twenty2late wrote:Thanks Diane! To be honest...I'm terrified to do my own spraying! I have to operate in my garage and my water heater (with pilot) sits behind me. I'm sure if I had a safe area, and built a suitable spray booth that I could easily learn to spray.
I actually find most of the pain from FP to be in my hand and wrist. My routine is about 2-3 coats a day focusing on the backs and sides or just on the top, so it's not a lot of work, but my hand cramps up from holding the pad and pushing the shellac onto the wood.
I've also tried tru-oil on 2 of my builds....but I didn't put down a shellac base coat. That actually sounds like a great idea. I don't like the finish of tru-oil alone, but I absolutely love how the shellac makes the wood "pop"!
I'm retiring from the Air Force in 2018, and the wife told me that wherever we settle down that I can build a stand alone workshop. That will help with the safety of spraying, but I imagine I will legally have to discuss it with my insurance, which would probably be almost as expensive as out-sourcing?
V/R
Ken
I'm an Air Force Vet too, well before your time I'm sure.
You don't want to spray nitro anywhere near an open pilot. My workshop is in the basement. We have natural gas furnaces and a tankless gas hot water heater. But my shop is an enclosed room that encompasses 1/2 of the basement. The furnace has its own room and the hot water heater is mounted on the opposite wall, across the basement.
Right now, I have a makeshift area in my shop that I close off with shower curtains, in front of a window. I have a strong double fan in the window, blowing out, to exhaust the over spray. I have a second window in the shop area, and I have another double fan that brings air into the shop area. So in essence, I have cross ventilation. My husband worked in HVAC for over 50 years. He's going to install a through the wall blower unit which will replace the double fan.
The first time I sprayed, you could smell the stuff clear to the third floor of our house. After using the 2 windows and double fans, it vents it really well. I wear a 3M, full face mask, rated for VOC's, plus an old lab coat, gloves, and a shower cap. If anyone saw me, they'd think I'm working in a biolevel 4 lab. LOL
I completely understand the hand cramping. I had Carpel tunnel surgery on both hands 15 years ago. After I built my first guitar, it came back with a vengeance, along with the added attraction of both of my thumbs triggering. The VA hand specialist did revisions and trigger release.
I love French polishing. It may not be the preferred technique, but I've learned to use firm, but not hard pressure. I save the donkey Kong pressure for spiritng off. I've found that I persevere longer, if I temper my approach. Also, there's no law that dictates that you have to work on it daily. If you keep working when you have hand pain, it can turn into something more serious. So, even if you only do 1 coat 2x pet day, it's okay. You don't need tendonitis. It takes me a long time to fp a guitar. Shellac brings out the depth and beauty of the woods.
I'm currently starting 3 new builds. These photos are of a Brazilian rosewood build that I'm stringing up for the first time tomorrow. It literally took me months to polish this guitar. I worked on it for a few days, then I allowed it to sit for a few days to harden. I followed this routine for a long time. If you ask how many coats are on this guitar, I wouldn't be able to tell you. It's a lot. But it shows you that you can French polish effectively, even with severely reduced hand strength.
I've learned to listen to my hands. I still power through the cramps at times to finish what I'm doing, but if I get warning signs, I rest them.