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How do you folks finish your ebony fretboards? Do you just polish to a certain grit? Buff on the wheel? Apply anything?
My board was sanded to 600 and I happen to hit it with some Zinsner sanding sealer--tried to wipe it off, but ti really produced a nice even shine. Any thoughts on using it?

I just apply a couple of coats of the fretboard oil that Stew Mac sells. It really soaks in and doesn't seem to scratch up very bad, which is what I would worry about with the shellac.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Polishing up to 12,000 with micromesh works fine for me.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

A contra bass builder I know uses polymerized Tung Oil. Levels out the black on any streaky boards as a bonus.

Shane

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Canada

Maybe it makes me a heretic, but I claim that everything looks (and smells) better with a coat or ten of polymerized tung oil. I use it on my fretboards and as a finish on most of my woodworking projects (lutherie and not). I drop two coats on fretboards.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

I tried the fingerboard oil with a few drops that my bud Alain shared with me and i was really impressed with the results. I'll buy me some!

Go to Lee Valley Serge.......Their 'fret board oil' is likely polymerized tung oil. But I am speaking from NO experience here, just that it is likely something that is repackaged rather than made to specs....although I have been wrong many times before!

Shane

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Canada

I'm pretty sure the fretboard oil that Stew Mac sells is linseed oil based. At least it sure smells that way.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

tru-oil is linseed oil based too.

tru-oil would be a good choice as the af_one says it's polymerized linseed oil, but polymerized tung oil is also what I use. It works real nice on the back of the neck to if you want a mat finish, and thin too.

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[QUOTE=Shane Neifer] Go to Lee Valley Serge.......Their 'fret board oil' is likely polymerized tung oil. But I am speaking from NO experience here, just that it is likely something that is repackaged rather than made to specs....although I have been wrong many times before!

Shane[/QUOTE]

Shane, do you mean that the Stew Mac one is made with poly tung oil or the Lee Valley one? Is there a danger in any case?

Lee Valley sells polymerized tung oil by that name rather than a trade name. I also second Rod's mention of the neck feel, I don't think anything compares to the feel of an oiled neck.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

I've done three guitars in tru oil and did everything but the Fb. I tried it and it made it look like plastic to me. I'm using the StewMac FB oil. Very nice sheen without being plastic.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I miss my edit button. I wanted to add that the FB oil also smoothes out the streaks/color in a FB. Very nice, dark, and rich looking.

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......