finish on raw maple neck?

swaybo

Newbie
Messages
5
hello everyone,
recently received my warmoth neck, maple with pao fretboard, feels great as is, probably going to sand the back down with grit upwards to 1000,
then was curious about finishing, im partial to raw, but thought about boiled linseed, any thoughts?
and im leaving the fretboard the way it is, unless I hear I should apply the BLO to that as well.love to hear your thoughts.Thanks
 
There's a thread I wrote called "Burnishing Raw Necks" that you might want to review. It goes into great detail about sanding back raw necks to a fine finish that will feel better than just about any synthetic finish, as is about as durable, and feels better to play. With a wood like Roasted Maple, it's already somewhat impervious to temp/humidity, and the burnishing process has a "sealing" effect that  keeps it from getting nasty like raw Maple would. Follow those recommendations, and there's no  need for any finish at all. In fact, it's doubtful any finish would adhere well or last very long, as you end up with a very slick surface. I've had a number of roasted Maple (among other raw) necks that I've done that to, and in the years I've been doing it, I've never needed to give them any further attention at all. It's become quite a popular way of handling raw woods of any type, but roasted Maple seems to respond the best, with Pau Ferro having equally satisfying results.

If it were me, I'd do the burnishing trick first, and then in a few years if it looks like it needs cleaning up, do it again. It removes so little wood it's not worth discussing, so no worries about altering the neck meat's profile. Fretboards really can't be done with frets installed, so I either order them fretless (slots only) or have customers order them that way, then I fret them afterward.

Good luck on your project!
 
thank you. I did read your post on burnishing, I appreciate it. ill go with my gut until it tells me different. thank you
 
swaybo said:
it is not roasted

I'm sorry; I was thinking it was roasted. Don't know why - you never said it was. But, Ragamuffin is right - raw Maple kinda needs a finish, or it's liable to warp/twist. Doesn't always happen, but it happens often enough that you lose your warranty if you don't put a hard finish on it. Warmoth figures about 10% of the time. Really ruin your day if you fell in love with it and it went all pretzel on you.

But, on the other hand, Tonar has done a good number of them that way without ill effect, so... knock on wood? Perhaps he's led a charmed life <grin> But, in researching the whole phenomena, some of the guys on the carving/turning forums actually warned against polishing to that degree, as the wood wouldn't take a finish. Gets sorta sealed up so stains won't take, and finishes won't adhere well. Then again. some guys on this board have experience with putting oil-based finishes on polished necks with no ill effect. So... I guess you pays yer money and you makes yer choice.

Personally, having seen the shenanigans Maple can get up to, I wouldn't go without a finish on raw Maple. But, I don't care for oil-based finishes, so I've usually used poly or lacquer.
 
The other thing to consider is that oil based finishes are not sufficient for warranty purposes. I have done quite a lot of necks with Tru-oil and really once you get past 6 - 800 grit on bare wood if you are applying an oil based finish it is not achieving much if anything and the oil based finish needs something to key to. Once you have built up a finish if you want to get a glossier finish you can go to higher grits.
 
After 2015 (exactly when I can’t remember) warmoth changed its policy on tru oiled necks.  I always put on like 20 coats so never had a problem.  Probably functioned like a wipe on poly.  Must have been some nit wits who did it wrong claimed th warranty and warmoth said  bastante.  Or tru oil doesn’t work for sure, warmoth has it reasons. 

I’m in the camp of not polishing the wood before applying a finish.  It’s an either or proposition.  If it’s not a roasted neck you should apply a finish.  You need something to be a barrier to the moisture.  Whatever finish you pick do it right.  After tru oil my go to is wipe on poly. Of course the tru oil necks have no warranty but it’s only a year so ...
 
This is interesting, the sticky burnishing thread says nothing about roasted woods (well, not to the first page).

A neck that has no finish is going into take up skin oils, etc. I can see the effect of this on the neck I elected to add colors echoing the body. Where I'd played it for 6 months before burnishing, the colors didn't sink into the grain of the most-used areas. Wasn't a huge surprise.

No finish will still be some finish.

 
Sadie-f said:
This is interesting, the sticky burnishing thread says nothing about roasted woods (well, not to the first page).

The burnishing thread predates roasted woods offered by Warmoth by several years.
 
stratamania said:
Sadie-f said:
This is interesting, the sticky burnishing thread says nothing about roasted woods (well, not to the first page).

The burnishing thread predates roasted woods offered by Warmoth by several years.

That would explain. I never think of roasted options because the colors that result don't do a lot for me.
 
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