Tru-Oil Users?

[Tarhead]

I just used Tru-Oil http://birchwoodcasey.scaleslive.co...roductID=b0628cbd-5cd3-48c0-8d42-5b1b8a3f180e for the first time on a Ukulele project and really liked it. Anybody else using it? It's marketed to Gun stock refinishers and works like BLO but leaves a finish more like a varnish. The cool thing is using coffee filters to apply it. They spread it evenly and don't hang or catch on it as it dries leaving a smooth burnished surface.
This thread on www.rimfirecentral.com caught my attention: http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331108

I was able to get 3-4 coats per day bringing it inside to cure in a heated area between coats. This guy is able to get 24-36 coats per day spraying/wiping with Armor-All between coats! Now I know all about the MANY HAZARDS OF ARMOR-ALL AND ITS SILICONE ASSOCIATED WITH FINISHING AND DON"T RECOMMEND BRINGING IT WITHIN A MILE OF YOUR HOUSE (so please nobody jump off a bridge:gar-Bi...if you don't know what I'm talking about research Fisheye Finishing Problems with Silicone) but these guys are claiming it acts as a hardening catalyst and allows flash finishing with Tru-Oil. Any ideas on how or why this happens? Plasticizers in Armor-All reacting with the oils ?

 

[rcflyer23]

I was thinking of using it on a guitar neck soon. Glad to hear that it worked well on the uke.

 

[Mark Gottesman]

I have read about the Armor all addition. I can't for the life of me, see how it could possibly work. Yet, I've read several accounts on various gun forums about finishing stocks with it and it seems to go ahead and work no matter what I believe.

On another note, tell me more about your ukulel project. i just finsihed a minor Banjo refurb for someone and have been thinking about building myself a Uke. Don't want to hijack this thread so could you start another with pictures.:3dblob3:

 

[Tarhead]

I have read about the Armor all addition. I can't for the life of me, see how it could possibly work. Yet, I've read several accounts on various gun forums about finishing stocks with it and it seems to go ahead and work no matter what I believe.

On another note, tell me more about your ukulel project. i just finsihed a minor Banjo refurb for someone and have been thinking about building myself a Uke. Don't want to hijack this thread so could you start another with pictures.:3dblob3:

Mark,
It was just a $25 Grizzly kit I made for a gift. Nothing special but it turned out really nice. I blinged it up a little with a bone nut and saddle made out of a piece of bleached cow bone from the dog section at Petsmart. I filled with Timbermate tinted very dark with Black and Brown Mahogany Transtint dye which worked well. Ready to start a scratch build next.

 

[Glennbear]

Silicone and finish as you say have always been a no-no as evidenced by the large quantities of PPG fish eye preventer I sold when in the auto paints game. I do have a WAG however in this usage, the Armor All may be acting the same as sterates in sandpaper to prevent clogging when sanding between coats. :wsmile:

 

[CarvedTones]

Tru-Oil has been the subject of some debate on a few musical instrument boards. Some builders use it and call it "varnish finish" and others say it is nothing of the sort. Varnish is often an up-charge option on instruments; hence the debate. Whatever it is, it makes a nice looking tough finish. I would caution you to read the label about health and fire danger.

 

[Tarhead]

Silicone and finish as you say have always been a no-no as evidenced by the large quantities of PPG fish eye preventer I sold when in the auto paints game. I do have a WAG however in this usage, the Armor All may be acting the same as sterates in sandpaper to prevent clogging when sanding between coats. :wsmile:

Glenn,
Tru-Oil needs about an hour to cure enough for another coat to build when the workpiece is placed in full sun on a warm day. Some have gotten similar results to this with a blacklight in a warm room. There is something in the Armor-All that cures the Tru-Oil within a minute or so. It's a mystery and I have seen no long term results but the short term results are impressive.

 

[Dragon]

:dontknow::wconfused::eusa_thin Definitely gives me something to think and ponder upon here. I'm going to have to give this a shot on a couple of my stumps and see just what the results are. I've used Tru Oil on some gunstocks over the years and gotten really good results. Never hear about the Armor All treatment though. I'm thinking that the Tru Oil must have some kind of formulation that makes it somewhat impervious to oils and solvents due to the sometimes heavy usage of those compounds by unknowing gun enthusiasts. I've seen folks completely soak a good rifle in WD40 before going into the woods on a hunting trip because "it might get wet and don' want 'er to rust up."
<side note to gun owners> WD40 WILL deactivate your primers in pretty short order as will any other type of "penetrating oil".
Thanks for posting this about the Tru Oil though. I'm gonna give it a shot and see what happens.:icon_thum

 

[CarvedTones]

I did not address the Armor All bit in my original post but I will pass along a pointer to some opinions from guys who make instruments:
http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=39017&sid=8f32b769bc47477814be4b08470f43d3

As noted there, silicone is not highly regarded and generally kept far from the finishing process. My guess is that you are getting a far thinner layer of oil by doing this. My understanding is that the process of curing oil can't be hastened too much because of the physical properties - the surface formed by curing makes the oil just below the surface cure slower because it isn't exposed. Thinned oil cures faster but you need more coats. Both products have been available for some time; are there any long term users of the technique who still think it is a good idea 10+ years later?

 

[Tom Dunn]

I've used TruOil for years, but the AA treatment is a new one on me. I've never paid much attention to the drying time, but I tend to be pretty leisurely in my pace.

From the RC thread

I can put two or three dozen coats on in a day

Been awhile since I've done a stock, but I don't recall putting anywhere near that many coats on?