I’m sure most of you have at least heard of the popular Oil and Wax finishes that have come on the market lately. There are several different brands out there now. I have been wanting to try them out for quite some time to see if they really are that easy to use.

What are these Oil and Wax Finishes? Basically they are some blend of an Oil and Hard Wax. What the specific oil is, I do not know. The hard wax is suspended into the oil so that after the finish is applied, the oil soaks into the wood and the wax gives it a protective finish on top of the wood. It almost sounds like the perfect combination for a wood finish as I’ve always liked an oil finish because of the way it brings out the grain of the wood. The downside was that only using oil, never really gave the wood much protection on its own. This type of finish now has the added protection of the hard wax. But is it any good? Time for a test.

I decided to try out the Osmo brand finish. (this is not sponsored by Osmo, I purchased this finish myself) I decided to apply the finish to a guitar body. The body is made from some softwood pieces and was intended to be a sample for a guitar I was building. The sample came out usable so I decided to keep it around. I’ll slowly continue working on it and eventually finish it up.

The Osmo Oil I used was the extra thin, satin clear. I wiped it on using a cloth according to the instructions, although I’ve seen many people apply it with a white abrasive pad as well. After waiting the recommended 30 minutes, I wiped off the excess and applied a second coat. Again waiting 30 minutes and wiping off the excess.

The instructions on the can say that for most projects a single coat is enough, but for flooring, a second coat is recommended. I figured that if 2 coats is enough for something used as hard as flooring, it should also be plenty for a guitar. I really don’t plan on walking on this guitar so it should be just fine.

Overall the finish went on perfectly. There was no streaking in the finish. After wiping the excess, the finish has a nice soft feel and isn’t sticky. I think this could work well for a guitar. I can’t yet comment on the durability but this type of finish is supposed to be super easy to touch up if its ever needed. My first impressions of the finish is positive. I plan to do some “Raw Wood” guitar builds and I feel that this could be great option for those builds. It’s easy and quick to apply and looks good as well.

Check out the video below to see how the process went, and how the finish looks.

— Affiliate Links to Products Used —
Osmo 1101 Clear Satin Oil (.75L) – https://amzn.to/3LMm9Og
White Scotch Brite Pads – https://amzn.to/33wvEA5
Lint Free Cotton Rags – https://amzn.to/3JClIUT

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Hi HayHay!