Tried and True finishing

[Seriesnuns]

I don’t see many topics on tried and true wood finishing. I see a ton on tru oil.

I’m working through my first Stewmac kit. For finishing I did

light red stain - bulls eye sealer - ebony pore fill - sealer - tried and true

Sanding in between and cut the sealer in half with alcohol

First coat so far and looks good and happy with the coloring.

Few more coats and see how the shine and durability ramps up.

And yes I know the neck joint looks mangled.

I took too much of the neck cheeks trying to get my neck down when I should have taken it off the tenon.

I had to add wood shims to the cheek back but couldn’t get it perfect but I had a solid neck angle and joint fit so I moved on.

[srick]

I think it looks great! I'll bet you can't wait to string it up!

I completed my first Stewmac kit in November (a pre-war OM with Rosewood\spruce) and the result was pretty impressive. And for the record, my neck joint also has a gap. Que sera. Deduct 5 points from your final grade. I used Tru-oil on the neck and shellac on the body.

Congratulations. You should be very proud.

Rick

[SColumbusSt]

Looking good! I think everyone messes up the neck joint on their first build, I know I did (and my second, and my third though the third was THIS close to being perfect).

I'll be interested to hear what people say about Tried and True. I googled it and it looks interesting. No VOC is a must for me as I work in my basement. Used Tru-Oil once and after the first coat got complaints about the smell from my wife (and it hardly smells). I French polish since it just smells like I'm having a martini but it would be nice to have an alternative

[redir]

The finish does have a nice look to it, a nice warm glow.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by Seriesnuns

I don’t see many topics on tried and true wood finishing. I see a ton on tru oil
And yes I know the neck joint looks mangled.

I took too much of the neck cheeks trying to get my neck down when I should have taken it off the tenon.

I had to add wood shims to the cheek back but couldn’t get it perfect but I had a solid neck angle and joint fit so I moved ]

Tru Oil seems to be simpler altough maybe more coats required but yours does look good. I had a 00-18V here for a binding repair and it appeared to have a black (ebony) grain filler. Did you use Timbermate?

As for the neck joint, I fit the neck joint before adding the fretboard, when it fits I determine the fret board position then bridge position. Attach fretboard then carve neck.

[Seriesnuns]

Originally Posted by Fathand

Tru Oil seems to be simpler altough maybe more coats required but yours does look good. I had a 00-18V here for a binding repair and it appeared to have a black (ebony) grain filler. Did you use Timbermate?

As for the neck joint, I fit the neck joint before adding the fretboard, when it fits I determine the fret board position then bridge position. Attach fretboard then carve neck.

I followed the stew mac instructions. First step should be leaving the dovetail neck joint without fretboard.

I used stewmac ebony powder with distilled water for the filler

[Bowie]

Many times. Tried and True is one of the most gorgeous finishes for the way it lets the wood refract light and create a sense of depth. But, it's horrible when it comes to curing hard or offering protection so I don't use it as a single finish anymore.

I like it to touch the wood because it does it's thing when it can get in the wood itself. That's when you get the soft, rich "glow", similar to what you get from a really nice varnish. On top of another finish or heavy sealer, I find T&T kind of pointless as you get all of the hassle and none of the benefits. I follow the instructions very closely because deviating is guaranteed failure. If you think you applied it too thin, go THINNER. Wipe it off an extra time and give it at least a full day between coats, 2 days if it's cold. It will be a sticky mess forever if you try to apply this like any other finish. I found UV light seems to help it along.

Because I don't find it suitable as a protective finish (if you apply it thick enough to get protective it always feel tacky), I use it very sparingly and I go over it with Tru Oil or shellac. Both of those have stuck to it just fine for me and have held up a few years thus far. Having the T&T in the wood really gives it a gorgeous glow, so don't overlook how good it is as a base stage.

[Seriesnuns]

Thanks for the tip. I will wait 48 hours between coats.

At 24 hours it felt cured. I hit with steel wool naphtha and another coat

I will note I am using a spongey applicator and use no more than a dollop the size of a quarter for the whole guitar

I dip the edge in about 3/4 of an inch and wipe off then apply and use the rest of the sponge to soak and spread.

It does have the consistency of honey until you get it spread out.

[Skarsaune]

Originally Posted by Bowie

Many times. Tried and True is one of the most gorgeous finishes for the way it lets the wood refract light and create a sense of depth...

Big fan here of Tried and True for furniture and other woodworking projects. It's pretty much my go-to finish around the shop.

Haven't used it on any guitars, as it's more of a penetrating into the wood finish than a building layers on top of the wood finish. I do have a maple bodied build in progress that might be good with a first layer of T&T on the back and sides. Hmm...