got some tru oil!

[youngbowyer33]

got some tru oil today! well, i picked it out for christmas, so ill have it in a week. any tips on using it or things i should know about it?

[huntersteve]

after you put on a coat(which i apply with an old clean rag)...let it dry.....sand it with 0000steel wool....you can pick up at most hardware stores pretty cheap....wipe down bow after sanding with steel wool...apply the next coat...you'll see the finish get better and better with each coat...I uaually do about 7 coats...Steve

[nathan elliot]

Once opened keep the bottle upside down to store it, stops it drying out so quick!

Nat.

[ricktrojanowski]

I do the same as huntersteve, but apply with my finger from a little poured into a baby food jar.   A little goes a long way.  It is easy to get sags if you put it on too thick.

[PeteC]

Like Rick said.a little goes a long way.I pour enough just to barely cover the bottom of a dixie cup.Then dip your finger to pick up just a small drop.Work one flat at a time,I do an edge first by toughing my finger and leaving tiny drops staggered the lenght of the section your working.then using a  circular motion spread the oil evenly,then on the final couple of passes run from handle to tips,to have the job running with the grain.Do all 8 sides,(4 on top and 4 on bottom),the same.Make sure you run your fingers down the "corners",to keep them even as well.If you can do the finish work in an area that is dust free,I generally put between 3-5 coats on before wooling.If there are problems,then wool as necessary.Different woods may require more coats than others to fill the grain.I generally average between 8-12 coats for a finish I'm satisfied with. Just be careful what you are using around it.(Tru oil does not like insect repellent or superglue),but ,overall it's a very good finish. Hope this helps. God Bless

[woodstick]

i use it alot and i rub mine in like waxing a car. the last coat i put on kinda heavy let it dry real good, some bows i will put on minwax afterwards.

[FlintWalker]

If you're gonna rub it down with steel wool between coats...wipe it down with a clean tack cloth before applying another coat.  It'll pick up any tiny specks of dust stuck to the surface and leave the finish smoother.

[kiwijim]

When I open it I make a small cut in the foil cap- just enough to let the oil drip out. This cut quickly scabs over and stops the oil from drying out.

[wodpow]

Me to I punch just a small hole in the foil seal and wipe it clean before I put the cap back on .Just me but I have never used anything but my fingers to apply it . When you steel wool it between coat wipe it clean the fine dust you don't see will pile up on your fingers and just get worse if you try to remove it .if you get a run and the bow set for a couple hours you will have to let the run dry for sometimes a couple days  if you get a bad spot you will have to power dry it with a hair drier if you want to fix it  like now.I have wet sanded with 50/50 terpintine and linseed oil after its  dry.  Sometimes when the tru oil gets small specks of dried matter in the bottle you will wonder how those specks got on the bow when you were so careful mostly you get it around the last of the bottle but I have used a small disk of coffee filter and a rubber band and put it on the bottle and when you tip it the oil will seep threw the filter and let you pick it up on your fingers and apply it speck free .