Official Luthiers Forum!

Well...I could have sworn all those pores were filled!

I Just finished buffing. The top turned out awesome. The back looks really good too...but...there are a few areas where the grain wasn't 100% filled. 90% filled, but not all the way.

I'm wondering if I can spot treat these areas. Basically, I'd scuff sand them, fill and level with zpoxy and reshoot the affected areas with Enduro-Var. Then I'd sand and buff these areas.

Thanks for your help!

An update...I was looking over the back again. There aren't just a few but several areas where the grain isn't 100% filled. They are barely perceptible, but at this point, I think I should treat the entire back and not just spots.

I think I'll use a ROS to take off the finish. The trick will be leave as much Zpoxy in the pores as possible. Seem like an okay approach?

I'd drop fill -- which does not require removing any finish. Haven't tried it yet with Enduro, but I see no reason why using the standard procedure of puddling some top coat on a piece of glass, letting it dry to a gel, then drpping it into the voids would not work. Of course you have to let it dry completely before scraping and polishing. Drop fill CA is another option.

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Thanks Ken!

I tried both methods on a test board. Both worked quite well. I leveled with 600 grit, moved up the micromesh grits and buffed out. Once buffed, the drop-filled area with Enduro-Var was undetectable. The CA, on the other hand, was nearly undetectable. At certain angles under low light I was able to see witness lines of the CA. But I doubt anyone else would see these unless I pointed them out. The CA method was faster and less fussy.

But as is the case so often with finishing things didn't go as planned. I ended up sanding through as I was trying to level a couple drop-filled areas. In the end, I decided to respray the back.

I have no solutions but I feel the pain of a sand through. I have had a horrible time leveling CA as a drop fill, as it is much harder than the finish around it. Try as I might to my fingers the CA always seemed a little high so a touch more sanding ... repeat until sand through of the surrounding areas. I now mostly level a CA spot with a razor blade. When I am very close I hold down a strip of sand paper about the width of the spot fill on the spot with a finger tip and slowly pull the paper through my finger and the fill.

_________________
http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Dang it! yes of course that is key to a successful drop fill (at least for me) I wish I had mentioned that part of the process.

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

This is what I was referring to when I mentioned getting the surface prepped. Perfectly. EV poorly bonds over cured EV. I've experienced this. I'm not even sure u want to know what I did. But I punted and started over. And it's also why I mentioned getting it on heavy so you have room to sand back.

The other side of this is live with it. And move on to next guitar

Good info in this thread guys. Thanks!

In the past when I've pore filled with Zpoxy, I wouldn't sweat it if I sanded through to wood. I'd simply coat with a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and Zpoxy to ensure even color. Moving forward with Eduro-Var, I'll work toward 100% coverage with no sand through to wood.