I still consider myself a Traditionalist,and woudnt agree on Gorill Glue,Polyurethane/Nitrocellulose finish,but a Better compromise such as a Water Based Finish,though not as Durable as a Polyurethane would be good enough for me.as i am also concerned about the Luthiers Health,and like Patrick said,Water Based Lacquer can be applid very thin like Shellac,without a Costly Spray booth-but giving protection as much as a Nitro finish.Ĭhange is Inevitable,and those who dont change get left Behind.And though Shellac is still the First choice for fine furniture,as it has been for centuries.dont you all think with all the Modern Developments in Finish-one should look at the Various Options,rather than Just Living in the Past?. No matter what people say on this forum about SHELLAC,it just is not Durable,even slightly so.Allan had a Hard time with his Marin, fully Shellacked only to buy a Cervantes with top only Shellacked,and many other people on this forum-might have experienced it so.Imagine what would happen in a Super hot country like India,the finish would not even pass a few weeks.if you havent experienced the summer here,then you will never will imagine,what can happen.įor those who Prefer Shellac Still.I have no Argument.Only Happy for your Choice. spend few hundered dollars,getting their Guitar a Facelift ever1-2Years,its not cheap or DURABLE and the sound were to be compromised with Lacquer than I beleve Eric sahlin,Robert ruck,Giachino Giussani,Kevin Aram,Michael Gee,Ramirez Kohno,Lester de Voe.would have gone out of Business long ago.but they are all World Class Luthiers now arent they? I was prompted to ask this question by Rounie's thread about guitar finishes.Thanks for putting it in Motion,a lot of luthiers i know have moved away for Full french polish to only Top Polish.Because the Fact is that Not Everyone can Baby their Guitar,or as someone had Mentioned here.That having A French Polished guitar with Shellac is Like Maintaing a Mistress. I had to go lie down for a couple of hours and I only read the instructions! It's very helpful for someone just starting making guitars. Here is my finishing technique using KTM-9: Once buffed, it looks very nearly as good as nitrocellulose. I apply it with a foam brush and once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy going. It's a waterbased lacquer made especially for guitars (available at LMI). Patmguitars wrote:I use a product called KTM-9. I have now started to recommend it (for the back and sides) to my client over French Polishing. It is easy to apply, doesn't require any special setup and can even be done on your kitchen table if you have to. KTM-9 is a perfect alternative for those who do not want to use nitrocellulose, for whichever reason. It makes the whole thing shine like a mirror. Step 11: I apply a coat of Nu Finish, a car finishing product. I only use the super fine buffing compound. Step 10 : I buff using the Stew-Mac foam pad, the one that you attach to a power drill. BTW, even at that level I alway go with the grain, never sideways or in circles. By that time, the finish is pretty shiny and there shouldn't be too many sanding marks left. Step 9: Using wet or dry paper, I start with 400 grit (with water and a bit of dish soap), then 600, 8, then switch to micromesh and work my way up from 1800 to 12000 (I normally skip the 3600) to polish the finish. Step 8: I let the finish dry for at least 7 days, but often 10 days or more (until I judge that the French Polish on the soundboard is ready.) Once again, a couple of hours wait between each coats. I don't want to create more bumps so the cloth is barely filled with KTM-9. Step 7: Using a soft cloth, I apply another 8-10 very thin coats, barely wetting the finish. At this stage, I want to create an even surface without sanding through the finish (beware of edges!). Step 6: after 48 hours of drying time, I level the finish with 220 grit sandpaper. If you think it's a little too thin, go for another 3 coats, sanding down with 400 between each 3 coats. I then repeat steps 4 for a total of 9 coats. The aim is to get rid of big bumps, drip lines (if any) and air bubbles. Step 5: I sand down lightly using 400 grit. I let it dry for about 2 hours and add another coat, and then another coat 2 hours later. Step 4: a fairly generous coat of KTM-9 (but not so much that it starts to drip) using the foam brush. Step 3: sanding down filler using 220 grit, then a sealer coat of shellac Step 2: pore filling (I use a micro-beads filler on Rosewood and pumice on Maple)
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