Oil Finish Options For Preserving Natural Wood Color

[Jestremera1]

Hi guys,

Can you recommend an oil that will have as little influence as possible on the wood's natural colors? The neck I ordered is quartersawn maple and I'd like to preserve its brightness as much as possible. The body is mahogany and some wood seems to leave an orangy tint when applied.

 

[croquet hoop]

Pretty much all oils will enhance the wood figure and darken it slightly, just like you wet it with naphta/alcohol.

Tru-oil gives maple a very (very, very) slight amber cast, but with only a few thin coats the difference in color may be acceptable to you. The nice thing with TO is that it's a hard finish, so it can be sanded back — it does not seep into the grain as other oils, so you can go back if the result does not suit you. I am not sure if there are other oils suitable for a neck finish that do not affect the wood color.

 

[Jestremera1]

Thanks Croquet Hoop. It seems like Tru-Oil is the way to go.

 

[croquet hoop]

Also, there is a very informative post about the color of tru-oil by Bagman here: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22952.msg338869#msg338869

There are before/after (and after after) shots, so it will give you a clearer picture of how it looks like.

If you want something less colored, I think clear lacquer could be a good choice (and it will protect maple from moisture, unlike most oils), and you could dull the finish down to a satin sheen with steel wool to prevent it from feeling sticky.

 

[Jestremera1]

Wow! Good shots. I can definitely live with those results. I like the lacquer idea but I'm not experienced enough and it seems like the Tru-Oil would be more forgiving of any mistakes.