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Has anyone used linseed oil to finish necks?


ESchmidt

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Would finishing a maple neck with linseed oil work? Im considering many options to finish my tele neck. What would you reccomend?

 

 

You can do the neck, but I would not do the fingerboard.

Linseed oil is a "drying" oil, and forms a polymer on exposure to air and light. This is the basis of traditional oil-based paints and varnishes. However, such finishes can feel gummy or sticky on tight grained woods (like rosewood or ebony).

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You can do the neck, but I would not do the fingerboard.

Linseed oil is a "drying" oil, and forms a polymer on exposure to air and light. This is the basis of traditional oil-based paints and varnishes. However, such finishes can feel gummy or sticky on tight grained woods (like rosewood or ebony).

 

 

Thanks a bunch!

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Another vote for Tung Oil here. I just redid a MIM Strat neck after doing a PRS SE Santana neck last year. The MIM Strat neck turned out superb (better than the first trial with the PRS). That MIM neck is now the smoothest---best feeling neck on any guitar I own now. I did roughly 5 to 6 applications, with 24 hours in between applications, and sanded between applications with 800 grit.... working up to 1200... and then 1600 after the final two coats.

 

I don't think you will be disappointed. The neck is not even tacky when my hands sweat now.

 

Good luck,

David Jon

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Stick with gunstock oil, Tru-oil in your country is an exceedingly good mix. It's tried, tested, easy to apply and gives superb results. Don't try to reinvent the wheel:thu:

 

 

 

This is the best advice you been given! And Jerrys to not touch the Fretboard. Tung-Oil is OK.....Not as good as this.

 

Linseed oil isn't a sealer like Tung Oil and Gunstock oil. You could use that on Rosewood fretboards but your better off with Lemon Oil. Just to wipe them down to stop the rosewood from becoming too dry.

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I love Tru-Oil, great stuff, its actually a modified / polymerized linseed oil made so it drys fast and fairly hard.

It makes for a great feeling neck finish as well as a wonderful overall finish.

 

Its also nice for other wood projects, like these boxes I'm making for some Xmas gifts.

 

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boxcomp1.jpg

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I used linseed on my Warmoth neck. However, it wasn't the finish, just one step in the finish. I used it to enhance the flame maple of the neck, and, once that was done, shot nitrocellulose clear to finish the neck. The oil gave it a nice tint, too. Oh, and fyi, I used boiled linseed oil for this endeavor :thu:

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I prefer the Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil Finish too. The guy above makes a good point about having used boiled linseed oil. Raw linseed oil does not dry well on tight grained wood like maple. It is less a finish and more of a preservative. I have use linseed oil on WWII Mauser rifle stocks and after months of drying still had the oil bleed out on a hot day in the sun. The "boiling" makes it a varnish. The True Oil is a linseed oil based finish. You rub on successive coats using the palm of your hand. When you feel your hand "chatter" as you rub it in, you move on to the next area. Once dry (overnight) you do it again until you have the desired gloss. You can buff it to a mirror polish with automotive polishing compound or Birchwoods own polish. If you want it satin and looking like their is no finish at all, use 0000 steel wool to rub it down lightly. The linseed oil in the finish will impart a golden tone to the maple also and accentuate the wood's natural grain. To see what your wood will look like when finished, wipe the wood down with mineral spirits.

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I just finished oiling a Maple neck with Danish oil, its absolutely beautiful, feels so smooth.. But its an all maple neck (was a cheapie) so I'm really curious to see how quickly the fret board turns nasty! (hey, quick relic!!).

 

The finish feels rock hard and is the smoothest thing I've ever felt.. amazing..

 

But it hasn't tinted the wood at all. Its as easy as wipe it on, leave it for a bit, wipe off the excess, let it dry for a day, use some OOOO steels wool on it, do it all again.. I did 5 coats, would have done more but my patience ran out!

 

It did get a lovely soft shine to it too.

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Danish oil, Tung oil, and Tru-oil are all great neck oils. Tru-oil is a bit thicker than the others, and requires less coats. BLO (boiled linseed oil) never REALLY dries hard and needs reapplication from time to time. I do my rosewood boards every couple years here in the desert with linseed, but most places "lemon" oil ( I think it's mostly mineral oil) is fine for refreshing the fingerboard.

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