Lemon oil vs. boiled linseed oil on ebony neck

[jimmythesaint]

On the Care and Adjustment web page, it recommends using pure or transparent lemon oil for the fingerboard. Would using boiled linseed oil instead make a difference? I have a supply of boiled linseed oil, which Ralph Novak once recommended to me to use for rosweood fingerboards. Would lemon oil be just about as good for rosewood, too? I'm paranoid about the risk of spontaneous combustion with stored linseed oil (I've been burned by this before), so I wouldn't mind having a good reason to go all lemon oil.

[lbpesq]

If you use linseed oil, be sure to warn anyone else who plays the guitar, works on it, or to whom you may sell it.  Last month I was changing strings on a Wechter 12 string that I bought used.  As I was working on the guitar my eyes started feeling itchy and I started sneezing.  Soon my eyes puffed up so much I could barely see and my breathing became labored to the extent that I was close to calling for an ambulance.  I think what happened was that someone in the past used linseed oil on the guitar - I'm allergic to linseed oil (can't be around oil-based paint, for example) and can have an asthma atack or other reactions.  It's lemon oil for me.
 
Bill, tgo

[jimmythesaint]

Well, darn that linseed oil anyway: if you're not burning your house down with it, you're using it to murder some unlucky guitar player. But is there any particular reason to not use it on ebony? Or to not use lemon oil on rosewood?

[bsee]

If you search here thoroughly, you'll find a post where Mica talks about why lemon is the right choice.  It was something to the effect that the compounds in lemon oil are identical to the ones that the ebony was born with before it started to dry out.  Couldn't tell you if the same is true for any other woods.

[dfung60]

Lemon and linseed oil work in different ways.  Linseed oil is part of group of oils that are traditionally used to produce furniture finishes.  They soak into the wood surface, then, as the oil dries, the oil molecules interlock and form long chains (polymerize) which results in a hardened surface finish that protects against scrapes and moisture.  
 
The problem with linseed oil is that you need to put it on in many very thin coats over time so the polymerization happens at and under the surface of the wood.  If you allow it to build up on the surface, it can make a sticky goop on top of the surface.
 
Lemon oil doesn't polymerize or form a hard surface.  It supplies oil to the raw wood surface and helps clean the surface without leaving a build-up.  But other than a temporary oil coat on the surface, it doesn't provide any other protection to the wood.
 
I don't think you want to use linseed oil on a fretted fingerboard - you won't be able to clean out the joins between the fingerboard and frets and get gummy dirt glop there.  The last thing you want to do is capture dust and grime on your fingerboard.  Using lemon oil will help keep everything cleaner, so that's probably why it gets a recommendation.
 
Ebony and rosewood are preferred for fingerboards because they have very high natural oil content and are well suited for the rough life of a fingerboard in their raw state.  So, putting a tough finish on is less important for an ebony board than if it were maple.  If you were finishing the BACK of the neck, linseed oil would be a much better choice than lemon oil.  
 
I don't think you need to worry about spontaneous combustion with a can of linseed oil.  But if you get the oil into any kind of mist or on soemthing which has a lot of surface area like a rag, it's easy for it to light up.
 
David Fung

[jimmythesaint]

Right, the time linseed oil spontaneously combusted in the utility closet it wasn't the can, but on a bunch of rags that caught fire.
 
Are you saying it would be desirable to use linseed oil in many thin coats on a new fretboard, so as to build up a protective surface before playing it? Maybe that's what Novak meant when he told me to use linseed oil on a rosewood fretboard. Or better just to play it as is, then clean it periodically with lemon oil?

[keith_h]

The best thing to do is play it as is and use lemon oil periodically to clean and refresh the neck.  
 
You do not want to use linseed oil at all as it will cause build up on the neck and frets. It also has a tendency to get sticky. With ebony and  rosewood there is no need for any type of sealer or finish.  
 
Keith

[dfung60]

I don't think you want to use linseed oil (raw or boiled) on a fretted fingerboard - you won't gain much on the surface, but you'll get the goo problem at the base of the frets.  This might make more sense on a fretless, but still probably isn't necessary with ebony or rosewood.
 
If you were going to use linseed, it would really be appropriate on the body or back of neck than on the fingerboard.  And I think a modern polyurethane varnish would be better in those locations anyway.
 
David Fung

[s_wood]

I used to use linseed oil all the time, but David's and Keith's dexperience was exactly mine: sooner rather than later you will end up with a gunky mess on your fingerboard that only 0000 steel wool will remove.
 
For me, the 2 best choices for fingerboard care are, of course, pure lemon oil (as recommended by the folks at the Mothership) or ColorTone Fretboard Finishing Oil (available from Stewart-McDonald).

[jimmythesaint]

OK, so I go to Whole Foods and ask for pure lemon oil or any transparent lemon oil. The only thing they have is in the aromatherapy section, which is organic lemon pure plant essential oil. it's $10 for a tiny 5ml bottle. Is this the right stuff, and do I use it straight from the bottle?

[new2alembic]

Hello Jimmy:
 
Yes, that is the right stuff. Yes it is expensive!  The prices are higher than ever because of the situation with the citrus crops.  Check out the other threads here at the club where this is discussed in detail.  To answer your question, use a few drops straight from the bottle.  You do not want to dilute it.  Use a clean soft cloth.    Good luck.
 
Carl

[keith_h]

Jimmy,
Just so you know that little bottle will oil all three of my Alembics twice a year and then some without any problems. So while it isn't cheap it doesn't require a lot to oil the neck.  
 
Keith

[bsee]

Prices are high on lemon oil in general, regardless of crop situation.  The good news is it only takes literally 4-5 drops to treat the board, and this only needs to happen once or twice a year.  If you were dumping it into some aroma thingie at a bottle a month you might care, but for our purposes that's a ten year supply.  
 
I put a drop every 4-6 along the board and then use a fingertip to spread it around.  The cloth comes five or ten minutes later to wipe away some grime and any leftover wet spots.  Going right to a cloth soaks up too much and wastes precious oil in my opinion.
 
-bob

[jimmythesaint]

I just found an 8oz bottle on eBay for $12.99. 8oz of this Simpler's organic stuff I got would cost $480.

[s_wood]

I used to use linseed oil all the time, but David's and Keith's dexperience was exactly mine: sooner rather than later you will end up with a gunky mess on your fingerboard that only 0000 steel wool will remove.
 
For me, the 2 best choices for fingerboard care are, of course, pure lemon oil (as recommended by the folks at the Mothership) or ColorTone Fretboard Finishing Oil (available from Stewart-McDonald).