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Teak oil on rosewood board?

Bradster

New member
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
631
I've used the mineral based "Old English Lemon Oil" for years, works great on Ebony and Rosewood fretboards.

I don't use it to treat the fretboard like many on this thread have described, but I use it kinda like a cleaner, where I actually apply it to a cotton cloth and use the cloth to clean the fretboard and pull off the grime and finger/oil/skin scuzz that builds up.

I am of a similar opinion as edboyle about over-oiling, I have observed that the wood only "takes" what it needs ...and no more.
 

javacody

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2003
Messages
358
Ok, I'm a little bothered by some of the misinformation on the three drying oils. These are:

Teak, Linseed, and Tung.

Of these, Tung dries the best and Linseed the worst. Depending on humidity, pure, fresh Tung oil will take from 12 to 24 hours to dry. When it dries, it polymerizes. Each successive layer fuses to the previous layer. This is probably true of the all of the drying oils, it will just be slower dry time. Now, before the oil dries, it does penetrate the wood. In fact, Tung Oil will fuse with part of the wood's cellular structure. Not sure about the others. Probably similar.

Also, about the hand rubbing, this would speed up the set of the oil (from the heat of the hand). There are no brush marks involved with fresh tung oil. You wipe it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, and wipe it off. Then let it dry for 12 to 24 hours (depending on humidity, it may take as long as two days). You may also desire a light steel wool rubbing or sanding in between coats.

Tung Oil may also be heated up and concentrated, so the polymerization is partially done ahead of time. This makes the oil thicker and you can get a more glossy finish.

Old World luthiers used a varnish made of linseed oil, gums and resins, and chemicals (if memory serves). They also used a ground on the wood before they put the varnish on (mastic? gum arabic?)
 

Fenderaddict

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Joined
Jan 28, 2004
Messages
482
I used pure lineseed oil on a Strat 4 years ago. The thing still has a foul odour in my opinion. And lemon oil, while initially good actually seems to speed up the drying process over time.

You think someone would make a real "rosewood" oil. Hum, "Morgan's Patented Rosewood Oil" has a nice ring to it...
 

Bradster

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Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
631
Hey Fenderaddict2, I've used Old English Lemon Oil on a 1978 SG ebony neck since, well, 1978 and I've not experienced the drying effect you speak of.

Can you relate some detail regarding your experience with Lemon Oil drying up your neck?
(was it "pure" lemon oil, or the mineral-oil based wood conditioner Old English?)
 
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