YouTube vid with the exception of the top coats being satin instead of matte.

Best, M

Did you pore fill first? If so, with what?

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I did not pore fill. The YouTube vid above has a recommendation if you choose to pore fill. I personally don’t think it needs it.

M

I needed to pore fill the Padauk. it could probably leak water! I just used a couple coats of Aqua Coat, because that's what I had. I did test it first. It was not completely smooth, just the gaping holes filled in some. With the satin in looks nice:



I made a mess of the neck putting frets in. My last fiasco was to put a no slip pad under it. Not a good move. I got out a sanding block and took it down to bare wood; wiped on some iron acetate to darken the Spanish Cedar; and put on some flat. It was a whole lot easier than if any other kind of varnish was there.



I even just put it on my basement stairs. I pulled of the red textured tile; the cement that was put on with a grooved trowel like setting tiles! and the aluminum strips that rip your socks when the screws come up. It took weeks to get the glue and paint that was under the glue off. I only put one coat of the flat on for now, It is basically to keep the dirt from getting in the wood. I'll probably put a coat on the center of the stairs every once in a while when it wears down. I really don't want them slippery.

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Why be normal?

I’ve done a test on hog… it is simple to apply … I do like how it feels after it dries.
I may do a body w it and French polish the top


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I did not pore fill. The YouTube vid above has a recommendation if you choose to pore fill. I personally don’t think it needs it.


Michael - which woods do your pore fill and which do you not?

Ed M

Hi Ed,

I generally pore fill any woods that are gonna receive a gloss finish. My personal preference for pore filler is Silvertip epoxy.

Best, M

The OSMO neck feels silky and fast under hand. It’s very easy to apply - I didn’t even have to mask off the FB. I think it has a very nice glow as well.

Best, M

Beautiful guitar!

I'm finishing a guitar that (for various reasons) I stopped working on three years ago. I'd already applied Z-Poxy finishing resin as a pore filler on the back, sides and neck, which I'm now sanding down. I'd like to French polish the soundboard and the headstock veneer and finish all the rest with Osmo Polyx satin. Do you think I can apply it directly over the Z-Poxy or should I apply a shellac wash coat first?

Actually just finished number 23 and used osmo for the back sides and neck. I did FP on the top and top binding. I used matte osmo. I do like it… It does feel like it’s … kinda finished but man … really puts you in touch w the wood.

It’s interesting


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