Question ebmm gunstock oil finish

[sanderhermans]

I was just wondering how they aply the tru-oil and wax at the musicman factory. Is there anny info on this?
I have personally sanded and refinished quite a few guitar necks to give them the smooth feel of an oiled neck. I allways use the birchwood casey oil and wax and sanding i think i do that properly too. The only thing im not sure of is. How manny layers do i aply, how long do they need to dry, sanding in between or not, how many layers of wax,....? I get a good finish but never the silky feel of a new ebmm out of the case, so i wonder how they do this.

 

[stratamania]

I just saw this thread the other day when I was browsing the forum. There is one post mentioning how someone saw it done in the factory.

http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-guitars/50066-gun-stock-finish-vs-gun-stock-wax.html

 

[sanderhermans]

This is a great tread with lots of tips. Thanks!
But i must say that the tru oil really never gives me the same results as stock ebmm. Allways feels a bit more tacky to me and less satin like...

 

[stratamania]

I've done a couple of DIY guitars with Tru oil and Birchwood Casey wax so have experimented with it a fair bit. Although I just got my first Morse.

I would say less is more in this case. Even if you want to build up a thicker finish its best done in thin layers. It can take a while to gas off otherwise.

I've no idea if Musicman, use a thinner with the Tru Oil, but if it's colder weather and I was in Belgium recently so I know it is perhaps a touch of white spirit or Turps substitute could thin it just enough to make it workable.

 

[sanderhermans]

Ive got the feeling indeed that the oil is just too thick. It doesnt sink into the wood and forms more of a film on it, much like a finish. Even if i use only a drop to do the entire neck. It feels sticky for a long time. Thining it would be a good idea imo. But its hard to dose the 2 parts in this small quantity. Also im weary of using thinner or stuff like that on my bass.

 

[stratamania]

Well Birchwood Casey, recommend the thinner I mentioned. It will mostly evaporate in any case.

When I've used Tru oil I put a drop into the lid. If you put a drop of thinner in and mix it should get you close. It's almost a wipe on and off proposition I think.

A small dropper or pipette may help with small quantities.

 

[stratamania]

I also forgot to mention Tru Oil despite its name is a polymerised finish based on Linseed oil. But it will dry unlike a natural oil.

 

[Mrrstrat]

I got the Tru Oiland matching wax at Gander Mountain. I treated the neck like you would a wooden gun stock and hand rubbed it so my SR5 looks brand new!

 

[sanderhermans]

Finaly got verry close to the stock musicman finish. Its still slightly sticky, but close to no difference. Just whiping the oil and wax on and straight off seems to get the absolute best results. Then imo it needs to sit for a few days to let it all dry properly. I also figure the sanding is the most important bit. To get a superfast feeling neck, you must sand it super fine till it is perfect. This takes some time and effort. The finishing is no big deal.

 

[Bob123]

I don't normally like company "how to's", but these guys are using "off the shelf" products. Only thing I dont like is they didnt take the neck off haha

 

[stratamania]

Another thing to try after fine sanding after the finish and wax is to take an old white piece of cotton like part of an old T shirt and use that to buff by hand that will get a slick feeling neck.

 

[DrKev]

Its still slightly sticky, but close to no difference. Just whiping the oil and wax on and straight off seems to get the absolute best results. Then imo it needs to sit for a few days to let it all dry properly. I also figure the sanding is the most important bit. To get a superfast feeling neck, you must sand it super fine till it is perfect. This takes some time and effort. The finishing is no big deal.

Me - 1000 grit sandpaper (you can happily as low as 400 and still get good results but higher number gives even silkier results). Dab a *little* Tru-oil on a paper towel, really not a lot, just enough to wipe evenly over the neck. No waiting to dry, just grab fresh paper towel, thoroughly buff the oil off. I like to buff again with a 2nd paper towel. Repeat same process for gunstock wax - dab a little on a paper towel, just enough for even coverage, then buff off with 1 or 2 fresh paper towels.