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For those of you who use Tru-Oil for your neck finish, would you mind sharing your finishing schedule? Is it compatible over a silex pore filler such as Behlin's Pore-O-Pack? Many thanks, jack

Jack I use no pore filler at all. I know others do. Some do some dont

I use the slurry method to pore fill when using TO. Mix a 50/50 solution of TO and mineral spirits (about a teaspoon each), sand the mixture with 150 grit into the neck. This forms the slurry to fill the pores. Allow to dry and repeat with 220 grit. Allow to dry and sand from 320 grit to 1200 grit (TO likes a nice smooth surface). Apply the TO until you reach the finish you like ( I use anywhere from 10-20 coats).

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Tim Benware
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I haven't used it over Pore-O-Pack, but I've used it numerous times over silex based pore filler. Most commonly on walnut.
I have done this on furniture as well as instrument necks and/or appointments such as tailpiece covers and elevated finger rests. I have also used it on furniture with the slurry method (Tim Benware's method sounds good to me, although I haven't tried mixing with mineral spirits).

Pore filling sometimes requires more than one application--regardless of your approach. Get as much excess slurry or pore filler packed into the pores as you can, then wipe off as much excess as you can AFTER is starts to flash off and stiffen. Wipe off across the grain. Examine your work under strong light and look for pores that aren't quite filled level. You will occasionally pull some filler out of the pores as you wipe of the the excess. Set aside to dry thoroughly. I often add a bit of stain to my filler, using a dab of artist's oil color or oil based stain, depending on the color I'm going for. This may retard the drying time, so I let it dry a couple of days. Sometimes four or five days until I am confident it's hard and dry. Again, look carefully for traces of surface residue under a strong light. Some folks sand that off with very fine grit paper. I use 0000 steel wool, and that means I must be meticulous about sweeping and blowing off any steel wool fibers when I have it the way I want it. You would do the same with sanding dust, so I don't see much of a problem using steel wool.

In the past, I've often applied Tru Oil directly over the dried filler. This works fine. More recently, I've sprayed a thin sealer coat of dewaxed shellac first. That works fine, too.

Applying the oil requires patience. The secret is applying many thin coats. Don't try to build your surface finish too rapidly. Drying time will depend on your shop temperature and humidity. It'll feel sticky and tacky in a few minutes, but don't be fooled. It takes a while for the stuff to dry. IF it's very warm and dry in your shop (for example, in winter, I hang my oiled parts in my boiler room for fast drying--unscientific, but effective) you might be able to apply two or three coats over a period of twelve hours. I'll do thin applications in the morning, again mid to late afternoon and again before going to bed. After several coats, or after the occasional three or four day layoff, I'll gently buff the surface again with 0000 steel wool. Yes, this removes a bit of the applied finish, but it also smooths things out and leaves a very subtle and fine 'toothed" surface to which the next coats will bond. Slow, progressive, patient build up is the key. I would go for twelve-to-twenty thin coats, but I'm not in a hurry. When I think I've got enough, I hang everything up to dry for a full week or even two. Like any other finish, it'll dry before it cures. It'll keep hardening for quite a few days after it dries, so just work on something else while your neck is curing.

I've power buffed spar varnish with good success but I've never power buffed True Oil. I know it can be done. But, instead, I use Meguiar's swirl remover (from the auto parts store) on a very soft, worn out cotton t-shirt to hand polish my finish. I use a drop or two at a time and I work in small, overlapping areas. I can go over a part two or three times, bringing up a higher shine each pass. If you want a low luster finish, you might not have to polish at all. And the best part is this: If, at any point, you happen to sand or buff away more of the finish than you planned, just apply some more coats until you are happy.

Proviso: Tru Oil is essentially an oil varnish. It'll separate on you and the drying agents can settle to the bottom. Whether you are using a bottle or the aerosol can, stir it or shake it thoroughly if it has been on the shelf awhile. I am utterly convinced that people who say this stuff doesn't dry are simply not stirring their product.

Okay, here is proof. Here is a highly figured walnut head plate on a banjo. It was filled with Benjamin Moore pore filler, shaded with a few drops of dark walnut oil stain and tinted with a dab of artist's oil color in cadmium red light. It was sealed with shellac. I applied many coats of Tru Oil just as described. I buffed by hand, just as described. The truss rod cover received the same treatment, but without the hand buffing. This particular angle doesn't show gloss (I chose the angle to show the wood figure), but the gloss is there and it's quite nice.

Here's a walnut veneer tailpiece cover on a guitar. It received the same treatment. This shows a bit more of the gloss potential. If you don't want the gloss, just don't polish it out as much.

Thanks for the detailed info, Patrick!
I am going to try Truoil on my next finish
Dan

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Many thanks for all the replies and the detailed information... I plan to use Tru-Oil soon, regards, jack

I also use TruOil extensively, and my schedule is similar to Patrick's.
The only thing I have to add is that it helps to warm the oil just a little before you apply it, holding the bottle under hot running water for a few minutes work fine.

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Good tip on warming that bottle or rattle can, Rodger! Thanks for that.