Finishing a pine body

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MikeB33

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Hey guys! I'm in the process of gluing up a pine body. (antique heart pine quartersawn) this is my first guitar build so I was hoping to get some advice on finishing it. I want a clear glossy nitro finish. So give me start to finish and dumb it down please haha

Mike
 

Mike Simpson

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Mix shellac flakes with alcohol and apply a base coat of shellac.
Spray with Behlens (or other nitro) and add a couple drops of Colortone honey amber dye to the clear nitro.

This is what that process looks like.
img_1127a.jpg


img_1321a.jpg
 
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Hey guys! I'm in the process of gluing up a pine body. (antique heart pine quartersawn) this is my first guitar build so I was hoping to get some advice on finishing it. I want a clear glossy nitro finish. So give me start to finish and dumb it down please haha

Mike

Pretty easy, no dumbing down needed!

1) take care of any significant knots/holes etc. I think the most common recommendation is epoxy for this

2) some kind of clear sealer coat. I use cellulose sanding sealer. Lots of people on here like vinyl sanding sealer.

3) sand that flat. It's may to take more than one round of coat + sand to get a really nice flat surface

4) spray some coats of clear gloss nitro

5) leave to cure

6) sand flat

7) wet sand through increasingly finer grades; micro mesh is really good for this

8) buff and polish with compound of choice

9) play guitar
 

MikeB33

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Pretty easy, no dumbing down needed!

1) take care of any significant knots/holes etc. I think the most common recommendation is epoxy for this

2) some kind of clear sealer coat. I use cellulose sanding sealer. Lots of people on here like vinyl sanding sealer.

3) sand that flat. It's may to take more than one round of coat + sand to get a really nice flat surface

4) spray some coats of clear gloss nitro

5) leave to cure

6) sand flat

7) wet sand through increasingly finer grades; micro mesh is really good for this

8) buff and polish with compound of choice

9) play guitar

Is there any need to sand in-between coats of nitro?
 

MikeB33

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Mix shellac flakes with alcohol and apply a base coat of shellac.
Spray with Behlens (or other nitro) and add a couple drops of Colortone honey amber dye to the clear nitro.

This is what that process looks like.
img_1127a.jpg


img_1321a.jpg
What purpose does the shellac flakes and alcohol serve? Do they deal the wood? What is the advantage of doing it that way?
 

DrASATele

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Is there any need to sand in-between coats of nitro?

Yes. I would say 400 grit. I use to think, nah I can sand it all when I'm done. Which is the way I did my first 2 guitars. Then My Uncle made one for his grandson and he sanded 400 inbetween each days worth of coats (usually 3 a day) Probably the best finish I've seen with lacquer that wasn't a factory finish. My next one, the challenge will be done this way because the final product was amazing.
 

loopy reed

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Is there any need to sand in-between coats of nitro?

If you do a good job of steps 1-3, you should have a flat enough surface to start with, which would minimize if not eliminate the need to sand between coats of nitro.

With nitro clear coats, the only reason to sand would be to get it level. If you end up with drips or runs, those will require leveling (sanding or scraping) before the next coat goes on.

Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
 

DrASATele

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Shellac Flakes and Alcohol. It's a finish.
I my self use a de-waxed shellac as a sealer for sanding/leveling and tinting.
The mix mike is talking about (I think) is fresh shellac as a finish. Denatured alcohol is what breakes down the flakes to make your finishing liquid.
 

Mike Simpson

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Shellac Flakes and Alcohol. It's a finish.
I my self use a de-waxed shellac as a sealer for sanding/leveling and tinting.
The mix mike is talking about (I think) is fresh shellac as a finish. Denatured alcohol is what breakes down the flakes to make your finishing liquid.

I use fresh shellac as a sealer, barrier coat... under nitro.

If I spray a poly finish I use a vinyl sealer under the poly.

I think of it as a clear primer...
 

oldunc

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Shellac Flakes and Alcohol. It's a finish.
I my self use a de-waxed shellac as a sealer for sanding/leveling and tinting.
The mix mike is talking about (I think) is fresh shellac as a finish. Denatured alcohol is what breakes down the flakes to make your finishing liquid.




With an emphasis on the dewaxed, if you're using it as a sealer or base coat. Zinsser makes a premixed shellac product called, I think, "Seal Coat" that makes a great sealer under all sorts of finishes- it's available in most paint and hardware stores as well as from specialists.
Do not skimp on sanding between coats, and rub it out in the end- lacquer is one of the easiest finishes, actually.
 

oldunc

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Yes. I would say 400 grit. I use to think, nah I can sand it all when I'm done. Which is the way I did my first 2 guitars. Then My Uncle made one for his grandson and he sanded 400 inbetween each days worth of coats (usually 3 a day) Probably the best finish I've seen with lacquer that wasn't a factory finish. My next one, the challenge will be done this way because the final product was amazing.



I've found that with a lot of finishes (lacquer, shellac, polyurethane) even sanding after one coat (first or second) makes a huge difference in the end. But after every coat is best, and it usually only takes a few seconds.
 

DrASATele

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sorry mike I should read it again! Beautiful guitar by the way!

oldunc - yes sir that's the stuff I use - I'll eventually get to the real stuff someday but the Sealcoat stuff makes it happen just as well
Sanding with everycoat sounds like a PITA but it really isn't. I also found that any drop filling should be done just before the last 2 or even 3 coats. The melting of coat into coat makes even repairs easier than expected to fix, if you are patient.
 
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