Oil Finishing help?

TTonyTTony Frets: 27344
I've been trying to improve my finishing skills.

"Inspired by" (aka copying!) @WezV's wet-sanding technique, I've managed to get a wonderfully smooth finish, but I'm failing to then get a decent even glossy finish.

I've tried eze-oil, Liberon and Crimson's own finishing oil, and failed with all.  So it's not a product failing, it's a TTony failing!

It looks OK when I put it on (ie wet), but when the oil dries, I'm either getting bands of gloss/matt finish across the body, or little lines in the gloss finish.  Buffing with a soft cloth doesn't help - I just get an even more uneven finish.  So I then rub it back and try again, and fail again.

I'm wondering whether it's the cloth that I'm using to apply the finish (bits of old cotton sheet), or my technique.  

Apologies for the lack of photos, but getting pictures of it is difficult because the body has to be tilted to capture the light just-so to show the finish defects!

Any suggestions gratefully received ...
:)
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Comments

  • NPPNPP Frets: 236
    edited May 2018
    did you add wax at the end? I think that's part of the WezV method, and when I used it on my Strat that was key to getting a good shine at the end. IIRC, two coats of wax and then buffed with a microfibre cloth. It has resulted in a glossy and hard-wearing finish I'm still happy with after a few years. 

    Edited to add: see here: November 2014 for a summary of my experience

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    NPP said:
    did you add wax at the end? I think that's part of the WezV method, and when I used it on my Strat that was key to getting a good shine at the end. IIRC, two coats of wax and then buffed with a microfibre cloth. It has resulted in a glossy and hard-wearing finish I'm still happy with after a few years. 

    Edited to add: see here: November 2014 for a summary of my experience
    Yup... that final stage is key. 

    I would try another sanding session and buff off with a different cloth, maybe a bit sooner.  You should still be able to get close to the end result without the wax, but it’s trial and error with times, pressure etc..
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