sapele steve Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Hi Folks: So I am going to put together a Guitar either from scratch or via a kit. I have been reading that the common finish would be to use Laquer which is sprayed on & consist of 15 to 20 coats! Well, I don't have a sprayer or any means to be able to use one. So, how would you recommend finishing off this Guitar? I was thinking about applying multiple coats of Danish oil followed by Wipe on Poly. However, I don't know how that would hold up in the long run. Any suggestions would be appreciated especially if anyone has experience doing this. Thanks, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baok Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Stewart-MacDonald sells spray laquer in cans so that's one option. A friend who has a guitar-building business and recently told me about some sort of epoxy finish (I know that sounds weird). I'll ask him about it and if it can be brushed. Most importantly, I'll find out the name. I like that wipe-on poly stuff; it would probably do well after four coats or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I would suggest spending some time at the Target Coatings forum (the finishing line). A lot of instrument builders over there. The Stewart-MacDonald water-based finishes, I hear, are actually a "private label" of Target Coatings. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapele steve Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Hi Ace: Do you have a link to that site? Thanks, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi Ace: Do you have a link to that site? Thanks, Steve Sorry should of done that. http://www.targetcoatings.com/forum/ -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkirby Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 You could french polish the guitar or, as i do on the harps i build, just use a bog standard wiping varnish buffed with steel wool between coats and finished with a wax paste. Gives a nice light protection allowing the wood to be felt but is strong enough to handle the day to day wear. I wouldn't recommend dropping it. If its an electric your building then the finnish really doesn't matter as you don't have a sound board. You don't want something too thick but again a wiping varnish will do if your not able to use a spray finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapele steve Posted August 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Quick Note: Thanks for all of the replies! The wood for this kit Guitar is Paulownia and it is very porous, to say the least. I learned the hard way that one should use a wood sealer on this wood first. Then, the best way to finish it would be via spraying with the Nitrocellulose finishes. In my case, I first applied 3 coats of Danish Oil which did not seem to be doing much of anything. I then used Marc's Wiping Varnish routine without much success either. So, I finally started applying coat after coat of Wipe On Poly with sanding in between coats. I am on coat #6 and it seems like this is going to work after all. So, the moral to this story is to know the woods that you are working with prior to applying any type of finish!! I like that I was able to keep the natural wood showing, which I prefer over a painted look. Anyway, just wanted to bring everyone up to date & let them know about the drawbacks of this wood. Next time when I build my own Guitar, I will use the standard Maple/Mahogany/Rosewood. Lesson Learned........... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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