Tru Oil - Help!

[Stinger]

Following the directions on the Tru Oil website, I put the first lite coat on my recently stripped and sanded glass laminated take down limbs last evening.  Apparently the lint free cloth I was using, wasn't lint free.  The limbs show streaks all up and down and one of them has fine cotton fibers embedded in the finish.  

Do I now sand them down again and start over using just my fingers or can I wet sand what I have with 400 grit paper and more Tru Oil?

BTW, the first coat of finish worked great on the riser.

[Jager]

That Tru Oil stuff is hard for me to work with. I have used it on a few stocks. I sanded it down and used a tack cloth from a paint shop to wipe it down. I then used my fingers with rubber gloves to apply the oil. I have never had the look I want though. Im interested to see if someone has a better plan too.

[Shaun]

I'd try a fine sanding first and see if that gets rid of the fibers. "Box-of-Rags" brand heavy paper rags seem to be lint free or use your finger to apply (it should be lint free),

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I just use my bare fingers... I have done gun stock that way too... after each coat I buff it with steel wool 0000#

[onemississipp]

I use Lint-Free paints rags, found a Wal-mart, coat it let dry, hit with extra fine steel wool, then coat again.

I wipe it down before begining and after steel wooling with Formby's® Deep Cleansing Build-Up Remover. Smells good too!

[Ted Fry]

Best way I have found to work with tru oil is the spray on rather than the rub, if you do rub use a rubber glove ( doctor style)rather than a rag , steel wool between coats with 000 wool and wipe with a tack cloth or other clean rag. Make sure you steel wool between coats so that one coat sticks to the other.

[Orion]

Sand it down and use your fingers the next time.  All rags will leave lint.  After six or eight light hand runbbed coats, you may want to rub it lightly with rottenstone.

[Gordy]

I use 000 or 0000 steel wool to rub down the lint or dust spots.

I use a tack cloth first...real lightly. Then open the tru-oil bottle, wash my hands and then pour just a little bit on two right hand fingers and rub it in.
Light steel wool between coats.  I get addicted to watching the finish build-up. You probably only need 3-5 coats, but I go for about 10 or more ....I sorta lose count  

Looks awesome and glossy when finished. Then just lightly rub with the 0000 until you get the satin finish you want.

[BigArcher]

I put on the nitrile doctor gloves and put a little on my finger and rub it on and keep adding until the limb is covered. If it isn't too cold the little lines from rubbing on will disappear.  I us several coats or more. letting it dry really well between coats with a light steel woolling.

BigArcher

[Bjorn]

I have used TruOil to refinish a lot of bows and on arrows too. I use a piece of folded paper towel with one drop of water on it.
I am not at all familiar with the theory behind the water; I just do it.
If the coats are good and clean I do not steel wool in between coats-only the final coat.
6 hours to recoat, produces the best job for me.
Plan on 6-8 coats for a stunning finish.
For the embedded lint question use 400 sand paper-wet sanding, or very fine steel wool to get the threads out completely and start over.

[twotimer]

tru-oil is all i use to finish bows and gun stocks.the secret is not to put it on to heavy.i coat it,then rub it down lightly with a paper towel,let dry well,repeat 2 more times,then after each sucesive coat i buff it out with 4000 steel wool after each coat.i put on 6 to 10 coats.

[coyote1956]

Tru-Oil for humid climates  and use Lin-Speed Oil for dry climates.  use fingers to rub in , let dry thoroughly and use 0000 steel wool to knock shine off and smooth out any imperfections. use as many coats as you like.
used on fine gunstocks and bows. thats what works for me and my father a gunsmith of over 55 yrs now.  Ken

[Dave Huff]

I've never used Tru Oil on a bow but plenty of gunstocks.  I pretty much use the same methods as above.  I pour some out on a Pringles chip lid and dip my finger in that rather than the bottle to insure I don't get to much.  0000 wool between coats and wipe it down. On a rare piece of curly maple or fiddle walnut I use up to 20 to 25 coats and top coat with clear urethane. It really makes the grain ripple, but is probably to think for bow limbs, most likely crack the finish. 6 to 10 coats would be about right.

[gwhunter]

I tru oil most of my bows.  Somebody from this site recomended wedge shaped facial sponges, from walley-world.  I haven't messed up a finish since I started using them.  Before the wedges, I used a latex glove and just rubbed it in.  But I much prefer the wedges.

Either way, you need to fine sand or 0000 steel wool it down and then clean it with denatured alcohol before you try and do it again.

[Bowtie]

Stinger, I would try 0000 first to get the streaks & fibers out. I finished my hickory selfbow with Tru Oil, hand rubbing 10-11 coats. I used 0000 steel wool lightly between every 2-3 coats. After the final coat of Tru Oil, I used 0000, then a fine auto polishing compound (optional), which really brought out a nice gloss.  Final application of Minwax paste finishing wax. The bow has a real nice smooth gloss to it.  For hunting, I slide on stretch camo bow socks.  Good luck with your limbs.

[Danny J]

I use Tru oil myself on my bows. Works best for me to use Huggies natural care disposable washcloths for application. These are dry. I cut the 7"x7" pads in half and use half for each application. Leaves a much smoother finish than lint free cotton t shirt material. I use 0000 steel wool in between coats to start and wet sand with 600 grit when getting closer to the finish coat. This will leave you a mirror finish is desired. Very important as stated above to let dry good in between coats or else the sand paper will rub more than sand. If a coat doesn't turn out well just resand and do another.
Good luck

[Stinger]

You guys are the best!  Thanks for all the great input.  It was raining hard all day yesterday and again today so I decided to tackle the limbs.  That first coat may have been a little thicker than I thought.  The steel wool took off the lint but wouldn't even out the streaks/lines.  I was able to lift off the finish with light sanding 220 grit now I'm ready to start over using the good ideas you provided once it stops raining and won't use the rags again.  I bought some surgical gloves and will also try the facila sponges and the Huggies washcloths to find the method that works best for me.  I'll also use much smaller amounts of the Tru oil.  

I'm wondering if maybe the bottle I was using was old and the stuff was too thick.  It didn't have the consistency of a light machine oil; it was more like new motor oil.

[Talondale]

Don't forget the trick someone told Bernie: Store your TruOil upside down.  That way if a film forms on the top(bottom) you wont have to break through it to get to the oil.

I also had a gentleman show me that he cuts his TruOil with a little lighter fluid for the first coating.  He said it made it penetrate better.  After that it was straight TruOil.  Couldn't argue with the results.

[ber643]

Amen to that tip too, it has saved me a lot of aggravation and lost tru-oil. I gotta tell you - I use my fingers to apply Tru-oil and rub a little, then I wash my hands with orange GoJo, or Lava (If I'm too slow about it, I just wash first with some kind of remover - Goo Gone,finger nail polish remover, acetone,etc. but don't need to very often - anymore - LOL)