Preparing Rosewood for Oil Finish

[Mnemoflame]

I undoubtedly asked about this in one of my earlier threads but I cannot find any reference to it now.  Similarly, I cannot find any satisfactory answers to my questions via Google...which leaves me feeling a bit dumb.

I have managed to procure some Liberon Finishing Oil for the rosewood Strat I ordered so many months ago and I have a couple of questions before I start on it:

-I understand that rosewood is naturally oily/resinous enough to create difficulties with finishes; what sort of preparation should I pursue before applying the oil (preference for milder, eco-safe products wherever possible)?

-When I got the body and neck from Warmoth, there were little bits of steel wool in the grain; is there any reasonable means of removing these or do I need to just accept them as part of the instrument's character?

-Should I take the fingerboard so oil only makes up the sides?  If so, is typical blue painter's tape workable?

-I plan to apply the oil with a bit of chamois and I was thinking of rubbing it extensively with that same bit of chamois for a bit before I hang it to dry; is there any benefit to this approach?

My thanks in advance for your patience and assistance...

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I dunno how to get the bit of steel wool out of the grain, I have never heard that happening with a Warmoth product.  I would try some of the plastic base scouring pads lightly to see if it would loosen the steel.

First, I'd go online a buy a piece of rosewood, and try the following steps on it to see if it works.  Go to eBay, or there are lots of lumber supply houses that sell turning blanks (for making really nice pens) in exotic woods.  Get a piece and test out the procedure.  It will let you know what to expect, and how it should look when done.  I can't advise this enough, it really can cut down on disappointment.

As far a finishing the wood, I would go about it this way.  I base this on finishing a korina body.  I bought a quart of naphtha and used white paper towels and wiped down the body (that is what I was finishing)  I had to do this 5-10 times, I don't remember exactly how many times, but it seemed to take forever.  Every time I'd look at the towel, and generally I'd see oil from the wood stain the paper towel.  After about the tenth time over a week or so, it didn't do this anymore.  In my case I then dyed the body, and it worked out great, no splotchiness where the oil got in the way of the dye.  I would guess that the Rosewood oil  would behave the same way. 

The next thing I would do is cut the finishing oil 1:1 with naphtha to allow it to penetrate the rosewood better for the first coat.  After the first coat, I'd stick to just the product. 

Again, get a sample piece and go from there.
Patrick