TripHazard
Well-known member
I use more than a Gnats Gonad, but i polish and buff to within an inch of my life
- Thread starter ozzyrules
- Start date
jones4tone
Well-known member
Anybody ever buff post waxing with a soft cloth? Seems like it could be made to be super-smooth that way, but I haven't tried it yet, as none of my necks have needed it to date.
Brucifer85
Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2017
- Messages
- 11
I went into my local gun store to see if they have Gunstock wax and they did, also the Tru oil.
The gent working there showed me his rifle. He says he lightly sands it and then applies the wax. It felt extremely smooth. I'm pretty sure he said he buffed it with a cloth post waxing.
TripHazard
Well-known member
That's what I do
DrKev
Moderator
My guess is that smoothness comes more from the sanding than what you buff with (i.e. no matter what you buff with it'll be great).
My Silhouette Special currently feels a little smoother than my buddy's Y2D and roasted neck JP6. Beginning of January I did 600 and 1000 grit, then 0000 steel wool, then oil and wax, which was total overkill, albeit glorious overkill. It's actually too smooth to my taste. I have also just used 600 grit on it's own in the past and it comes out great, there really is little need to do more, IMHO.
My Silhouette Special currently feels a little smoother than my buddy's Y2D and roasted neck JP6. Beginning of January I did 600 and 1000 grit, then 0000 steel wool, then oil and wax, which was total overkill, albeit glorious overkill. It's actually too smooth to my taste. I have also just used 600 grit on it's own in the past and it comes out great, there really is little need to do more, IMHO.
stuartv
Well-known member
None, unless you put on many coats of Tru-Oil. The main purpose of the oil is to protect the neck. It seals the wood to keep moisture out (so it's not so affected by changes in humidity), and it hardens the surface somewhat.
But, you can apply many coats and let it build up, in which case it will change the feel. At that point, you can have anything from an orange peel finish to a glossy finish, depending on how much you want to buff it.
Personally, I prefer the bare wood feel, so I just oil the neck to protect it. 2, maybe 3, coats applied by wiping on with a paper towel.
I don't get steel wool near my basses (any more). Buffing with steel wool always make steel dust. Pickup magnets will pick that stuff right up and be a pain to clean.
For buffing after oiling, it works very well to use a paper towel.
Usually, when I get around to oiling my neck, I will be able to feel that a bit of the grain of the wood has started to stand out. I.e. the neck no longer feels perfectly smooth because I can feel some of the grain. To sand that back down to smooth before oiling, I use 3M pads. I get them at Lowe's. They make at least 3 or 4 different grit equivalents. They call them Stripping pads, Between Coats pads, and Final Finishing pads.
Some examples:
Shop 3M 2-Pack Final Stripping Pads at Lowes.com
Shop 3M Between Coats Finishing Pads at Lowes.com
Shop 3M Final Finishing Pads at Lowes.com
IMO, these are The Ticket for this kind of stuff. I definitely prefer them to steel wool. No steel dust! And the stripping and between coats pads work a lot better than 0000 for knocking down wood grain that has swelled and is standing out. Or for taking off a gloss finish (even if you just want to sand it to a matte finish).
DrKev
Moderator
True. I put newspaper down before I start for easy cleanup. If I leave the neck on the guitar I'll cover the pickups with masking tape. I remove the masking tape when cleanup is finished.
beej
Moderator
You can also try the B/C conditioner ... it makes for a very slick finish.
banjoplayer
Well-known member
I forgot to mention that I mask the pickups with tape too. And yes paper towels are a must in every step of oiling and waxing
I´m sure the 3M pads work great too
