Tru-Oil satin finish query

[Adam Savage]

Greetings,
I am now part way through the application of a Tru-Oil finish to my padauk-body electric guitar, and would quite like to tone down the finish to a satin sheen, rather than a high gloss.
What might you recommend as a good way to do this?
I have used steel wool on other woodworkery projects, but never been happy with it - I find it difficult to get a consistent level of sheen with steel wool.
I had thought of using a lubricated wet-n-dry paper, but wondered what would work as a lubricant (clear mineral oil? olive oil? lemon oil?) and what grit paper to aim for (400? 600? 1500?).
I suspect that trial runs on scrap will be the way forward, but I always look for advice in which direction to aim first.

Cheers,
Adam

[Mark Swanson]

I'd stay with the steel wool. Use a very fine grade. Don't worry about the uneven sheen, because with tru-oil the finish is very soft anyway and it will develop a "patina" as you play it. In other words, the areas that you touch and rub against will become shiny, while other areas will stay a bit duller. I don't think it can be avoided, so just live with it and in time it'll develop its own cool look.

[Rodger Knox]

TruOil is great for a "soft" gloss, satin is more difficult. If you really want a satin finish, there's better alternatives than TruOil.
I don't know what they are, I like the soft gloss and use TruOil almost exclusively.

[Adam Savage]

Thanks Mark and Rodger,
I am using Tru-Oil as I dont have the space/time/experience to invest in spray gear, so I am a little limited at the moment. I hadnt realised that a satin finish was quite so tricky, but I can go with a soft gloss.
Can you give any advice regarding the flattening of the finish? Again, is it best to use a little oil as a lubricant with, say 1500 grit or higher? The reason I ask is that, although the gloss seems to be there, no matter how lightly I apply the finish in thin coats I always have the faintest of 'application lines'.

Thanks again,
Adam

[Nick Middleton]

Scuff sanding in between coats will remove those. I use 3M 800grit Free-Cut Gold papers for that.

[Waddy Thomson]

I sanded between coats with 400 grit - dry, and that gray woven steel wool substitute. Worked great. For softening the gloss, the steel wool substitute works real well. The white is very fine, and will give you a soft gloss.

[David King]

If you just want a satin sheen you can use 0000 steel wool with a tiny dab of fresh true oil to take down the finish to the wood surface, leaving it in the pores. You won't get the same level of moisture protection but probably 90% of it. You can always add more finish back later if you want a thicker finish.

[Adam Savage]

Thanks for the advice folks. I have ended up going with a quick de-nib between every 3rd coat, and am up to 8 coats at the moment. I reckon another 4-5 should do it, with a final rub-down with steel wool/tru-oil to finish.

As a separate learning point, I may finish the neck and body prior to glueing next time to avoid the icky build up around the join.

Cheers,
Adam

[Clay Schaeffer]

A possible alternative to tru oil might be brushing lacquer. It comes in satin or gloss. Builds fairly quickly, but requires more leveling than tru oil.

[David King]

However you wouldn't want to apply a harder finish like lacquer over a softer finish like tru-oil.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Agreed, but something to try on the next project ( there is always the next project!).

[Nick Dingle]

I just finished one in TruOil, and didn't do anything to it, but wipe on wipe off with paper towels. Steel wool between coats. It's not flat, but more satin than glossy....