Tru-oil final polish issue

[kdownes]

I was hoping to finish off my alder j-bass today, following these directions from =CB= for the last stages of sanding and polishing:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=11209.0

I sanded it down to 800, tried the Mothers and the Turtle Wax compounds, but I'm still getting a somewhat mottled appearance on the surface when the light hits it the right way.  Here are a couple of pix -- sorry the detail is a bit fuzzy but it's a tough thing to photograph:

I know from the photos it looks a bit like it's part of the grain, but these are actually separate patterns in the finish.  Do I just need to keep sanding to eliminate these little weird squiggly bits?  This is my first full-on finishing job and first time with Tru-oil and I've already sanded through one spot during the 600 & 800 grit stages, so I just want to be careful not to overdo it.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[jackthehack]

Take a shot of the whole body from further away?

 

[-CB-]

From my vantage point, it looks like the finish is soft.  When the finish is still soft, its hard to buff out or level, and may even gall up a bit, because it sticks to itself.

This happens with lacquer too, when its not dry enough yet, and you dry to work it.  Ideally the finish should be harder, more brittle, so your papers and polishes cut cleanly.

Hard to say exactly... but... let it sit a good while longer and firm up.  Wet sand to level it, then buff again by hand with your favorite compound.

 

[kdownes]

Take a shot of the whole body from further away?

Here are a few shots of the whole body (the nasty-looking stuff by where the neck plate will go is some touching up I had to do because testing a bit of Briwax there took some chunks of the finish right off -- ugh!)

How long in your experiences does lacquer/Tru-oil need to cure?  This bass has been curing for about two and half weeks.  My basement workshop is very dry, but it's not all that consistently warm (I keep a space heater on when I'm here during the day but can't leave it on at night or when I'm gone).  I'm wondering if I should recoat the body AGAIN and just let it hang out for a couple of months, because this is the second time I've had to start over with the Tru-oil, and now I'm thinking both times are because it was insufficiently cured.  ARG!

Thanks for your help!

 

[-CB-]

Dont add more finish, or it will take even longer to dry.

Drying depends on the finish.

Lacquer is evaporative.  Thin applications, with ample drying between coats makes for a better finish with lacquer.  If the finish is recoated too soon, the top coat will re-soak the underlying coats with solvent, and the whole thing takes longer to dry.  You always blow solvent into the base coats with lacquer, but having less there to start with makes for less to have to slowly get thru the finish to the air.

Tru-Oil is a finish that oxidizes.  It reacts with air.  When the finish is thick, air, oxygen, has a harder time getting to layers under the top layer.  In fact, the top layer may actually seal the bottom layers, making things go very slowly indeed.  In terms of "the finish is too thick", lacquer is more forgiving, as the solvents will pass through the existing finish much better than air passing through a set up Tru-oil top coat.

 

[kdownes]

I guess I was thinking of adding more because I've already sanded a lot off the back (haven't touched the front or sides yet), but I can certainly let it hang out for another week or two then try polishing it again.