Official Luthiers Forum!

I was wondering if there is a tutorial on how to do a wipe on poly finish on the forum. I couldn't find anything on how to apply it, but based on the slope shoulder dread Joe Sustaire made it seems to be great finish. Thanks

Bill Cory discusses it in one of his books on building kit guitars (can't remember which one).

http://www.kitguitarmanuals.com/

It doesn't have to be wiped on in a french polish technique or anything? No base coat of shellac? I must seem like an idiot right now lmao.

Literally .. wipe on 5 coats .. wet flat sand with 600 and more poly ... wipe on some more coats, wet flat sand with 1000 and poly. wipe off after last coat .. that how I used the Min Wax stuff a few years back ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks Mr. Karol, Do you wipe on heavy or thin coats?

Thanks for the compliment Brian!

I didn't go for the full level sand, gloss finish on mine. I think I just rubbed on about 5 or 6 coats and called it done. More of a semi-gloss thin finish, but it's held up really well, doesn't show any signs of playing wear. Tough stuff.

I just folded a small piece of good paper towel, no lint, and rubbed a very thin coat on each time. I had the body bolted to a shop made version of stew macs freehand holder for spraying. That way I could get all the way around it each time without messing up the finish.

Next time I'm going to follow Tony's schedule and see If I can't get a full gloss level finish.
It's good stuff.

Joe

Do you porefill beforehand?

Hey Joe, (Do you get that a lot? ) I remember that great looking guitar. I'm just wondering how the finish is holding up on the neck. Is It being played a lot? I love the feel of the Minwax satin and would like to give it a try on a neck sometime.

See Ya,
Danny

Thanks everyone.

Filippo, I bought a can a while ago and haven't really used it other than on scrap to see how it looks. It seemed too simple to work lol

Joe, that guitar looks perfect with the semi gloss finish IMHO. Did you use an oil based pore filler? A little unrelated, but how did you do that burst: Was it rubbed or sprayed? It's by far the nicest burst I've ever seen.

Here is the guitar for people that don't remember

I'm looking for a simple finish for four guitars that I have a group of students doing right now - something that they can do themselves (so that I don't have to do the finish work for them). This sounds like an interesting alternative finish for the type of building we're doing right now.

I'd like to get some clarification on using the Minwax wipe-on poly.

Do you prep the guitar the same way that you would before spraying lacquer, i.e., pore fill the hardwood (Z-Poxy, or other), and seal the top (and maybe the hardwoods as well) with shellac before using the poly?

Thanks for any additional info...

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Okay, let's see how my memory is working this evening!

I pore filled with drywall compound I tinted with latex paint to a nice dark reddish brown. This is from one of the Luthier Tips du Jour videos on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhk6rZ2UI1Y. Works great and the price is right.

And yes this has been my go to guitar since I finished it and it gets played a lot. It's holding up great on the neck with no signs of wear. I believe it was one of Zlurgh's posts where he talked about using the MinWax wipe on poly for necks that convinced me to give it a try.

The burst was airbrushed onto the raw spruce using water thinned trans-tint dyes.

And I believe I just went straight to rubbing on the poly, without a shellac seal coat. Yeah, I just checked my build documentation at the Luthier Community Forum and that's right. The back, sides, and neck were stained with an oil based rub on stain, so therefore an oil based porefill should work also if that's what you're used too. Then I rubbed on 6 very thin coats of poly, letting each dry well before re-coating. Usually overnight, but make sure the first coat gets set up hard before going on to the others.

So jump on in the water's fine! I was going for a rubbed luster sheen finish that would hold up and feel like wood and this worked great for me. But I've only done this one with this finish, life gets in the way, so I sure want to hear your experiences with it also.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, and good luck!

Joe

Hi Oval,

Really glad you started this thread. I've often wondered about wiping poly since other varnishes and polyurethanes have been used by forum members. I've read a lot of electric guitar makers like it for necks.

+1 for Minwax Wipe-On Poly on furniture. Super easy to apply with blue paper shop towels. I have however tried applying a coat of shellac as a sealer first. Might keep the poly from soaking too deeply into guitar wood? I also sometimes buff it with automotive polish/swirl remover after the last coat.

The only thing I don't like about Wipe-On Poly is that like all varnishes it doesn't melt into itself. Thinly wiped coats mean that during final leveling it's easy to burn through the top level and get witness marks.

-Jake.

The coats were pretty thin IIRC .... and I didnt flat sand wihtout using more product, so you are levelling and adding a coat at the same time .. no witness lines. I used it on necks only, with no pore fill, with the semi gloss version.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Lee Valley has a gel wipe on that I have used on cabinetry for years. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... ,190,42942 It has excellent durability, but it does leave a slight amber tint.
From the results mentioned in this thread, I think I might try this on a guitar, instead of spraying.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Great topic. Sounds like a fairly simple finish. Any health concerns with this finish as compared with the solvents in nitro? What precautions are necessary when doing the Min-wax wipe on?

If you use 240 to sand beteen coats...you have to apply it thick. I use a small, folded t-shirt square and keep it pretty wet when applying.
If you want thin coats use 400 and put it on thin....more like Tru-oil. If you use fine paper and apply it too thick it might not lay down smoothly. Fine paper/fine application...coarse paper/thick application. That was the trick for me.

I use MinWax Wipe-on Poly gloss on maple fretboards. No filling or prep other than 240.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

In reading this, I get the idea that some use pore-fill and some don't. It's not also a pore-filler, is it?

No...not at all. You'll need to think about some kind of filler underneath. I've never used it over a pore filler so I have no recommendation but II would guess epoxy wood work. I'd certainly test that idea first.

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

I just finished a walnut top electric with General wipe on poly.
Scuffed between each coat with 320, lightly.
After about 8 coats, I called it done.
Should have put another 6 coats, but didn't.
Looks pretty good!
I didn't use pore filler,
but let the coats dry for a long time.
Slow build with wipe on......
If you lay the git flat,
you can put a thicker coat on,
otherwise if you go thick with the git upright,
it will run.
I sort of like it.

For Ed H.

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Very nice Stuart. The fretboard finish blends in well with the remainder of the guitar.

I really like your fret markers. Did you do that with CNC?

Thanks
Ed

Hehe...everything was done cnc. Inlays included.

I've put maybe 300 hours of playing on this axe. I don't see any discernable wear in the finish but I'm using .048" high frets so I don't touch the fretboard much, I guess.

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic