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Apply finish before neck is on, or after?
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Author:  robertD [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:02 am ]
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Hello All,

It won’t be long before I’ll start to put a finish my guitar. I will be using “True-Oil”

I figure there are several methods used by different builders.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but, do most of you finish the body and the neck separately?

Since I’m going with “True-Oil”, would it be just as easy to finish with neck installed?

Just wondering,

Robert
Author:  martinedwards [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:06 am ]
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I've only finished separatly once in 16 builds. and it was a natural finished neck on a black les Paul
Author:  burbank [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:10 am ]
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Generally speaking, most steel string builders finish separately, most classical builders finish them together. Post pics!
Author:  stan thomison [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:14 am ]
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dovetail after on body pretty much has to be. bolt on before, easier and one advantage of bolt on.
Author:  Sam Price [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:20 am ]
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I do it seperately.
Author:  Dave White [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:40 am ]
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Robert,

If its a bolt on neck then it's easier to do separately. You'll get a much better finish in the area where the neck joins the body as it will be hard to get the Tru-oil right into the edges by the neck plus you will probably get some runs in the neck/body join area.
Author:  Wayne Clark [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:54 am ]
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I'm finishing the neck and body separately. My latest project has a tru-oil finish on the neck and KTM-9 on the body, so I pretty much have to do them separately.
Author:  JBreault [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:52 am ]
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Just an FYI. Kevin Ryan finishes the body of his guitar first, sets the neck to the finished body and then finishes the neck. This way any changes the finish might cause are already taken into account when setting the neck. Just another approach to keep in mind.

Oh, and I've done it both ways and finishing the two parts seperately is definitely the way to go.
Author:  Telfer [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:15 am ]
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BTW, Whats True Oil made of anyway...is it just a fancy name for Danish Oil?

I used Watco Danish Oil on a neck once, and it wore off a few months later.

Now I just sand the wood to insane levels of smoothness, apply some varathane and then wipe it off...done!
Author:  JJ Donohue [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:28 am ]
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Telfer...how did you apply the Danish Oil and how many coats?
Author:  Telfer [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:19 pm ]
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[QUOTE=JJ Donohue] Telfer...how did you apply the Danish Oil and how many coats? [/QUOTE]
One coat...I wiped it on liberally with a cloth, waited a few minutes and then wiped the excess off with dry cloth.

I was pleased with how it looks, but after a few months of playing I noticed there were dark areas where my hand wore off the finish.

Never again...now I use a varathane thats hard enough for floors!
Author:  JJ Donohue [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:57 pm ]
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Telfer...A few minutes of Danish Oil on the surface is woefully too short! I'm surprised it lasted as long as you claim.

Here's how I successfully treated necks with Danish Oil:

1) Apply liberally, keep wet for 30 minutes and allow it to soak in

2) Wipe off

3) Allow to cure for 2 days

4) Repeat 3 more times.

It produces a dry slippery neck. Time will tell how long it lasts.
Author:  Telfer [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:34 pm ]
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[QUOTE=JJ Donohue] Telfer...A few minutes of Danish Oil on the surface is woefully too short! I'm surprised it lasted as long as you claim.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps, I try to avoid letting finishes soak in for too long. I suppose Id rather have a harder thinner finish than a softer product that penetrates deeply.
Author:  Kevin Gallagher [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:33 pm ]
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    I build the body and neck together, do a close neck set withboth
unfinished and then finish the body to the final buff.

   Once the body is completely finished, I set the neck to its final status
and finish it. I usually have five or six bodies done and then do their
respective necks and set and install them when all are complete.

   Finishing with the neck and body connected, regardless of joint style
can present future problems on any guitar. If the need for a neck reset
arises or the neck is damaged and needs to be replaced, there will be
much more finish repair and touch up necessary than if they were
finished separately and joined to one another after.

   Of course on an electric, I always finish the entire guitar with the neck
and body already joined. A need for a neck reset is a much less common
or likely development on an electric with the ready adjustability that is
provided by the hardware.

Just what's worked for me,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars
Author:  CarltonM [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:04 pm ]
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[QUOTE=Telfer] BTW, Whats True Oil made of anyway
[/QUOTE]
Polymerized linseed oil (not to be confused with "boiled" LO) and proprietary additives. It's a varnish. The key, as I understand it, is to apply thin coats, wiping off very soon after so it doesn't soak into the wood (especially if using it on guitar bodies). Then ya gotta let it dry for a day or two before applying the next coat. Do this until you have a protective surface finish. Then, don't handle it for a couple of weeks or so to let it dry. Obviously, patience is required!
Author:  robertD [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:43 pm ]
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Wow! Thanks everyone for all of the prompt responses!

Looks like the consensus is finish separately. And, thanks to your explanations, I now understand why!

Just so you know, I do have a bolt on neck, and It has been set to the proper angle.

I assume that, as with nitro finish, I will remove finish to glue up bridge, and fretboard extension later?

BTW, if anyone wants to know more about “True-Oil” here’s an address to LMI.
It’s a detailed instructional on its application. (Sorry, I don’t know how to post a link)
Also, if you really get interested to the point where you want to buy “True-Oil” it’s a lot cheaper by the gal.
I think I paid about $35.00 + shipping, as opposed to $5.00 for a 3 oz. Bottle. you do the math

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/TruOil.htm


Thanks again Everyone!
Author:  Dave White [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:55 pm ]
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[QUOTE=robertandsons]
Also, if you really get interested to the point where you want to buy “True-Oil” it’s a lot cheaper by the gal.
I think I paid about $35.00 + shipping, as opposed to $5.00 for a 3 oz. Bottle. you do the math



Thanks again Everyone![/QUOTE]

Robert,

I think you may have to put a lot of thought into how you are going to store the Tru-oil once the air seal is broken. Once the seal is broken I find you have only a month or so before it changes properties and won't set and harden up the same way unless you can somehow make the container airtight again. I used some old stuff on a neck and it felt like it had set as normal but when played it proceeded to come off gumming up the strings and feeling really nasty.

You need so little of the stuff that even when I was using it to finish the whole instrument rather than just necks I always had lots left over in the 3oz bottle and ended up throwing away more than I used.
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Sat Mar 17, 2007 1:57 am ]
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I just refinished two guitars I made years ago. The aforementioned ease of buffing and fitting in the spray booth are biggies in my book too. Another reason to consider bolt on necks for me instead of dovetails, refinishes..... hopefully there won't be any more of those.
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