Tips for oil finished body?

[quiksilver]

I just stripped the paint from my Fender Highway 1 and now plan to apply a satin oil finish to the body. The body is Alder. I want it to have a nice, natural glow, like a Koa Charvel San Dimas I.

Any suggestions on what products to use would be appreciated. I am thinking of using either Tru-Oil gunstock oil or MinWax Wipe-On Satin Poly. Do I need to use a grain filler before applying either of these, and if so, which one should I get? Also, should I first apply a dark stain, then sand it out of the high spots, to accentuate the grain? And finally, should I apply some kind of dye or stain before applying the wood finish to add color/depth?

Any info would be appreciated. I will post pics of this project as it moves along.

[Bengal65]

First, your not going to get much of a "popping" grain look out of Alder, but you can experiment. I find Alder grain not that inspiring as a figured wood, like Ash, Koa, Korina, Mah. etc. I use Danish Oil - natural (no tint) and wet sand as I apply it starting with 400 grit down to 600 Grit. I use 7 coats, the 2nd to last leaving a slurry on the surface, then squeege across the grain at a 90 degree angle. Then the last coat goes on and wipe with a burlap clothe across the grain. Let it dry 72 hours, then buff lightly with a rag or lambs wool bonnet on a machine polisher the sanding and the oil filled the grain.
You can also use a grain filler either before or after 1 coat of oil. If you use dye, then that goes on first. The best way to get the knack of it, is to experiment on scrap pieces first, so you get an idea of what look you want. If you want a faster surface build you can use Tung Oil, although it is a little more difficult to wet sand with it. For more idea's look at Stew Mac's tutorial on finishes www.stewmac.com and search on www.reranch.com, which will connect you to the forum. Good Luck!

[Postal]

You dont need to grain fill alder, but it does have to look "perfect" for an oil finish.... I mean, yeah alder is boring... but you need to sand it like Bengal said, because oil magnifies any imperfections. On a side note, you can fill small grain woods with tru-oil itself - following the online instructions at birchwood casey. Don't think for a second that it will fill the huge pores in wenge or oak.... but smaller grain can be done fairly easily.

Personally, I like tru-oil. I feel that it protects far better than a normal oil finish, and you can get several styles of finish with it dpending on how many coats you apply, and if you buff it or not. If you let the first coat go on real heavy and soak in for a minute before wiping off the excess, you can stop there and call it done... or you can apply 3 ish coats a day and lightly scuff sand at the beginning of the day to apply 8ish coats for a decent low gloss... or get 20 ish coats on it and buff it for a high gloss....

Unlike any other "oil" finish, tru oil DOES build a surface layer, so the above is possible, and you have a great deal of control over the look, and it's cheap.... and the fumes wont make you gag..... I've used it on 2 guitars, and will be using it on quite a few more.

[Bengal65]

Yes, I agree. Tru-Oil will give a nice build as well.