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Glossy Oil finish over epoxy
https://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=54176
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Author:  Colin North [ Fri May 28, 2021 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

Client wants sharp edges on a headstock, which I know is dodgy with EV which likes rounded edges.
So what oils, if any, can I build to a reasonable gloss with over Z-poxy

Author:  Chris Pile [ Fri May 28, 2021 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

I didn't apply it, but this Tele was finished with TruOil....

Author:  ballbanjos [ Fri May 28, 2021 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

I've done a lot of full gloss banjos using Tru Oil. It's a lot of work, but you can get there.

Dave

Author:  rlrhett [ Sat May 29, 2021 7:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

How? Do you buff true oil? I’ve never gotten anything that even hints at gloss from TruOil.


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Author:  ballbanjos [ Sun May 30, 2021 5:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

I've buffed it by hand using the same liquid polishes I use on other finishes.

Dave

Author:  Ruby50 [ Sun May 30, 2021 9:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

Dave

Could you be specific on the polishes you use - I never get quite as glossy by hand as you do with my choices

Ed M

Author:  ballbanjos [ Sun May 30, 2021 2:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

To rub down Tru Oil, first of all I take the micromeshes all the way through 12,000 and follow that rubbing with burlap. They I use Meguiars #7 and finally the Novus ultrafine (number 5 maybe?). But the key to getting a good gloss on Tru Oil, in my experience, is that you have to sand the bare wood through all of the micromesh grits before putting on any oil at all. With hard woods like maple or rosewood, the wood will darned near have a gloss with no finish applied at all. I then use a gazzillion coats of Tru Oil, leaving very little additional on the surface after each application.

I have a banjo building buddy who gets nice glossy finishes who sprays Tru Oil and treats it more like a conventional varnish than a wiping varnish. I think he buffs out about the same way I do.

Just to be clear though--the gloss I get with Tru Oil is like the gloss I get with a good varnish or shellac. Looks pretty much like the picture that Chris posted.

I actually prefer a more semi gloss finish on banjos, but every once in a while a customer would want the high gloss look. I'd alternately use Tru Oil or FP.

The attached picture is a banjo I built with some of that sunken timber from Lake Superior (birch in this case) finished in Tru Oil.



Dave

Author:  Ruby50 [ Sun May 30, 2021 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

Many thanks Dave

Ed M

Author:  dzsmith [ Sun May 30, 2021 4:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

rlrhett wrote:
How? Do you buff true oil? I’ve never gotten anything that even hints at gloss from TruOil.


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I did the Tele in the picture.
After 4-5 coats I used 600 wet dry paper using the oil as a lubricant.
I did a section, and then wiped it off. This gave a very smooth surface.
I ended up putting on around 10 coats or so of the oil.
The last few coats I thinned a lot with mineral spirits, wiped it on, and did not wipe it off.
I did not buff or polish it.

Author:  ballbanjos [ Sun May 30, 2021 5:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

It came out looking great!

Dave

Author:  rlrhett [ Sun May 30, 2021 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

dzsmith wrote:
rlrhett wrote:
How? Do you buff true oil? I’ve never gotten anything that even hints at gloss from TruOil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I did the Tele in the picture.
After 4-5 coats I used 600 wet dry paper using the oil as a lubricant.
I did a section, and then wiped it off. This gave a very smooth surface.
I ended up putting on around 10 coats or so of the oil.
The last few coats I thinned a lot with mineral spirits, wiped it on, and did not wipe it off.
I did not buff or polish it.

Awesome! I’m going to do exactly that on a little tele for my daughter that I just put about 5 coats of TruOil on and I’m not happy.

Image


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Author:  mikemcnerney [ Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

Colin, Ken Parker has a whole new series of videos and one is about finishing. He use epoxy and then tru oil. I intend to do some samples

Author:  Colin North [ Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

mikemcnerney wrote:
Colin, Ken Parker has a whole new series of videos and one is about finishing. He use epoxy and then tru oil. I intend to do some samples

Thanks, I've seen them, excellent.
I was just wondering if there were alternatives

Author:  Tim Mullin [ Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

I’ve used Truoil over West System on neck shafts. It can be buffed to a very high gloss — typically deeper in colour than lacquer used elsewhere. Even buffed, the feel is much different than lacquer. Truoil really doesn’t like even a memory of amine blush — it creates a fuzzy feel that keeps coming back — ask how I know. I haven’t gone near Zpoxy for years for that reason. Early coats need to be very thin to cure properly. Later coats can be applied more heavily and cure faster.


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Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Glossy Oil finish over epoxy

Another fuzzy neck victim from Tru-Oil over Z-Poxy. Comes on a few months after application and you can’t get rid of it without refinishing the neck, at least I couldn’t.

I had to refinish a couple of client guitars.

My best luck with Tru-Oil for necks has been sanding to almost a polish, at least 600G, and wiping on a tinted oil based pore filler to fill and color the wood followed by Tru-Oil. Addam Stark told me about the technique years ago.

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