I've been searching for a while for advice on finishing with Osmo, because I'm petrified of spraying nitrocellulose in an inadequate environment for safety and quality's sake.
I want to know how much preparation with grain filler and sealer is required with Osmo oil finish.
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com said this:
"Thank you for getting in touch.
I also wrote to this chap a while ago:
http://jensploesserguitars.com.au/2015/03/it-all-comes-down-to-the-finish/
He finally got back to me with a helpful answer:
"You can use a water based grain filler under Osmo, such as timber mate. I would not use a clear filler such as epoxy, ca, or aqua cote as the filled sections of grain will be glossier than the surrounding area due to the fact the osmo will not absorb into these areas. Also Osmo is it’s own sealer /base coat so no need to seal with anything else, remember it’s an oil and wax concoction so treat it as you would oil.
I use it only on open grain matte or satin finishes, it looks very natural and is super easy to apply. Wipe on then wipe off, do not roller it on the top as it will end up too thick.
Good Luck
Jens"
Hi there,
I have used Osmo oils for about 15 years and they are far superior to the old Danish oil primarily because they don’t get sticky anywhere near as quickly and so you don’t get all of those fibers pulled out of the wiping cloth stuck to the surface before the oil has fully soaked in. For the sake of uniformity of finish I would advise against a grain filler as this will seal off the surface and prevent the oils penetrating and bringing out the depth of grain. Wipe it on and rub it in with a fairly generous application and then wipe as much as possible off again. Leave to dry for 24 hours and then repeat. You are never going to achieve a completely smooth surface with a couple coats but if you keep going with additional applications, knocked back with very fine steel wool each time you will end up filling most of the grain and a beautiful satin finish. For furniture I then apply a beeswax product such as Bison wax or Lord Sheratons, let it dry and then buff with a cotton rag. Not sure this applies to guitars though but if you want a little more shine....
Osmo have some great products but if you can’t find them then the Fiddes versions are an almost exact alternative.
Cheers
Darren
Thanks Darren, excellent.
I have a bunch of Osmo samples, and have already used the Polyx Raw onmy lovely maple floor.
I'm thinking I won't mind a bit of darkenung since this first build is pure pale all over.
One question- do you do the fretboard in Osmo as well?
Yup - Axminster say '0000' so we'll go with that for now...I never was very good at maths
Measure twice, cut once...
I think I would have to say that it depends on the material the decal is made of and how it has been printed. Ideally you would make an inlaid logo from contrasting veneer as this is likely to take the oil finish well and create an even surface. If the decal is one of the ones that you float off on water and then apply I would suggest doing this after the oiling is complete and totally dry.
Regards
Darren
Right- five applications of Osmo satin, with ultra-fine wool rubs in between.
There's a mild lustre on the back and sides, and a nice oiled colour on the spruce top.
Back and sides are lovely and smooth but the top is bumpy along the grain.
Keep going with more Osmo?
Back and sides are lovely and smooth but the top is bumpy along the grain.
@syntholabo Can you put some pictures up so we can see, I’m interested in trying this Osmo stuff. Cheers.
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
I’m a great fan of Osmo products and also of the Fiddes equivalents. So much better to apply that traditional Danish oil (why couldn’t they stick to producing bacon?) as they don’t become tacky anywhere near so quickly and result in a deeper penetration of the oil. My procedure is to rub as much as you can into the surface for a good 5 minutes using sufficient friction that you can feel a bit of heat building up and then swap to a dry cloth and rub off as much as possible to ensure that you don’t have a skin of oil on the surface. Do this two or three times, with 24 hours between applications, and you will have a really lovely sealed oil finish. If you then apply Bison wax or Lord Sheraton’s wax on top you can buff the surface to a beautiful semi gloss lustre. The Osmo Hard Wax oil will give a higher surface sheen that the ‘Top’ oil but both are really good finishes.
My procedure is to rub as much as you can into the surface for a good 5 minutes using sufficient friction that you can feel a bit of heat building up and then swap to a dry cloth and rub off as much as possible to ensure that you don’t have a skin of oil on the surface.
Thanks @darrenking.
I’ve said in a few posts that - IMHO - the important question is not “which product” because you can achieve the same sort of finish with many of them. The important question is “how to apply” each product, because each one is slightly different, and it’s the application technique that makes the difference.
Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk
@johnnierox-boo
Hey there!
So Sorry not to have posted anything since this guitar was made.
I am really pleased with the finish after 5 coats of clear matt OSMO, all cut back with 0000 fine wire wool.
I will sort photos out - but living in a construction site right now 🙁
I will sort photos out - but living in a construction site right now
@syntholabo No worries, I know how that feels.
Ive left a tab open on my browser with Osmo on it so it will keep tempting me. I quite fancy the satin finish.
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸