Tru Oil finish on raw maple neck

[Wizard of Wailing]

    I'm thinking about finishing a neck for the first time.  I'm planning on getting a raw maple neck.  I'm wondering if any sanding will be needed before the tru-oil application, or will the neck be good to go right out of the box?  Also, should I be concerned about getting finish in the tuning hole pegs or neck screw holes?

 

[AirCap]

I'm thinking about finishing a neck for the first time.  I'm planning on getting a raw maple neck.  I'm wondering if any sanding will be needed before the tru-oil application, or will the neck be good to go right out of the box?  Also, should I be concerned about getting finish in the tuning hole pegs or neck screw holes?

If the neck is new - it's ALREADY BEEN sanded. TruOil will be easy to apply and should yield a great finish - satin or shiny, depending on how much you apply and treat each successive layer. As for the holes - no worries. You won't build enough finish to be a problem. Good luck.

Also, DO NOT use steel wool between coats. Use Scotchbrite.

 

[fdesalvo]

Lol Aircap!  I was waiting for u to respond to the sanding question. You did well. Not too aggressive.  :laughing7:

Wizard, long time!  Some folks like to run a slightly damp cloth over the piece to raise the grain. Then you could hit it with a fine cut of sandpaper. This isn't really required with tru oil. You can just apply it and go.  I’d hit the the tuner holes.

 

[Bob Darby]

    I'm thinking about finishing a neck for the first time.  I'm planning on getting a raw maple neck.  I'm wondering if any sanding will be needed before the tru-oil application, or will the neck be good to go right out of the box?  Also, should I be concerned about getting finish in the tuning hole pegs or neck screw holes?

I just got my maple neck also. i was just going to apply tru-oil it also. You may want to watch this video first. The guy in the video explains it really well. My neck seems to be really smooth. I might just very lightly go over it not much though. I did notice on the neck their was a little warranty notice. You may want to check out the neck really good it looks like warmoth won't take it back if it has a oil finish. Check out the truss rod and make sure it fits well with the body before coating. Be careful with the rags you use to apply they can combust during the drying process. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out. I am waiting for my body to arrive in a few days and then I will check the fit before starting on the neck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbtnaZ6XzKg

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

    Thanks for the help fellas.  I've never played a neck with a tru oil finish before, but it seems to be a universally loved finish, and the process seems pretty easy for a beginner, so I'll take my chances with it.  This is eventually going to be part of a pink paisley strat.

 

[DirtySteve]

Tru-oil is a pleasure to work with, it's so forgiving. Tru-oil works great on maple necks and feels great after it's cured good. Don't judge the feel until you've given it time to cure for a while.

 

[stratamania]

If it helps here is a link to the first neck I did with Tru-Oil, still doing well to this day. The process I used is described and so forth. (The overall thread documents the first Warmoth build I did)

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22445.msg335422#msg335422

On that neck I did the headstock in nitro, I am not certain I would bother with that now. Probably just do the whole thing in Tru Oil, or use a Poly for the headstock.

 

[pabloman]

TruOil also comes in an aerosol can.  ccasion14:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I've had my tru oil finish on my Bari-Tele for about 6 or 7 years now.
Haven't had to touch it up one bit yet.

I've had it on a rifle for about 29 years, same results.

 

[JohnL]

If it helps here is a link to the first neck I did with Tru-Oil, still doing well to this day. The process I used is described and so forth. (The overall thread documents the first Warmoth build I did)

I noticed you used a filler/sealer. Did you find that beneficial?

 

[stratamania]

If it helps here is a link to the first neck I did with Tru-Oil, still doing well to this day. The process I used is described and so forth. (The overall thread documents the first Warmoth build I did)

I noticed you used a filler/sealer. Did you find that beneficial?

Yes, I think so. Though on maple which is close-grained it was just a thin application and you could get away without it. On something like Mahogany, it would save you a lot of work.

 

[GusFowler]

Tru-oil is a pleasure to work with, it's so forgiving. Tru-oil works great on maple necks and feels great after it's cured good. Don't judge the feel until you've given it time to cure for a while.

How long is enough to cure it in hot SoCal climate?

 

[Cagey]

Anybody's guess. Depends on how hot, how humid, how thick the coats are, whether the previous coats were done drying, etc.

 

[ByteFrenzy]

Probably between double and three times as long as your gut feeling tells you. Personally I've had the best results with Tru-Oil by hand rubbing really thin layers, applying one or two layers a day and leaving a longer interval every four layers or so. A nice guide is to smell the finish. If it still smells like tru-oil, it hasn't done curing yet (the same goes for other finishes).

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Probably between double and three times as long as your gut feeling tells you. Personally I've had the best results with Tru-Oil by hand rubbing really thin layers, applying one or two layers a day and leaving a longer interval every four layers or so. A nice guide is to smell the finish. If it still smells like tru-oil, it hasn't done curing yet (the same goes for other finishes).

Same here, and I can only do it in the driest summer months here in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) area.