As the aged body had dried quickly over night and the weather was still quite nice and warm (on November 1st!), I decided to apply the first layer of oil.
I had already sanded neck and body. The instructions said that it should be done by applying the oil right onto the wood that is to be treated, and to spread it either with a piece of cloth or with the fingers, so I decided to use my fingers on both the neck and body.
The oil was fairly thick and I used quite a large amount, then let both the body and the neck sit in the sun to dry.
(Not sure what all the experts out there will think of it, but I decided to also use the oil on the fretboard, and to rub it down and polish it at the end when everything is done, just to give it some extra protection and a look that would blend better with the rest of the neck and the body. I hope it will not be too sticky once I'm done...)
As can be seen on the pictures, the oil turned the color slightly warmer again with beautiful reflections.
Both pieces dried outside during the entire day, and tonight, just now, I took them down, rubbed them off with some 000 steel wool and applied another layer of oil.
They are now drying in the basement near the central heating system, and I will post some more pictures once they are completely dry.
UPDATE:
This is how neck and body look with the second layer of oil having dried:
In the next step, I will use some fine steel wool to take off the excess oil and reduce the shine, then apply the wax - stay tuned...
I had already sanded neck and body. The instructions said that it should be done by applying the oil right onto the wood that is to be treated, and to spread it either with a piece of cloth or with the fingers, so I decided to use my fingers on both the neck and body.
The oil was fairly thick and I used quite a large amount, then let both the body and the neck sit in the sun to dry.
(Not sure what all the experts out there will think of it, but I decided to also use the oil on the fretboard, and to rub it down and polish it at the end when everything is done, just to give it some extra protection and a look that would blend better with the rest of the neck and the body. I hope it will not be too sticky once I'm done...)
As can be seen on the pictures, the oil turned the color slightly warmer again with beautiful reflections.
Both pieces dried outside during the entire day, and tonight, just now, I took them down, rubbed them off with some 000 steel wool and applied another layer of oil.
They are now drying in the basement near the central heating system, and I will post some more pictures once they are completely dry.
UPDATE:
This is how neck and body look with the second layer of oil having dried:
In the next step, I will use some fine steel wool to take off the excess oil and reduce the shine, then apply the wax - stay tuned...
Deeply impressed!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of oil is it that you are using, Momme?
-Marc
Hi Marc -
Deletethanks a lot, glad you like it!
I used Birchwood Casey Tru Oil. Details and a link to the Birchwood Casey homepage can be found here: The finish - part II - the materials.
It is a clear oil that doesn't cloud, crack or yellow with age, and it turns out that it creates a very durable surface, similar to acrylic clear coat...
I didn't put a lot of effort in creating an even surface as I had planned from the beginning to take off all excess oil and any shine after the oil has dried.
- Momme