Black grain fill on Birdseye

[Stage Fright]

I would like to get a very high grain contrast on birdseye maple for a neck and carved top.  Would using a black stain or grain fill then sanding back achieve that?  The plan is to do a clear (no tint) finish in Tung Oil.

Thanks
  ---Russ  (so nyu-B still wet behind the ears) :binkybaby:

 

[jackthehack]

There's not enough grain in maple for the filler to work itself into. Shoot it with Fender Neck Amber to make the figure pop out, then finish with the tung oil

 

[-CB-]

The "problem" with birdseye maple is that the eyes are denser than even the surrounding (already dense) maple.  If you managed to somehow dye it - the eyes would be LIGHTER because they're denser.  Not sure if thats the effect you want.

The amber Jack mentions is a dye based toner.  You MIGHT be ok with something like a very very thin wash of dye - I mean THIN - like mostly acetone or MEK, and very little dye.  The effect is not really to "color" the wood but to give it some pop.  Can't say for sure if it will pop like you want it to. 

Be sure to thin your Tung oil too - on the first coat for better penetration.  Be sure to wipe your tung oil OFF the neck after every coat.  You want it to be as thin as possible - just a bare coat.  Wiped on, set to set a little, ALL wiped off, except is there in the wood.  If you do it that way you'll end up with a gorgeous finish.

 

[Stage Fright]

Thank you both.  I'll post pics when I finally get the courage to do the build.

 

[-CB-]

In that case - stay tuned cuz I'm gonna be doing up a birdseye neck (the finishing part) right after new years (or maybe tween xmas and new years).

I plan on doing a light wash coat - then amber, then clear

 

[Roundmidnight]

I'm about to finish a plain maple neck and was planning to shoot nitro but I could easily screw this up so Tung oil is more appealing.

So Tung works OK on the maple fingerboard?

Should polymerized Tung be used or pure Tung oil?

Will orange oil work for thinning the Tung oil down for the initial penetrating coat or is another solvent better?

Thanks,

RM

 

[-CB-]

pure tung oil is my fav

thin the first coat 50/50 with turpentine