Hooray for Lemon Oil!

connor013 · Mar 17, 2012

This is probably common knowledge for many, but for those of us who play more often than we clean:

I just cleaned my ukes with lemon oil this morning, and what a difference! On the Black Bears, which are nitrocellulose, all the fingerprints are gone, and there's a noticeably deeper glow to the koa (which looks awesome -- prettiest wood eva, as we say in MA).

But on the Hamano, which is a satin finish, holy guacamole! The mahogany looks beautiful -- deep and reddish and slightly glowing like sunset clouds on a still sea.

20 minutes well spent!

Goats Can Eat Anything · Mar 17, 2012

I find that one of the best things for the appearance of an instrument with a rosewood fretboard (ebony too), is a cleaning of the frets and fretboard with 0000-grade steel wool and oiling it up. It makes such a difference in appearance and it even helps the playability a bit. Kind of like lotion on dry skin...

I gussied up my cheap laminate concert with oil and, you're right, the difference is night and day. Looks older and richer!

Kayak Jim · Mar 17, 2012

When cleaning the frets and fretboard do you remove the strings or just loosen and pull to the side? Is there any detrimental effect to getting lemon oil on the strings?

Goats Can Eat Anything · Mar 17, 2012

I do it when replacing the strings. It needs to be a side to side motion (along the frets) to get grime out from next to the frets and to polish the frets nicely. You also want to be careful not to scratch the finish or get steel wool residue in the soundhole. Additionally, it's nice to apply the oil, let it soak in, and dry it up; repeat. It doesn't need to happen that often, but when it does... Beautiful!

I don't think it would hurt the strings.

mikelz777 · Mar 17, 2012

Do you do the lemon oil treatment to the entire ukulele? (Are there any wood parts that you don't treat?) Does the lemon oil damage or remove the brand-name lettering on the head stock? I was wondering if I should treat the wood on my Lanikai LU-21C some day or just leave well enough alone. I love the look of it now but the nato laminate seems to have a dry look/feel to it but maybe it's supposed to be that way. I'm guessing that treating it with oil would darken it and bring out the look of the grain more?

mr roper · Mar 17, 2012

Just don't over do it. You don't want to wet the board so much that the oil has a chance to penetrate into the fret slots and soften the wood there over time.

Goats Can Eat Anything · Mar 17, 2012

The only thing I wholly oiled was the aforementioned cheap laminate uke. In part, the purpose there was to remove the logos (the top had a goofy little hula dancer design). For this, I oiled while steel wool-ing the finish. It looks great. I've never oiled the body of more expensive instruments. I'd be more reluctant to do that.

For the fingerboard oiling, I usually only do the fingerboard and, sometimes, the bridge. Essentially, just the unfinished woods.

1931jim · Mar 17, 2012

I take tension off the strings, fold them to the sides and tie them back with a tie around the back of body at the soundhole area. Do about 5 frets at a time lightly, then wipe off immediately. Put the lemon oil on a cloth over the index finger. Oh yeah don't forget to save your old tooth brush, it is one of the secret weapons of any old repairman.
On and off quickly whenever you do the fretboard. The back of the neck and the box itself, one does not need to be so hurried and a very light dab with the cloth will be sufficient.

Freeda · Mar 17, 2012

connor013 said:
slightly glowing like sunset clouds on a still sea.

I have been basking in that phrase all afternoon.

1931jim · Mar 17, 2012

Originally Posted by connor013

slightly glowing like sunset clouds on a still sea.

Freeda said:
I have been basking in that phrase all afternoon.

Slightly glowing just like Father O'Connor013 on St.Patrick's Day after a wee dram or two of Lemon Oil. HaHa!!

coolkayaker1 · Mar 17, 2012

Another way to keep the fretboard well oiled: learn to play up and down the entire fretboard.

Mine, personally, is pretty much just oiled on the first three frets. Especially after a bag of Lay's.

I know, it's not a beautiful as sunset clouds on a still sea, but it's the truth.

Kayak Jim · Mar 18, 2012

How about BBQ or dill pickle chips?

Or in the UK they have really off the wall flavours of crisps- "southern fried chicken 'n dumplin's" or something like that!

Doc_J · Mar 18, 2012

Myamoe ukuleles recommends to rub Planet Waves lemon oil on the hand-rubbed oil finish from time to time to replenish it.

http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/ownerInfo.html

coolkayaker1 · Mar 18, 2012

Bill1 said:
The only down side of the Lays oiling method is that you run the risk of having a fretboard that looks like a cratered kitchen cutting board after a few years and that may not appeal to every potential buyer.

You slay me, Bill. That's pretty damned funny. I guess I just killed any UU Marketplace ads for myself. lol

bazmaz · Mar 18, 2012

Never considered putting oil on the actual body of the uke...

As for fingerboards, I would also avoid lemon oil unless you can guarantee its genuine real fruit oil. Most sold today is synthetic and just scented with lemon.

I personally use bore oil - its been used by woodwind players for oboes etc for donkeys years and works a treat on fingerboards. Seriously though, I use it once a year or less. More importantly I only use it if the uke fingerboard looks like it needs it. You really don't want to over oil a fingerboard.

As for putting it on the body - anyone else with opinions on this. I have a kanilea with a thin matte finish. Would rubbing bore oil on it do the wood any good?

barefootgypsy · Mar 18, 2012

What do think about using linseed oil? It's the traditional treatment for furniture, and The Ukulele Man recommends it for the fretboard.....I've done mine..... (maple fretboard, banjo-uke.

Dolf · Mar 19, 2012

I use fastfret for my guitar. Works really well. The company states that the product is suitable for all stringed instruments. Worth a try, I would say! I use it ont he strings and the fretboard only, though. For the body (of the instrument, that is) I use plain and simple furniture-wax.

Kayak Jim · Mar 19, 2012

barefootgypsy said:
What do think about using linseed oil? It's the traditional treatment for furniture, and The Ukulele Man recommends it for the fretboard.....I've done mine..... (maple fretboard, banjo-uke.

Gypsy are you using Boiled Linseed Oil (which has metallic driers added) which dries in a couple of days, or Raw Linseed Oil which takes a few months to dry? Mineral Oil (Lemon Oil) does not dry.

barefootgypsy · Mar 19, 2012

Kayak Jim said:
Gypsy are you using Boiled Linseed Oil (which has metallic driers added) which dries in a couple of days, or Raw Linseed Oil which takes a few months to dry? Mineral Oil (Lemon Oil) does not dry.

Thanks for that, Jim!

I used Raw Linseed Oil - I only did it a few days ago - but I've just paid a visit to a luthier about my frets, and when I told him I'd used some linseed oil on the fretboard, he advised me not to use it because he said it can stain over time..... he makes guitars. The idea to use it in the first place came from an experienced source - (in banjoleles) - interesting, isn't it!

benjoeuke · Mar 19, 2012

I would never put any kind of oil on any of my instruments, whether they be finished with lacquer, spirit or oil varnish the only thing I have ever used is Jubilee Polish, and very sparingly. Lynn Dudenbostel personally recommended it to me for my 1918 Gibson mandolin and said it is safe for any finish if used properly. As for lemon oil on the fingerboard, maybe once a year at most but I do take off the strings first and clean with 0000 steel wool, otherwise the oil just helps to seal in the grimy build up.

Hooray for Lemon Oil!

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