Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone tried this,ive got a sample coming.

Never heard of it. Looks pretty expensive.

Please share your findings.

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I've used it on one guitar so far, and I know some people who have used it on a few acoustics. Is your sample the two-part kind? That's the one that I think is more useful.
It's more or less like a tru-oil type finish, but it cures completely in one day, even on rosewoods and other oily exotics, which is pretty amazing. I like to scuff with a fine scotchbrite pad and do an extra coat to make sure I've achieved complete coverage.
It is pretty expensive, but you only need to mix up a tablespoon or so for a whole guitar so it goes a long way. It's quite viscous, so it doesn't sink it too fast, but you have to work more to spread it around. On flattish surfaces it makes sense to use a credit card or plastic scraper.
So far it seems to be very tough and water/beer resistant. It also seems to keep its colour well, unlike Livos which tends to turn yellow on light-coloured woods.
So it's promising. But of course, test on some scraps, and then on some non-guitar things to make sure you've got the hang of it.

Just got the sample, its the one part type they allso sent an applicator which is like a rough sponge type thing, how did you apply yours Mike and what grit did you sand to before application.Thanks Rob.

I too would love to see some pics and hear what you think about it.

I've used something similar on some electric guitars I've done, (at least it seems like a similar product). A product called Osmo. The guitars look and feel amazing, really alive.

I sanded up to 1000, and then the first coat of oil I applied with a cloth wrapped around a paper towel, really tried pushing it into the grain and let it set up, then took a white scotch brite pad and applying pressure rubbed the whole thing down to burnish that first coat, then wiped off excess.

It hasn't proved to be the most durable of finishes, but I love worn in guitars and this finish has left the guitar feeling really resonant.

I think your Osmo might be a different thing Conor, rubio is really tough. They even suggest using it on floors...
The one-part finish is supposed to have the same characteristics as the two-part, but takes much longer (i.e. several days or more) to cure. That's why I wouldn't bother with it.
I believe there are detailed application instructions on the website, and that it would be best to follow them. I was told how to use it by a friend, and they said not to go beyond 400 grit (I use 3M gold), since if you go higher it might absorb more unevenly. I just used a rag to apply, but by all means use their plastic gizmo. The trick is to cover the whole piece quickly and thoroughly so you get even absorbtion; uneven application could result in uneven colour and depth. I didn't have any problems though, so maybe my concerns are overblown. Then you wait a couple of minutes and soak up all the excess with a clean rag.
Hope this helps.

Osmo is for floors too. I just looked them both up online and they're compared to each other with a couple other products. It's called Poly X. I get mine from a furniture maker, and followed the instructions he uses for doing tables. When I say it's not as durable I'm talking about fingernail scratches, pen marks (I use my guitars as tables when I teach lessons ) and shirt buttons. Having said that my lacquered strat has suffered terribly from shirt buttons too.

Thinking about giving this a try. Anyone else using it?

Currently I use 4 coats of Tru-Oil. I like it for a natural wood feel and is really nice on figure. I am NOT going for a gloss with this like I have heard some doing. I just wipe on then wipe off 4 times. Sounds like this 2-part Rubio Monocoat can do it in 1 coat.

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Pat

I am about to try a U.V.cured oil called Clean Armor....

I've used the 2 part Rubio for B & S, but TBH, I prefer the Osmo PolyX,
The monocoat is expensive too.
Here's the Monocoat https://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=54593&p=747343&hilit=rubio#p747343

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Anyone have a link to their application schedule for the Osmo? I’ve got some but haven’t tried it yet. If not I’ll start a separate thread.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Steve, search “House Guitars Osmo” on YouTube. Josh’s tutorial is what I use and its worked well. Good luck! Osmo is the best!




Brad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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Awesome, thanks Brad!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Warning on Osmos Poly X.
Do not use on raw Granadillo.
I did on a small table I made. Looked great going on but after 24 hours it developed a very chalky residue all over. I contacted Osmo and they told me to wipe down with mineral spirits. I did and the results did not improve. They claimed the wood was contaminated so I scraped the finish off the table to bare wood and reapplied. Same results. Osmo threw up their hands and stopped communicating.

I had used Poly X on cherry and received great results.

I tested with 1 coat and 2 coats, with and without a water based paste filler and IMHO 2 is better, one can be patchy (even with a lot on excess applied), on EIR and Madrose anyway.
There are several furniture maker you tube videos who advise more than one coat.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Has anyone checked into applying finishes over Rubio or Osmo. Being a hard wax/oil finish I'm curious about repair options down the road and possible adhesion issues do to the wax.

I have some Osmo but have only used it on some test coupons so far. If memory serves me, I think I asked about refinishing over it and I think they said it could be a problem.

Also, I think the Rubio site said "pre-finished" wood needed to be taken back to raw wood for the chemical bond to form. Made me wonder about use over shellac sealer, or other sealers we commonly use or even pore fills.

I'm always full of questions, especially with finishes.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED