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 Post subject: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:29 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:32 pm
Posts: 480
First name: John
Last Name: Charnock
Country: UK
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Anyone using pumice stone as a pore filler ?

Good - Bad ??

John


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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:33 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:05 am
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Location: United States
First name: Waddy
Last Name: Thomson
City: Charlotte
State: NC
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
It's labor intensive, but it works. It does tend to sink back a little over time.

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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:52 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:17 am
Posts: 1937
Location: Evanston, IL
First name: Steve
Last Name: Courtright
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+1

WaddyThomson wrote:
It's labor intensive, but it works.

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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:53 am 
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First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
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Status: Professional
Geez... used to use it buff out finishes, but never considered using it for filler.

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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:19 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6262
Location: Virginia
I did for the first time on my recent Flamenco build. Only the rose wood head plate so it wasn't too intensive for me :) But yes it worked quite well, not sure I'd want to do a whole guitar. I think I am going to try egg whites next time.


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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:38 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:42 am
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Location: Hudson, MA
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Quine
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Status: Amateur
I used to use it. Never liked it.
Now I use drywall compound mixed with dye. Much easier


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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:42 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:59 am
Posts: 678
First name: Eric
Last Name: Reid
City: Ben Lomond
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 95005
Country: USA
Status: Professional
It's all I ever use. I love it.


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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:21 pm 
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First name: Dennis
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I love it. Time taken is quite variable so far, but I think it will be not too bad with a bit more experience. I tried the LMI micro bead filler, but it was at least as much time and effort as pumice to mash it all in and carefully scrape back to wood twice, and even then I ended up losing a little thickness and opening some new pores by the time I got the splotchy color mostly cleared off the wood surface. Pumice gets you a perfectly color matched filler, and it can always be re-softened and moved around the surface to level it out without having to carefully scrape/sand to bare wood.

The pumice leveling operation is also dual purpose. Since pumice is an abrasive, you can also skip the finer sandpaper grits. Or do what I did, and leave it at a scraper finish. The pumice polished it out quite beautifully. The neck I sand to 1500 though, as it's easier to grind up slurry from open areas and push it into tight spots, which means the tight spots don't get the abrasive treatment.


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 Post subject: Re: Pumice Stone
PostPosted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 8:52 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:32 am
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First name: alan
Last Name: stassforth
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State: ca
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Chris Pile wrote:
Geez... used to use it buff out finishes, but never considered using it for filler.

I'm just about to use pumice.
My understanding is that it doesn't actually fill the pores,
but uses some of the spit coat finishes to do that.
Oh, I might add that I think pumice is used solely in french polishing,
cuz da alcohol melts the finish in there.


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