The Secrets to a Perfect Oil finish on your guitar

[@normbarrows2]

The first time I tried to use Tung oil I soaked the guitar neck in it overnight and did not wipe off the excess. It then took 3 days soaking the guitar neck in solvents to remove the excess tung oil, and I never did really get it all out. I gave up on that neck as I recall (due to fretting issues and the tung oil). Since then, I've used tung, linseed, poly, lacquer, shellac, acrylic, enamel, mineral oil, and paste wax on various builds. Tung (a harder resin) seems to be superior to linseed (a gummier resin) and is my preference for oil finishes. Generally, I prefer lacquer because I like glossier finishes and there are no sand-thru issues like with layers of poly. Also, lacquer seems to be a bit slicker (lower friction) than poly, which makes for a faster neck due to a low friction finish (I actually do Teflon tape coated necks now). Acrylics are nice and fast drying, but don't build well, and can have layer sand-thru issues like poly. Shellacs are awesome - but not alcohol resistant. Enamels are required for some clearcoat over metalflake applications.

[@stephenhursey1506]

This is the third time I've seen this video and I just love the way you do the oiling on the guitar and the Finnish you get

[@nicholas3139]

excellent timing- i'm oil finishing a guitar body tonight, & this totally helps! i totally dig the experiments (i'm a jeweler playing with luthiery) & i'm down for the journey, but this brass-tacks technique is just what i needed- thankee!

[@cjbrewdog]

Best oil finishing video on KZbin

[@PeterKaitlyn]

I like using a light coat of Tung oil on the fret boards... it works to keep out moisture and acts as a barrier for most dirt... I don't build from scratch so doing a full finish isn't in my books, but I'm thinking of trying one of the kits and this will help if I jump on that road...

[@peterkitts8815]

I think you could do with a little more light in you home studio.

[@eklypse69]

Ben, this was brilliant! I have scoured all the Crimson videos from the past, trying to find tips & tricks for staining and oil finishing over the years. It's nice to have a video focused on just oil. Could you maybe do an updated video on Crimson water based and oil based stains too?

[@AaronHendu]

Coffee filters to apply this might work well. I use them to apply polyurethane, and also to polish between final coats. And they are cheap as possible. In fact, I apply poly much like you apply the oil here...super thin coats...wipe as mucb excess off as possible. Initially coat every 4 hours...final coats every 24 hours. I dont build guitars though, well, I am just now learning with my first Ukulele build. I will give an oil finish a shot on my next wood working project. I have only ever used linseed oil when I was a teenager on some rough work.

[@stephenhursey1506]

When cabinet building I've used flower paper which you could use with your oil as it would leave your surface contaminated so I think using a fret polishing rubber is a fantastic idea

[@Birkguitars]

I have a part built guitar with a ridiculously gnarly piece of yew for the body. I now know exactly what finish I will be going for. 👏👏👏😍

is there a video where Ben shows how to make those circle inlays on the fretboard? I guess you need to drill a hole, insert a slice of brass tube and fill the inside with ebony powder and super glue? Of is there a better way to keep the fretboard wood on the inside of the circle?

[@devbomcduck6981]

Great product, great oil finish, I've gotten great results. The first time though, I mistakenly went too fast, ended up getting some stickiness that didnt dry for like 3 months. In the end, the guitar looks amazing but the color wears very quickly in high moisture and rubbing spots. After a year it looks like I've been playing it for 20. Hands down my favorite mistake so far. Great channel, great products. I'll always pay for shipping here to avoid stewmac pricing.

[@BLBlackDragon]

This is a fabulous tutorial for those of us who don't really have space for a spray booth. Question: Would you be adverse to me linking to this video from one of my upcoming videos?

[@davidwellings2783]

What a piece of wood. What a finish and what a guitar it will be! Look forward to this being completed! I find, after a fretboard refinish/clean/polish, I have a fair amount of fallout from the fret rubbers, so I was interested to hear about if they affected your ultimate finish - clearly they did not! I will be fettling the instruments of Pete Williams, this weekend, and a full range of your wonderful tools and materials will be being brought to bear upon them, to make them beautiful and a delight to play! Cheers to you Ben and your inspirational gang! 🥰🥰🎸🎸☕️☕️🍺🍺

[@bernhardagthe2450]

Great video! My favorite method for applying oil: sand to 160 or 240 grit, then rub a thin layer of oil into the wood with the rough side of a kitchen sponge or some 3M sanding vlies. Grab the sponge with some tool to prevent splinters from getting in your fingers. Quick & easy, give it a try :-)

[@peterkitts8815]

Good to know about using the oils on shellac. I've found myself with a lot of shellac.

[@pulankaoutdoordesign]

Ben, you're brilliant. What a man can do whit a piece of wood, oil and a rubber😅 I have made an electric upright bass, and it screems for a oil treatment like this. Thanks and keep going on!👍

[@mikkoeriksson3132]

I would be very interested to experiment with rubbers on finishes! Very interested! ❤

[@kennethtape3362]

Superb, great vid, 👍😊 kushti !

[@robinfawcett7973]

Love that beautifully applied finish. Is the wood Elm?

[@albertomulas2818]

Hi Ben, can you please make a video similar to this one, but regarding the other wipe on finish of Crimson?

[@DFox-ud3gx]

Love this look on the body what a guitar

[@redfurydubstep]

Would you use this on the fretboard and neck as well?

[@insleys]

Good work Ben! I am wondering though, just how much of a difference does the shellac make in the final appearance and the durability of the finish? I have a raw wood body that I'm looking to apply this sort of finish to but have never used shellac. Ta.

[@SilasMoleCatcher]

Is there any advantage to be gained by using UV light to aid polymerization?

[@davefk]

Is it just boiled linseed oil, that you are using?

[@BBGuitars]

Awesome tutorial! Its a bit pricey to get the Crimson oil to Australia, would the same process apply to locally available Danish oil?

[@ericcrawford9827]

Other finishing oils are available

[@Furtheronmusic]

Can you do a video like this but with the wipe on lacquer and the melamine finish please?

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Yes!

[@tonyhunt4250]

Beautiful!

[@miltonfriedman9673]

How does this finish do over alcohol based dyes (Angelus), or should the dye be locked down with shellac and the oil applied to that?

[@fratteaux]

Thanks for this Ben, great video. Question: would this process also work for an oil-based varnish like Danish Oil?

[@michaelwest3379]

Hey Ben, so I'm working on an electric double cut build. Bubinga body and ziricote top, absolutely stunning woods. However I'm worried about how to best finish the ziricote. I've done some tests with tru oil but it just makes the wood extremely dark and diminishes the grain. After reading up about ziricote it seems that the wood naturally has a high oil content. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@richardfoskett8903]

Can you use this method on a guitar kit with a bound body, or does the oil do odd things to plastic binding/adhesives?

[@jacobthellamer]

I use mineral oil for the pad when french polishing, do you think guitar finishing oil would work?

[@rishiraj1205]

Hey Ben! Would it be a good thing to use the super fine fret eraser on a finished guitar with a stain underneath, but it has some small bubble like finish blemishes etc?

[@davedavem]

Just got a walnut-handled porta filter for my coffee machine to try this on! 😅

[@moogoomoogoo5990]

I’m a little confused about the purpose of the shellac? I thought it sealed up the wood - but at one point you said there were open pores on this guitar.

[@nedludd3641]

I've got an Epiphone ES-335 Cherry Red Guitar. It has little or no resonance. I'm thinking of using a heat gun (plus scraping) to removed the thick coat of polyethene. I wonder whether Penetrating and/or Finishing Oil will absorb into the 5-ply top/back & sides. I don't care too much how patchy it might look after, it would be my Franken-ES coz I'm also messy about with the fixtures & fittings. Comments welcome. I just want a guitar that sings (if that is at all feasible).

[@stevelaferney3579]

Hi @nedludd3641 THERE’s no guarantee that removing the urethane on your guitar will help it resonate better, but three of The Beatles removed the nitro on their Epiphone 1960’s Casino guitars and even today Paul still doesn’t have anything that I can see on his except perhaps something very light to protect it. Says something to me. Although it can be a job to remove the stuff. I’d spray something on to protect it but lightly. As far as removing the urethane or it might be polyester I’d check on KZbin for help. I would check Brad Angove’s channel as he does all kinds of methods and materials as a first place myself. Good playing to you. PS: Also be sure it’s the guitar sound itself you are dissatisfied with and not easier stuff like pup’s and amp and pedals. Just an idea. Cheers.

[@mattomon1045]

Ben great finish . but the lighting is dark!

[@johnnytheflyer]

I’ve got a 50 year old blasting cap box I’ve used to build a body with, I’ve applied MinWax Paste wax on it, can I apply oil to the top of this?

[@wombat6]

Hey Ben, I had a tiny question. Maybe sit down or find something to hold onto before reading it though 😆 How many guitars have you started, not completed, and *not been working on*? I'm currently in the process of learning to finish things I start, and it's not easy for me. And I don't even own several companies. And I don't have ADHD. So yeah, just a thought worth having.

[@DougHolmes]

Ben, any chance of building a left-handed guitar for us Lefties (to win)?

[@kickhammett7214]

great video would this technic work with danish oil or tru-oil ?

[@296scubadude]

What kind of timber is that ?

[@chase_modugno]

Doesn't using Shellac/sanding sealer prevent the wood from soaking up the oil and defeating the whole purpose of using oil?

[@stevelaferney3579]

Sanding sealer applied lightly should be just fine for oil, etc.

[@NotThatOneThisOne]

Saw some basses with a cavity in the headstock. How much does the perceived weight of a typical guitar come from balance vs physical weight (ignoring stupidly heavy bodies)?

[@rich00p]

A similar process to french polishing?

[@yellowcat1310]

are you working in the dark?

[@engtech_1716]

I completely understand why you made the decision to help with your ADHD symptoms. I've done the same in the past year. I do, however, miss the manic Ben.

[@stephenclark4114]

Hold on, self-combusting tissues!?

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Yup. I have a tin of Danish Oil with "warning: applicator cloths may self ignite". I couldn't tell you which chemical is generating the heat and which finishes do/dont contain it, but it's always worth reading the smallprint.

[@johnthursfield3056]

it's a thing

[@eklypse69]

It's definitely real. My grandpa's shed burned down years ago because my uncle was staining some cabinets, and didn't properly dispose of the rags. It started the garbage can on fire, then took the whole shed! I always keep a 1 gallon ice cream bucket half full of water to submerge oil/varnish/stain rags in.

[@VAXHeadroom]

Absolutely. Get a fire-proof trash can if you do a lot - or even a moderate amount! - of finishing. Bourbon Moth Woodworking did a great video on this a year or so ago - I immediately ordered a fire-proof can...

[@ryanferris7841]

I don’t believe it tbh and I’ve never seen evidence of it happening,

[@billstolz9587]

It sounds like boiled linseed oil

[@barrychristian4050]

How strange another one of my comments removed from this channel! Is it KZbin or someone at crimson? 🤷 Hmmm

[@craig.watson]

Respectful moan/whinge - I know that filming with bright lights is a pain (literally) but would it be possible to sort the whitebalance? 🙏

[@themaskedsinger.8861]

Bring back the old Ben.

[@derekwalton16]

Cannot watch it because of the Lousy lighting and I have followed you for Years since your beginning on YT..... I now give up once and for all. Impossible to watch..sorry Ben. Im gone!