Linseed oil or tung oil on rosewood fretboard?

Hey there,

I'm currently building my first instrument, which will be a tenor banjo ukulele. The neck is maple with curly maple headstock overlay with a cherry inlay. The fretboard is a supposedly rosewood premade board I bought online.

I plan to finish the neck with boiled linseed oil followed by wipe-on satin polyurethane. This is a basic finish, but one I've had good luck with on previous maple and cherry projects.

My question is about the fretboard. It currently looks fairly "blah." It's really dark brown instead of the reddish color I associate more with rosewood (in my limited experience with rosewood, from old plane totes and things like that). The linseed oil would probably help with that. I Googled linseed oil for fretboards and saw various responses, ranging from "great" to "never, ever do this."

I also have some tung oil lying around, as well as mineral oil. Or I could put nothing on it. What's the best plan?

Jim

I use stuff called "lemon oil" which I believe is just mineral oil scented with lemons which makes it cost more. Plus I like that lemony scent! Just use your mineral oil and not much.

Linseed or tungoil are "finishes"
A rosewood neck usually is not finished.
Give it some lemon-oil from time to time when you change strings and leave it as it is if you ask me

But on the other side,.... why not finishing it ...?
Anyway i am not an expert.

Use lemon oil. Linseed oil can get tacky when it warms up.
Miguel

Been using Lemon Oil for years

Butcher block oil works great.

Cornerstone said:

Butcher block oil works great.

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I'm pretty sure butcher block oil is usually just mineral oil with a different label. Maybe that's the way to go....

You are right. Been using it for years

Just use any commercial fingerboard oil,

or boiled linseed oil, or renaissance wax, Ducks wood conditioner, or any commercial fingerboard oil.