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Hey guys can you help me? i want to aquire a rough looking oil finish but i dont know how to do it, can someone teach me how to do it? thanks!empireboy38982.3584606481

Do you mean an aged finish?

AlA Peebels38982.3655208333

OK here is a real simple one for you. Go to your local Ace hardware and buy Formby's Satin gloss tung oil finish. This has a resin base added to it. It is more like a tru-oil than a pure tung-oil. You rag it on just as you would add wax to a car. allow 4-7 hours between coats. I would use four-six coats on the neck and six to eight on the body. Allow to cure for a week. Then you can buff to what ever luster you want. It really is that simple. You could also 0000 steel wool and wax to a satin finish if desired. You can also do basicly the same thing with Belhen's Rockhard.MichaelP38982.6534722222

Oh and seal the top with shellac first. this will penetrat too deep for use on unsealed top.

MichaelP - a few questions

First, I have mixed shellac from flakes for my seal coat on tops. What is the Zinnser (I recall) product that you buy ready made that is dewaxed for this process? And do you thin it down or use straight out of the can? Do you brush or rag on?

Second, what is your recipe for thinning the Behlens Rockhard down and how do you apply the finish? Do you brush or rag on or something else?

Just curious

Thanks

Mike
White Oak, Texas

First, the product you speak of is Zinsser's Seal Coat. It is 100% ready to use 2# cut 100% dewaxed shellac. 50% amber50% blonde. You can cut to a 1# cut for sealing if you like. It can be brused, raged or sprayed on.

Second, Behlen's Rock hard can be cut with Behlen's Rockhard reducer but I normally don't as it comes in brushing viscosity out of the can. I typically only use it for necks but have done several tables tops with it. I rag on as I described in the above post in tight circular motion. This penetrats and the resin in it dries very hard.MichaelP38982.5152314815

Mike
I have been using Rockhard for about 5 or 6 guitars now and I spray it on which I find gives a much better flow for later sanding and buffing. I don't have exact proportions for thinning but I use an 8oz cup and fill it leaving enough room in the cup to add 2 capfulls of behlens rockhard reducer and 1 capfull of acetone. I do this emmediately before spraying and I only mix enough for the job at hand be sure to filter the varnish into the spray gun. Behlens and maybe any oil varnish does not bite well into previous the layer so the acetone helps in this regard with witness lines while leveling and buffing. I use the same shellac for sealing as Michael and then start spraying coats at one per day, sanding between coats. after the first couple of coats the sanding is very light with 320 or 400 as you want to build your film. I usually end up with 6 - 8 coats and it is still very thin. The last coat I will spray on a double coat within about 15-20 minutes and leave for as long as possible, several weeks to more than a month, longer is better. Before this last coat I sand with 800 grit and try to make sure everything is as clean as possible so that my final coat needs as little sanding as possible. I can usually do my finish sanding starting with 1500 grit and if I feel like it and am not worried about sanding thru coats I will follow with 2000. The trouble is it is easy to sand thru if you are too agressive and that will result in witness lines. I dry buff with Menzerna midium, fine and extra fine. Don't use too much pressure and keep the guitar moveing and don't buff the edges or just buff off the edges, you can polish those by hand during your cleanup.
Best of luck

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I use Danish oil. Its a rubbing varnish rather than the pure tung type oil...... it's a Mr Miyagi job. Rub on, rub off. after 6 or so coats you get a great lustre. and no sanding or mess!!

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Thanks Michael and John,

I have used the Behlens on a couple now and I believe I got John's recipe out of the Archives. The first I put on to thick on the first coat and caused a mess. The second is when I used your formula John and pad wiped it on and it did really nice. I will probably go to a spray since I am setting up a spray booth now in another out building on my property. Finishing is probably my biggest weakness. Sometimes I think my guitars look their very best before finish. Folks that see my guitars think the finish is nice, but I am not satisfied. I guess looking at some of these on the OLF sets a higher standard. I have thought about sending a couple of the 4 I am closing the boxes on now over to Tony to get a better comparison. I have Robbie's CD and have looked at all the alternatives and methods many times, but I find it harder than it looks. Maybe I am just hard to please or have some mental block on the finish.

Martin, I have never tried the Danish Oil, but it sounds nice, thanks for the info, I will give it a whirl on one in the future. If you don't sand between layers what do you sand your body and neck to in grit before application? Are you waxing or buffing after application?

Thanks again to all "Onward through the Fog"

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Danish oil is ace. I used RussellR's finishing schedule and the results are really satisfactory.

SOOOO easy to apply.


I enjoyed applying the finish too, and may apply more on a regular basis as time goes on...a pleasant satin finish that causes the wood to glow.Sam Price38982.732662037

Thanks for the help guys

[QUOTE=MSpencer] Thanks Michael and John,

but I find it harder than it looks. Maybe I am just hard to please or have some mental block on the finish.

[/QUOTE]

It is harder than it looks but it'll get better.

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.