Tru-oil before installing frets?

[slowlearner]

I have two necks that are due to have frets installed. Both boards have been slotted, radiused and sanded to 600 grit. What I'm wondering is this...

Could I apply tru-oil to the boards prior to installing the frets?

I ask this, because I've found it very hard to get a really good finish on the boards when I oiled it after installing the frets. The problem is that the timber I'm using is Vic Ash and needs the grain filled to look really good.

My trusted mentor has warned me off doing this as he thinks the tru-oil could stop the superglue holding the frets in, however I'd like to hear others thoughts on this.

[simso]

I would not oil before re-fretting.

[kiwigeo]

Oil will definitely affect glue...

[Lutherie Gervais]

they said it !
bond won't be 100%

[demonx]

Agree.

I personally would not apply any finish before fretting

[Trevor Gore]

I depends what you're using the glue for! If you rely on the glue holding in the frets, what those above said.

If you just want the glue to fill the gaps around the fret tang and make a solid seating for the fret, with the barbs holding the fret in, there's no harm in oiling first. I do it quite often and the frets are rock solid. Don't slather it on though. It is quite possible to oil a board with very little, if any, going into the fret slots. However, if you're trying to fill the grain using an oil finish, I don't see how you could do it without seriously contaminating the fret slots.

[ernieman]

I always use an oil/turpentine (is that white spirit?) mixture before fretting. But then, I don't glue my frets...

[n~dl]

Yeah, pore filling might stick you with a lot of slot clean up. "That was a terrible experience, let's do it twenty more times!" Hope you don't have binding.

[martintaylor]

I sand my fretboards to 1200 (Mulga or Gidgee), then fret, the Lemon Oil. Don't usually glue the frets.