Double Bass Boiled Linseed Oil on Fingerboard

N

Nathan Eskridge

May 30, 2019
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Orange County, California
#1
Hello,
I'm planning to clean and oil my ebony fingerboard with boiled linseed oil. I'm wondering if this can put straight on, or if it should be diluted with something like mineral oil first.
Also, what is the curing time for the boiled linseed oil to harden? Would this be something that would happen say, overnight? Or would it be a few days.
Thank you
 
#2
I'm not a luthier, and will defer to the experts on the practice of oiling a DB board.

But I've used boiled linseed oil on de-fretted electric bass boards. One is rosewood, the other is Mystery Wood. On the latter, I admit that my main motivation was that the board looked ugly and uneven after I de-fretted it. I had the oil because I used it to fix some minor surface damage on furniture.

I'd say It takes at least overnight. Maybe a few days to fully harden.
 
#3
I've been using BLO on electric and URB for ... longer than I care to say :) You don't need to dilute it. When I oil my boards, I apply it heavily with a rag, wait for 15-15 minutes and wipe it off (it should still look "wet" from the oil, but there should be no pools or excessive oil), let it dry for 24 hours, buff it, and then it's good to go. It may not be 100% fully cured at that point, but I've never had any issues - it's dry to the touch, doesn't come off on the strings, etc.
 
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#4
If you just need to clean and oil the fretboard, it doesn't have to cure. Wipe it on, wipe it off within minutes. When it's dry to the touch, you can re-string the instrument.

If you want to finish your fretboard in BLO, it's a completely different story, with longer drying time, then sanding, then again the next day until you're happy with the result.

If you've never used BLO, please dispose of rags carefully as they can catch fire. Spread the rag, or put it in water before you throw it in the bin after it's dry.
 
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#5
I’ve used it for years myself and follow a process very similar to moon-bass.
I never considered applying it and letting it dry. It soaks in to a dry board quite quickly.
 
#6
If you do test smears of boiled linseed oil on a piece of glass, you'll see that it takes a very long time to dry and then when it does, it dries to a rubbery film.

"Boiled" linseed oil isn't boiled. It's linseed oil with added drier etc. The drier is usually japan drier, which is not very effective. "Boiled" is just a misleading marketing misnomer that refers back to a time when linseed oil actually was heat bodied to polymerize it.

With the length of time it takes boiled linseed oil to dry and the way it dries, it's a dust and grime magnet more than anything else.

Adding cobalt drier (from an art supply store) is a big improvement. It helps linseed oil dry faster and cure to an adequate degree of hardness.

Important not to apply additional coats before the previous coat has dried. I do a test smear for each coat (a fingertip dab of oil lightly smoothed out) and let that govern the finishing schedule. I don't apply the next coat till the smear from the previous coat is dry.
 
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#8
Keep in mind that many, many luthiers have been using BLO for decades, not only on fretboards but also on bodies - even more so before some switched over to Tru-Oil and the like. Furniture makers have been using it for much, much longer.

If you're *just* cleaning it, there are better options than BLO. However, if you want to fortify/harden the wood and protect it (more like a finish), it's a great choice.

Edit: I'd also like to add that in 30+ years of using it, I've never experienced any gumminess when I've applied it correctly. YMMV.
 
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#9
I often use BLO as a final finish on a fingerboard. Yes, it can get gummy and mix with the skin funk after some time, but that’s just part of the experience. Clean it off and keep going. It is a traditional, natural finish.
 
#12
Don Kasper said:
Don Carter also prefers bowling alley wax,...I'm not sure about Ron Carter, though.
(Old Guy's Jokes rule!!)
I'll show myself out...
Click to expand...
Seriously, though. In 50yrs of owning a DB, I have never once been advised by any Luthier or Teacher to coat the (Ebony) fingerboard with any substance of any kind.
I thought the beauty of Ebony was that it is so hard, stable, and durable that no coating or surface hardening "reinforcement" is necessary? Amirite?
(I do use a bit of Lemon Oil on a cloth to wipe and clean it when necessary.)
IMFO, of course.
 
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#14
BigThud said:
If you just need to clean and oil the fretboard, it doesn't have to cure. Wipe it on, wipe it off within minutes. When it's dry to the touch, you can re-string the instrument.

If you want to finish your fretboard in BLO, it's a completely different story, with longer drying time, then sanding, then again the next day until you're happy with the result.

If you've never used BLO, please dispose of rags carefully as they can catch fire. Spread the rag, or put it in water before you throw it in the bin after it's dry.
Click to expand...
Absolutely correct wrt to the fire hazard. I have seen it happen please take note anyone using it.
 
#15
Don Kasper said:
Seriously, though. In 50yrs of owning a DB, I have never once been advised by any Luthier or Teacher to coat the (Ebony) fingerboard with any substance of any kind.
I thought the beauty of Ebony was that it is so hard, stable, and durable that no coating or surface hardening "reinforcement" is necessary? Amirite?
(I do use a bit of Lemon Oil on a cloth to wipe and clean it when necessary.)
IMFO, of course.
Click to expand...
Well I just play the damn thing, what the shag do I know.
For the straight poop ask Jeff. My limited understanding is that for wood , even ebony, that has been cut and planed so that raw wood is being first exposed to air some kind of sealant is needed to keep excessive drying out at bay.
But have a blessed day.
 
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#17
I finish fingerboards by wet sanding with 400 grit wet/dry paper and boiled linseed oil. It gives a wonderful semi gloss finish. I don't recommend players do this to their instruments themselves. I advise against mineral oil as it will not polymerize, although that's not a huge deal on your fingerboard. I tell my customers to clean their boards with denatured alcohol, just be careful to not get any on the varnish. You really shouldn't need to add anything like an oil to the fingerboard, the person who planed it last should have put some kind of finish on.
 
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