Finishing a carved banjo neck

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Brian Amato
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Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:44 am

Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by Brian Amato »

I'm about to carve the heel of my first banjo.
Up until now, all the guitars and mandos I've built have been finished with Nitro and they come out acceptable if not perfect.
But on a carved heel banjo neck, I don't want to build up too much finish in the nice carving.
What do folks typically use on carved heel banjo necks?
Thanks in advance,
Brian in Michigan
Ron Belanger
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Location: Orillia, Ontario, Canada
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Re: Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by Ron Belanger »

You might try an oil finish like Waterlox. It would be excellent for keeping the sharp details in the carving.
Brian Amato
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Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:44 am

Re: Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by Brian Amato »

HmmmmmmI don't know waterlox. Guess I'll have to look it up.
Have you guys seen this deal where a guy uses a combination of tru-oil and ArmorAll as a finish?
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... p?t=331108
Sounds too good to be true but I'm going to try it on a scrap of something.
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Barry Daniels
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Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by Barry Daniels »

Armor All is pure silicone. Using this as a finish would be a really bad idea.
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John Hamlett
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Re: Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by John Hamlett »

When I carved banjo neck heels in the past I used whatever finish I normally used, be that lacquer or catalyzed varnish. Finishes should not be allowed to build to too much thickness anyway, so it usually is not a problem, but the finish can be kept thinner over the carvings by masking the carving off for some of the finish coats, then removing the masking and spraying the final coats over the neck, carving and all.
Clay Schaeffer
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Finishing a carved banjo neck

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

Fisheye eliminator is silicone based. Adding small amounts don't seem to harm the finish. It has been known to contaminate the equipment and spray area and make it's continued use necessary (although there is some debate on this). I've never heard of the armor all / truoil combo but will be interested in hearing about the results.
I wonder if Armor all could be used as fisheye eliminator? <g>
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