Oil finishes on Padouk

[line6man]

I just ordered a Padouk/Pau Ferro neck...

I am curious about doing an oil finish, but i know absolutely nothing about oils, because i have always played hard shell finishes on maple necks.

What do i use on Padouk, and how do i do it?
Would someone care to explain this whole oil thing to me?

 

[m4rk0]

Maybe slap a little lemon oil on it every now and then.
but don't use any true oil! it will ruin the bare wood feel!

(that's what she said)

 

[line6man]

I have no idea what the wood is going to feel like yet, but honestly, i love a thick glossy neck better than a satin, so maybe i would like the tru-oil. I would have to see what the raw wood feels like first.

Lemon oil on the back of the neck? or just the fingerboard?
I have a bottle of lemon oil that i use on my rosewood boards.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I am a polar opposite of you, I like the unfinished necks better.  But since you asked...  Things like Pure Tung Oil or Linseed Oil you wipe on, let sink in for a little while, and wipe off so that a very thin layer is left behind.  Then you let it sit for about a week and the oil polymerizes with the oxygen in the air.  Rough it up slightly with a scotch brite pad and repeat.  Tru Oil, not really oil but varnish, if I remember what CB described it as, is something you apply like a finish and buff out later.  Lemon oil is mineral oil with citrus aroma added and a little naphtha to help clean off gunk.  It will leave behind a very slick (oil...) coat and condition the wood.  It is possible to put too much on if you really try, and try pretty hard. 

The wood doesn't need a finish so it is for looks or feel of the neck.  The oil finishes are like very nice antique furniture.  Tru oil is odd stuff but seems to be like a gloss finish that doesn't seem to be as hard as some of the other finishes.  But in my case, it may be because when I used it I was not very knowledgeable in applying it.  I have four unfinished necks on various instruments, or one almost finished instrument.  I use a very small amount of "lemon oil" if I think any thing is building up on the neck getting it dirty.  This works out to almost never.  The unfinished necks play very nice, and I really don't notice it that much unless I change to a finished neck.  The Ebony neck is getting kinda shiny now and it looks cool.  If you have the chance play it without finish for a while to see if you like it or not.  Clean and finish it later if need be.
Patrick

 

[line6man]

Should i oil the neck at all, or can/should i just leave it completely raw?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Well, it doesn't need to be oiled, as a finish that is.  The draw back is that the wood will go from red to a brown with time.  A finish is supposed to "lock" in the color.  I honestly can't say how much truth is in that last statement, but that is what I have read.  You can leave it completely raw.  Warmoth says it is OK on their site.  You might want to double check, but I can't imagine a problem with them on that.  Once again, whether or not you do oil finish it or leave it raw or lock it up forever in urethane is up to you and your preferences.  I'd mess around with it first and then decide on finishing it.
Patrick

 

[greywolf]

I've had my Padouk neck for a month, I did shoot a very light coat of Nitro lacquer to seal the color and then sanded with 1000 grit .  Smooth as silk and sealed.

A light coat of tung oil is a good alternative , but you really don't need it.

 

[line6man]

Then you let it sit for about a week and the oil polymerizes with the oxygen in the air.  Rough it up slightly with a scotch brite pad and repeat. 

:sad: So i wont be able to play the neck for a number of weeks, while the oil is drying in?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

:sad: So i wont be able to play the neck for a number of weeks, while the oil is drying in?

Welcome to the wonderful world of finishing.  In my experience, I generally do not have everything ready to put the thing together.  The finishing/waiting just keeps me occupied.  The problems with some of the finishes is they look/feel ready, but they are not.  Best to follow the suggestions that the folks around here give because guitars do have a different criteria for done than a lot of manufactures.  But with the Padouk neck, if you were to oil it with pure tung oil, I am sure you would only need enough to create a barrier to keep the color constant.  As Greywolf said he only used one coat of nitro on his, that is a very thin layer. 

I might be hard to believe, but you can survive without playing it once you get it.  I didn't think that was true, then I decided to try a Fire burst finish with dyes...  Still not done, but oh well.
Patrick

 

[line6man]

I've had my Padouk neck for a month, I did shoot a very light coat of Nitro lacquer to seal the color and then sanded with 1000 grit .  Smooth as silk and sealed.

A light coat of tung oil is a good alternative , but you really don't need it.

I assume that you are talking about something like this:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Finishes_and_solvents/1/ColorTone_Aerosol_Guitar_Lacquer.html

Can you guys explain in detail how to go about doing this?

 

[callaway]

Even with a finish, Padouk will change color. A friend of mine scratch-built me a guitar with a padouk neck. Even though I insisted no finish, he put a few coats of nitro. After 2 years, it was significantly darker. I just recently sanded the finish off though, because I knew that's what I wanted to begin with.

When you get it, give it a shot raw... absolutely nothing on it! (Not even the "lemon oil" junk.) It's nothing like what a satin finish feels like. If you don't absolutely love it (and 90% of people will), then start worrying about a finish. It's no problem to play it for a while and then decide. If you want to add a finish later, you will of course need to clean and sand a bit (but you would have done that anyway, right?)

 

[line6man]

I just shot my luthier an email, and he says there is no way that he is going to be spraying Nitro in his garage, as he doesn't have a paint booth.

That being said, i guess that option is pretty much out, because if he cant do it, i certainly wont be able to do it right either.

I am starting to think that maybe i should just let the wood "do its thing" and turn brown.
As much as i love the red, its going to still look nice either way.

Should i make the effort to keep the wood red, or should i let it be?

 

[callaway]

Just let it be. Everything changes as it ages... some might argue that equates to "character".

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Next time around you could try Satine.  Just think of it as an investment.  Next you will have to build another instrument, and then you can compare the two. The gain in personal experience cannot be measured conventionally.  Heh heh heh...
Patrick

 

[blue313]

I've done a bunch of reading on the chemistry of color changes in cut wood in the last few weeks.  As the cell walls break down over time the color compounds react with things they normally wouldn't when alive.  The process can be slowed down or even accelerated by certain finishes, air exposure, UV light, or contact with other things (sweat, etc.).  It may take days or decades but it seems it can't truly be stopped outside of laboratory conditions given the level of current technology.

I tend to agree with these guys though.  Don't try to fight natures course on this one.  It's a battle you can't win on a guitar you're going to use (and not hermetically seal in a vault forever)

 

[l5project]

I've my unfinished padouk/rosewood neck for a little over 2 years now.  The raw wood is amazing to play on.  Maybe the color is a tad darker than when I got it, but if anything, it looks even better.  If you really like finished necks then go for it, but I would encourage you to leave it raw.