Official Luthiers Forum!

My first guitar is at a point of needing to finish. I will not be using sprayers, so if anyone has comments on what to purchase, in terms of varnish or any other needed supplies, I welcome them. I also, for my first time, need some steps laid out on how to apply these layers of varnish or what my accompany them, i.e., sanding, applying, sanding, etc....

Kevin

You might want to check out KTM 9. It's a water based product that can be brushed on. I haven't used it, but it may work for you. LMI has usage instructions on their web site.

Good luck,
Chuck

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"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

question.....how porous is the wood (pore filling?).

Also, a coupla coats of shellac sanding sealer (waxless) seems to be a good thing.

I prefer water based finishes due to toxicity of other finishes....just my preference...and so long as it satisfies your visual requirements. Does require a bit of time (sanding and re-applying and curing, etc).......lots of ways to skin the 'finish' cat.....various luthier reference books touch of this subject, too.

French Polish, of course. It's the most beautiful finish (opinion warning), is time honored, takes work but can be done anywhere (as in, polishing while you are watching your favorite TV shows in the living room), non-toxic, no equipment, and it allows easy repair of scratches and wear further down the road.

If you go this route, make sure your finish sanding is absolutely perfect. FP telegraphs the wood quality like crazy, and telegraphs sanding problems even more!

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Here is a different kind of suggestion. When you decide on what to use, stick with it until you learn how to do it well. Every type of finish has pluses and minuses. Ask 10 builders what the best is and you'll get a dozen answers. I tried a few different ones - KTM-9, Rockhard varnish, and Tru-oil. Only by using one multiple times did I start to figure out how to end up with acceptable results.

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53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

I'm getting decent results with Target's EM-6000 waterbased laquer. Add 15% retarder by weight, then apply with a GOOD fine bristle brush.

Do a search here for any of the above options and you'll find lots of info on everyone's schedule with the different products. It's a popular topic around here.

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Rob

Wise words, my friend!

I use Minwax polyurethane. Spreads like a charm with a sponge brush. Sands easy after 8 to 12 hours. Last coats using paper towels wraped around the sponge brush for cleaner coat (although thinner too). Took me about 13 guitars to be happy.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

You can also use StewMac's Waterbase Brushing Varnish.

Bob