MOVED: Has anyone tried to do this? Satin to Gloss

[Skywachr]

I was reading the following on the Luthiers' Mercantile International website and was intrigued by the possibility of doing this to a satin-finish guitar. I have a truly worthless childs' nylon string guitar that I could experiment on. Has anyone heard of or tried this?

OIL FINISH

Most oils available as wood finishes are either linseed oil or tung oil in some form, with or without any additives. Some of these oils are thinned with mineral spirits to make application easier. These oil finishes are actually varnishes because they are reactive finishes - meaning that they change into a hard film by exposure to air (oxygen) not by the evaporation of the solvent like lacquer or shellac. These oil varnishes are probably the earliest and simplest wood finishes and the natural luster, or glow, of wood under an oil finish is very appealing.

Of all the oil varnishes available for use as a simple wipe-on finish for musical instruments we offer and support the use of the Tru-Oil product line. Tru-Oil is a polymerized linseed oil with other natural oils added. This formulation will actually build-up as a finish unlike the raw or boiled linseed oils. The Tru-Oil wipe-on varnish (our part FTO) and its matching Sealer-Filler (FTOS) have been used for years to finish hardwood gun stocks so its properties and application process are well known. This product is very easy to use and produces a hard, thin and flexible finish. Although it is not as protective and durable as a lacquer finish it is quite acceptable as a guitar finish.

The real strength of this oil finish is that it is extraordinarily easy and safe to use - very user-friendly. No equipment or ventilation or mask are required. Only a clean cloth is needed for application. It takes little or no skill to achieve an impressive satin sheen finish on wood. This wipe-on oil is ideal for the novice guitar maker with limited finishing experience. With an initial pore filling process the finish can be made as smooth and flat as a factory lacquer finish, or multiple thin coats can be applied directly to the raw wood for a very natural open pore finish. Both ways have been successfully used on acoustic and electric guitars, and some commercial electric guitar manufacturers use oil varnish for necks and/or bodies on some models. Oiled necks have a faster, more natural feel than lacquered ones.

The application of the oil itself is incredibly simple. Just wipe the oil over the surface with a cloth, then wipe off any excess material with a fresh cloth or paper towel to leave a very thin coating. This thin coat will harden in several hours and the next coat can be applied over the last. Five or six, or more, coats are applied over several days to achieve the depth or thickness that is desired. The finish can be polished and waxed, or left as is when the last coat dries.

Although the Sealer-Filler (FTOS) is intended to fill the surface before the oil coats, it is advisable to seal the surface first with shellac whether the pores are to be filled or not. Either of our two pore fillers (FBF or FMBF) can also be used under the Tru-Oil wipe-on varnish

[Yoda]

Tony,

This has been the subject of threads several times. If I get time later, I'll try to dig one of those up for you, or you can try searching for them.

Yoda