Tru-oil setback

[kdownes]

After letting my alder j-bass (my first full-on finishing project) cure for three weeks, I wet sanded it this morning using micromesh finishing paper to try and smooth out the surface, and it didn't end up going great.  I've never wet sanded anything, and I followed the basic instructions on the micromesh page at StewMac (using water and a little Murphy's soap), but I think I still screwed it up.  I was nervous about going through the oil, so perhaps I was not aggressive enough, but it ended up looking patchy and dull.  The luster really went out of the color.  I think I didn't get down far enough so everything was leveled out.  So I cleaned it up and applied another coat of Tru-oil, and will add several more coats, let it cure, then try again.  Ultimately I'd prefer a smooth surface to a textured one, but not at the expense of the color.  Now I'm thinking of just adding more layers of tru-oil, scuffing lightly with a white scotchbrite pad in between, and skipping the micromesh step.  Has anyone tried wet sanding tru-oil with micromesh?  Do I need to polish it afterwards with something specific to regain the deep color?

 

[-CB-]

In any finish, the scratches left by leveling diffuses the light that falls on the finish, and in the case of a clear finish like lacquer or varnish (TruOil), the light shining through and back through the finish (after it reflects off the wood).  The cure, as you already have guessed, is buffing... making the scratches smaller and also "rubbing" the finish into itself.  Try some Mother's aluminum polish followed by TurtleWax white compound, followed by your favorite wax.

 

[kdownes]

Try some Mother's aluminum polish followed by TurtleWax white compound, followed by your favorite wax.

Thanks, CB!  I've seen you mention TurtleWax in other threads, so I'll give that a try.  I think first I'm going to add a few more layers of oil to the surface so I have more to work with.  Is polishing/buffing something you do using a circular motion rather than with-the-grain?  Would you suggest maybe using something like this to apply the polish & compound:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Abrasives,_polishes,_buffers/Finesse_Polishing_Pad.html

I have a can of Briwax I can use for that last step.

 

[big bob]

on my tru-oil neck I wet sanded with regular 2000 grit paper, then buffed with rubbing compound (turtle wax), then cleaner wax.. looks great

 

[-CB-]

I've never really done this to TruOil... so I'll comment on lacquer, and let you refine the technique.

I've found that sanding to 600-800 grit is adequate.  I know guys go to 1000, 1500, 2000....... to me thats a lot of sanding for what the compound can get rid of anyway.  The thing is... when you sand to 800, bring the whole surface to 800grit finish quality.  Put another way, dont use 800 and leave 320 or 220 marks still there.  If you have it 800 smooth, it takes about nada to bring it to high luster with a coarser cutting compound like Mothers.  I've done it with all Turtle Wax white compound, but its a lot more work. 

Ya do the Mothers till its shiny
Wash it with naphtha
Inspect to make sure you got all the deep scratches out with the 800... they'll still be there once you use the Mothers
Correct any remaining scratches
Wash it again with naptha
More Mothers to bring it all to high luster, scratch free shine.
Turtle Wax to bring it to quite nearly swirl free shine
Car wax (another Turtle Wax product.. I like the 2000 series, getting hard to find), for final high high smudge free gloss

This sounds like complex steps, but its not.  You sand it out and say.... ok done.  So you use the Mothers, it takes minutes to do a body - by hand - with Mothers on a CLEAN rag.  Then you look it over and say - CRAP , I missed a spot with the 800, so you go back and touch that up and wipe it a little with the Mothers rag.  If its ok now, then you can go to the finer white compound, again only minutes to do, then wax it.  I went from "as sprayed" to full polish on Vics blue tele in an evening (barring me sanding thru the clear and having to correct that)

 

[kdownes]

Awesome -- thanks a lot!  This all looks totally doable, and clearly TurtleWax is a popular option.  I've put another couple of coats of Tru-oil on already, and I will say that the micromesh did give me a smoother surface, so with hope once things have cured, I won't have to sand as much.  I really appreciate the advice.