Join me while I show you how to finish the top of a Flamed Maple Veneer guitar top with Tru-Oil. Patience required!! Enjoy the video and please don't forget to "Like" and Subscribe!
A secret I learned from my brother a ukulele builder. You can harden tru oil instantly by spraying armor all on it after applying. He used to put 6 coats on his instruments in an hour. The armor all didn't effect the wood just the tru oil. It works very well
So you can apply the armor all right after the truoil? Do you have to clean off the armor all with something prior to adding anything laying of truoil?
Well done. For the record (I learned it from YT also), I use a mix of 1/3 tru oïl, 1/3 wipe-on Poly and 1/3 mineral spirit for every coat. Laying down around 12 coats usually and it's glossy as it can be, dries quickly, I'm putting 4 coats a day without issues. I guess the advice came from Chris at Highline Guitars, works best IMO. Just gotta deal with the liquidity of the mix, meaning thin layers rather than heavy ones at the beginning of the process. And Don't forget to finish with Gunstock wax, the final gloss & hardener touch.
Free tip - store your true-oil with the bottle upside down. It puts the oxygen at the bottom of the bottle and keeps you from having to deal with a hard layer sitting at the top.
I just did a test run on a scrap of cherry. Three hours in between coats and rubbing with steel wool and it's fantastic. I let it sit in the sun which probably sped things up but it's amazing right now
Hey looks good does take a while to harden up I do at least 4-6 coats, (i cap full per guitar LP style) lightly steel-wool in between like you (0000 wool). One other thing I like on first few layers is to use clear thin rubber gloves and use finger thums etc.. to work in evenly, and smooth.
They make an awesome sanding and wood filler too to use before the TRU Oil. I am going to experiment with this on Rosewood fret boards. I think it would be great to have a sealed rosewood board on some guitars and this looks like a perfect finish!
If you wet sand in the beginning it will fill imperfections. You don't wipe it down after wet sand you apply a very lite first application. Then sand. And do it again with no wiping. After second coat you can wipe it down after sanding. Trick is that sanding with Steel wool will always leave a dull finish. A fine buffing compound once your happy with how much coverage you have will get rid of the haze.
Great video , I’m doing a Warmoth build with a quilt maple carved top, and have been trying to decide on a finish , Tru-Oil seems like a lot of work but I might try it, so did you finish the mahogany back with stung oil ?
I just bought a Sterling Stingray Bass. I like the neck, but its not as smooth as my Suhr guitar or my Taylor acoustic. I'm going to lightly sand with 800 grit, wipe clean, then apply Tru Oil. I want to buff-it to a smooth, slick Satin neck (with 0000 steel wool). Enjoyed watching your project. oNe LovE from NYC
Awesome job !! ... Yes give the top at least 2 weeks to cure before buffing it otherwise you may ruin the finish. As for the rest .. dont grain fill it unless your set on doing so ... the Tung oil will fill the pours rather quickly.
What i notice when i use the steel wool (0000) it dulls the truoil where i buff it. So i ended up removing all the shine is that the expected behavior in-between applyinh truoil?
What if aniline dye then nitro topcoat with ? In between to stop reaction if used denatured alcohol and aniline for butterscotch yellow? Any idea what could would happen?
I did a gun stock, I did sorta what you did, but I did about 25 layers. The more and more it starts looking like deep glass. I used 5000 grit between layers and sanded. I sanded with 5000 and 10000 and wheel buffed it. It’s slow slow process people that want to do this don’t rush it, it took me 2 months to do mine. I’m thinking of doing an acoustic guitar.
That is so beautiful! You have obtained a tiger orange and striped dye style finish without dyeing! Great work, I have learned a lot from your video, I am thinking of doing this on my Roasted Swamp Ash Strat body, I think it will turn out great with the help of your video!
When you apply the tru-oil(pure) do you see smudges? Does it get sticky after few secs. Of applying too? Once it get sticky does it mean you over apply the tung pil? And for smudges /wipe marks normally i just buff it with 0000 steelwool but i want to know if its just normal or im putting too much tung oil
Hi there!! Yes it will smudge, which is why eventually I thinned it with Naptha. If it is sticky/tacky, it means it's not dry yet. You need to leave it to dry completely before applying the next layer. I didn't use Tung Oil on the top at all. Thanks for watching!
Right now I am doing an old SIVERTONE that got beat up on the way out west (movers snapped the neck and abused her body) Sanded her down and I'm going NATURAL ...(Was a BLACK GIBBY COPY) Just today put my first TRU OIL coat on the body ... Nice wood under there for a cheapie ... Neck is next ...I love true oil
Question for you, did your guitar maple top come that dark? Mine is quite a bit lighter very pale if you will. If not did you stain it ? Im trying to decide if I should go color dye or stain it for a natural look.
Yes, mine was very light. There is another video I did that showed how I dyed it. I dyed the top brown first, then sanded the brown off carefully to really bring out the flame appearance. Then I use the colored dyes. Thanks for watching!!
Haven't had a chance to try the Tung Oil, yet. My studio area flooded and the guitar was damaged. Trying to dry it out now and hopefully will be able to finish it soon.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Oh sorry when i saw video i put the video at 2:05 now i saw ok nice the 240ml bottle THNX and sorry :) i saw all video and is very good!
I am also using Tru Oil as finish but with a bit different method. The first 10-14 layers are with either Danish or Tung oil (buff with OOOO steel wool between each one) when the first 2 are diluted with mineral spirt for better penetration and I am doing it to get better and deeper protection. Then I add around 10-12 very thin layers of tru oil and use 1000 wet/dry send paper after every 4 layers to get better smoother surface. the last 2 layers are just supper thin layers of tru oil and that's it. This way you can achieve very glossy beautiful durable shin with no need for wax buffing at all.
Dude you could have just used a latex based polyurethane for the finish, it's easy to clean, goes on with a brush, is not smelly & ends up hard as nails.
Believe or not the Rustolyum Pro brand you can get at Home Depot works really well. I've used clear gloss on the body and satin on the neck. Dries quick and hard and is UV stable so it doesn't yellow over time.
I noticed nobody in the comments said anything so just FYI, to make it easier to describe steel wool sizes or any gauge is to call zero's aught pronounced: "awt" So one zero is aught, two zero is double aught, three triple aught and four aught and so on.
Just ordered this same kit myself, and your videos are going to be a huge help in the build process. Keep up the good work
Thanks, man! Just had a huge flood in my studio area and the guitar was damaged. Hopefully will be able to salvage it once it dries out.
A secret I learned from my brother a ukulele builder. You can harden tru oil instantly by spraying armor all on it after applying. He used to put 6 coats on his instruments in an hour. The armor all didn't effect the wood just the tru oil. It works very well
Coming to a test block near.. me! O really....
So you can apply the armor all right after the truoil? Do you have to clean off the armor all with something prior to adding anything laying of truoil?
You sure he was using Tru oil? Never heard of that
@Rob yes but you just wipe it off.
Got my first kit and definitely want to go with the Tru oil , thanks for the tips
Second coat this afternoon ... Man I love the way it looks !
Well done. For the record (I learned it from YT also), I use a mix of 1/3 tru oïl, 1/3 wipe-on Poly and 1/3 mineral spirit for every coat. Laying down around 12 coats usually and it's glossy as it can be, dries quickly, I'm putting 4 coats a day without issues. I guess the advice came from Chris at Highline Guitars, works best IMO. Just gotta deal with the liquidity of the mix, meaning thin layers rather than heavy ones at the beginning of the process. And Don't forget to finish with Gunstock wax, the final gloss & hardener touch.
Free tip - store your true-oil with the bottle upside down. It puts the oxygen at the bottom of the bottle and keeps you from having to deal with a hard layer sitting at the top.
The flame is really popping with the tru oil. This is coming along real good. Good things come to those that wait.
Thanks, brother!!
I really like Tru Oil finished. That one I did was only 4 good coats and then I polished it with old school Johnson's floor wax. Beautiful.
Thanks for sharing, good info here. Definitely a long process and as you mention ' a labor of love' but that's why we're here for! 😉
Looking good. Ima keep watching
Thanks, brother!
I just did a test run on a scrap of cherry. Three hours in between coats and rubbing with steel wool and it's fantastic. I let it sit in the sun which probably sped things up but it's amazing right now
Hey looks good does take a while to harden up I do at least 4-6 coats, (i cap full per guitar LP style) lightly steel-wool in between like you (0000 wool). One other thing I like on first few layers is to use clear thin rubber gloves and use finger thums etc.. to work in evenly, and smooth.
They make an awesome sanding and wood filler too to use before the TRU Oil. I am going to experiment with this on Rosewood fret boards. I think it would be great to have a sealed rosewood board on some guitars and this looks like a perfect finish!
Like a rickenbacker!
If you wet sand in the beginning it will fill imperfections. You don't wipe it down after wet sand you apply a very lite first application. Then sand. And do it again with no wiping. After second coat you can wipe it down after sanding. Trick is that sanding with Steel wool will always leave a dull finish. A fine buffing compound once your happy with how much coverage you have will get rid of the haze.
Great video , I’m doing a Warmoth build with a quilt maple carved top, and have been trying to decide on a finish , Tru-Oil seems like a lot of work but I might try it, so did you finish the mahogany back with stung oil ?
This is great! I wanna copy you so can you write out a brief step by step for me? Did you use a gloss in the end?
Great video. Informative.
Great video. Thanks.
Do you do any finishing after the tru oil? If so, what proccess/tools do you reccomend for finishing over tru oil?
Looking sweet!
Thanks brother!
I just bought a Sterling Stingray Bass. I like the neck, but its not as smooth as my Suhr guitar or my Taylor acoustic. I'm going to lightly sand with 800 grit, wipe clean, then apply Tru Oil. I want to buff-it to a smooth, slick Satin neck (with 0000 steel wool). Enjoyed watching your project. oNe LovE from NYC
Great vid, is there a reason why you don't finish the body and neck in true oil ?
Awesome job !! ... Yes give the top at least 2 weeks to cure before buffing it otherwise you may ruin the finish. As for the rest .. dont grain fill it unless your set on doing so ... the Tung oil will fill the pours rather quickly.
Thanks!! I want to darken the wood some and the filler will do that.
Yeah, but it’ll not dry quickly..
What i notice when i use the steel wool (0000) it dulls the truoil where i buff it. So i ended up removing all the shine is that the expected behavior in-between applyinh truoil?
How does it work on unfinished maple cap Something to make the maple pop a bit Cool demo
Awesome
Thanks!!
Great thing to use to spread is a mr. Clean magic eraser. You will get a perfect finish with no abrasions.
What if aniline dye then nitro topcoat with ? In between to stop reaction if used denatured alcohol and aniline for butterscotch yellow? Any idea what could would happen?
Wow,labor intensive!!
Do you have a 2nd video with buffing the tru oil ?
I did a gun stock, I did sorta what you did, but I did about 25 layers. The more and more it starts looking like deep glass. I used 5000 grit between layers and sanded. I sanded with 5000 and 10000 and wheel buffed it. It’s slow slow process people that want to do this don’t rush it, it took me 2 months to do mine. I’m thinking of doing an acoustic guitar.
That is so beautiful! You have obtained a tiger orange and striped dye style finish without dyeing! Great work, I have learned a lot from your video, I am thinking of doing this on my Roasted Swamp Ash Strat body, I think it will turn out great with the help of your video!
Without dyeing? He used multiple coats and colors of dye on that top 🤔
When you apply the tru-oil(pure) do you see smudges? Does it get sticky after few secs. Of applying too? Once it get sticky does it mean you over apply the tung pil? And for smudges /wipe marks normally i just buff it with 0000 steelwool but i want to know if its just normal or im putting too much tung oil
Hi there!! Yes it will smudge, which is why eventually I thinned it with Naptha. If it is sticky/tacky, it means it's not dry yet. You need to leave it to dry completely before applying the next layer. I didn't use Tung Oil on the top at all. Thanks for watching!
So does it improve the sound through the amp?
Can i use almond oil? I use it on the fretboard
Turned out good OG! Xheers likd 26
Did you have to a grain filler before the tru oil?
Right now I am doing an old SIVERTONE that got beat up on the way out west (movers snapped the neck and abused her body) Sanded her down and I'm going NATURAL ...(Was a BLACK GIBBY COPY) Just today put my first TRU OIL coat on the body ... Nice wood under there for a cheapie ... Neck is next ...I love true oil
Question for you, did your guitar maple top come that dark? Mine is quite a bit lighter very pale if you will. If not did you stain it ? Im trying to decide if I should go color dye or stain it for a natural look.
Yes, mine was very light. There is another video I did that showed how I dyed it. I dyed the top brown first, then sanded the brown off carefully to really bring out the flame appearance. Then I use the colored dyes. Thanks for watching!!
You can use black too
What are you guys doing to buff
Use 3m making tape from the auto body supply
Looks like it got considerably darker with all those coats. For a light colored giutar what would you use?
Tru-Oil has an amber hue when it dries. There are clear, brush applied polyurethane coats you can use that dry completely clear. Thanks for watching!!
any word on how the Tung oil is turning out? I have another project i'm about to start using tru oil and maybe the tung oil as well
Haven't had a chance to try the Tung Oil, yet. My studio area flooded and the guitar was damaged. Trying to dry it out now and hopefully will be able to finish it soon.
Oh shoot!...sorry to hear that. we'll stand by then for a later date hopefully.@@oldguysguitarvlog183
one question i bought a Tru-Oil but 90ml version with 90ml can i will do all body of guitar and neck and headstock?
Thanks for watching! Pretty sure you're good.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Oh sorry when i saw video i put the video at 2:05 now i saw ok nice the 240ml bottle THNX and sorry :) i saw all video and is very good!
What was the name of the true oil thinner you used. My hearing is not that good and I could not make out what you called it. Thanks
Naptha
does the oil make the wood darker the more coats applied?
ChessGuru it does at first, but after a few coats that stops
Could you paint with lacquer after the oil?
Yes for sure it is good and deep shine
I am also using Tru Oil as finish but with a bit different method. The first 10-14 layers are with either Danish or Tung oil (buff with OOOO steel wool between each one) when the first 2 are diluted with mineral spirt for better penetration and I am doing it to get better and deeper protection. Then I add around 10-12 very thin layers of tru oil and use 1000 wet/dry send paper after every 4 layers to get better smoother surface. the last 2 layers are just supper thin layers of tru oil and that's it.
This way you can achieve very glossy beautiful durable shin with no need for wax buffing at all.
You can make the tru oil deep after finishing, use tru oil wax buff it out for nice finish
I am curious why you are using tungsten oil on the back? Why not Tru-Oil the whole thing?
Can I use true oil on a guitar body I just pained and use it as a gloss coat?
The Gunsmith method is with your finger, in a single direction.
I usually prefer the look of wood over a painted finish
Did you stain the top before applying the oil?
Yes, sir!! There is a video earlier in the series on my channel that shows you how. Thanks for watching!
Old Guy's Guitar Vlog thank you
whats the technic if i want to do the entire body not just the top
Apply very thin layers on all the wood until it builds up, just like the top. Thanks for watching!
That Oh oh oh oh coding sounds like you are going to ruin your guitar. Isn't there a grain number? Like 1500? That moaning is sooooo weird. Oh oh oh!
What is Nafta and how is it different than mineral spirits ?
Naptha
Did you stain the top before finishing it?
Yes, sir! There is a vid on how I did that on my channel!
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Thanks, I'll look it up.
why not use tru oil for the mahogany?
It will leave a very glossy, tacky finish, which I personally don't like. You certainly can though, but you still need to use wood filler first.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 Thanks a lot for your answer. Cheers from Spain!
@@elbenaso you're welcome and cheers, brother!!
interesting you got the tru-oil from ebay when its just a regular product you can buy from walmart or amazon. any particular reason why?.
Literally probably no reason lmao. Maybe it was cheaper
It would be kinda funny if the background music was opera
Dude you could have just used a latex based polyurethane for the finish, it's easy to clean, goes on with a brush, is not smelly & ends up hard as nails.
I could have indeed! Thanks for watching!
hi could you suggest a brand pls?
Believe or not the Rustolyum Pro brand you can get at Home Depot works really well. I've used clear gloss on the body and satin on the neck. Dries quick and hard and is UV stable so it doesn't yellow over time.
I noticed nobody in the comments said anything so just FYI, to make it easier to describe steel wool sizes or any gauge is to call zero's aught pronounced: "awt" So one zero is aught, two zero is double aught, three triple aught and four aught and so on.
Man, I must say when I first say your guitar I thought to myself thats the ugliest guitar I have ever seen. But it turned beautiful. Way to go.
I’d be VERY disappointed with those dyes/stains.. hardly any burst effect, and certainly no yellow…
Move it around a bit for goodness sake so we can get an idea of the gloss finish.
Rubber glove and rub
It's nice dude but Famowood Glaze Coat would leave that end result in the dust with far less time and effort. Just sayin'. Best wishes to you!
lol this video is way better on mute
Its nice and glossy right now, but of course we can't see it because you didn't bother to rotate the guitar a little bi8t to reflect the light. FAIL!~
Zeroes not O O O O
Lighting is terrible
both poor lighting and grainy resolution unfortunately. I cannot really see the quality of the finish