Burnishing the body

[pirate]

After reading through the burnishing raw neck thread in tips and tricks, I wonder, has anyone done this to your guitar body? No other finish? I imagine only certain harder, denser woods would be best for this, but seems like it ought to work fine on those?

 

[stratamania]

I would not suppose so. The main reason for doing so on necks is for the feel. Not sure what advantage it would have on a body.

 

[AirCap]

Not advised. It would be so slippery it would shoot out of your hands.

 

[Cagey]

Plus, I imagine it would take forever to do it.

 

[Tonar8352]

I did do this to BlackDogs SG. I burnished it to 2000 wet/dry then I used boiled linseed oil and 2000 wet dry and sanded it again with that then finally polished it on a polishing arbor which is how I do my necks. The oil soaks into the wood, makes the grain pop and protects the wood, which is how I do my necks. Here is how it turned out.  http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=26213.msg386775#msg386775

 

[stratamania]

How long do you find BLO takes to dry Tonar?

I used to use Linseed oil on willow cricket bats but I am going back about 50 years ago. Maybe I might switch to your method for necks for a future build.

 

[Tonar8352]

With Boiled Oil I start with equal parts of oil and paint thinner so it soaks quickly and deeply into the wood. I'll do a few coats of that then I switch to full strength oil. I put that on and it will soak in after a couple of hours. Once the oil stops soaking in and continues to lay on the surface I wipe that down and consider it finished. I then take to the polishing arbor and get it good and hot after the final coat then let it set over night. I let the piece of wood tell me when its finished, some wood takes more coats than others.

Everyone; please take note that Boiled Linseed Oil soaked rags are prone to spontaneous  combustion and will start fires. I always apply the oil and rub it in with my hand then wipe any excess off with paper towels which I soak in water before placing them in a zip lock baggie to put in the garbage. 

 

[AirCap]

Everyone; please take note that Boiled Linseed Oil soaked rags are prone to spontaneous  combustion and will start fires.

This is true of almost ANY oil, even cooking oil. If you've ever been in a shop using red rags, they store them in steel containers meant to keep out the air. Unfortunately - opening the lid can provide oxygen and ignite a fire. I saw a 55 gallon barrel full of rags saturated with hydraulic oil and cutting oil burst into flame, and the heat and smoke filled the shop within seconds.

You want the container to be absolutely airtight, put them in water until they can be dry cleaned by the rag company, or allow them to dry flat (not folded or wadded up) in an open area. When I worked at the big machine shops we would stuff them in a chain link fence in the sun until pickup day.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks Tonar.