Finishing Update

Questions and answers for beginners. If you have a question, so do most other people.
scamp
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2022 8:19 pm

Finishing Update

Post by scamp »

Just completed finishing my first guitar.
Used Tru Oil and now letting it cure for a few weeks before I polish it and complete the build.
It wasn't easy so I thought I would pass along some of my experience so it might help other beginners.

As I said, I used Tru Oil and tried to follow an Eric Schaefer method shown on line .
Final sanding using 220 girt, sealer coat of shellac, Aqua Coat pore filler and 15 coats of diluted ( 3 parts Tru Oil with 2 parts mineral spirits ). Steel wool ( 0000 ) rub down between each coat.

Here is what happened.

1) I struggled with getting the Aqua Coat to actually fill the pores on my Rose Wood sides and back. I rubbed it on vigorously with a cotton cloth. Also tried the credit card method to force it into the pores. After 5 coats I thought it looked OK but found out as I went along it still wasn't good enough. In retrospect, I think I may have applied too much Aqua Coat which acted like a lubricant so when I rubbed it using the cloth it wasn't forced into the pores well enough. Still not sure how to make it work.

2) Applied thinned Tru Oil and saw how poorly I did the pore filling. I thought that as I applied coats it would fill in some of the pores. Discovered that thinned Tru OIl showes shows every little blemish in the surface since it is such a thin coat. Needless to say, it didn't fill in the pores with multiple coats.

3) Used steel wool between coats and came to the conclusion that steel wool should not be allowed anywhere near someone finishing a guitar. Little broken pieces of steal wool get into everything. I tried tack cloths, compressed air, etc. I discovered that some of the steel fleck were on my skin and would fall off when I applied the next coat.

Basically, I wasn't happy at all with the results after about 10 coats. So.... I sanded what I had down. Fortunately, I had applied enough coats of the Tru Oil so it acted like a pore filler. When I got down to the base layer, almost all the pores were filled with Tru Oil. So I started again. This time I applied three coats of Tru Oil and then instead of steel wool I lightly sanded it with 1000 girt using mineral spirits as a lubricant. I would then do another three coats and repeat. This seemed to work much much better. Also, I learned that old cotton tee shirts still leaves behind lint. I switched to a very fine old cotton dress shirt material for the outer layer of the mouse to apply the Oil. I also used a lint remover on the mouse to before using it.

Here are the result which I am happy with.
IMG_2158.JPEG
IMG_2159.JPEG
IMG_2160.JPEG
Also... Another issue with Tru Oil

I got a few dings in the surface after I had applied quite a few coats ( wasn't as careful as I needed to be ).
Found it was very difficult to deal with these using Tru Oil.
If you sanded them down you would leave a divot in the surface so that wasn't great.
You could sand the whole thing down and start again ( not a good option ).
In my case, I would apply Tru Oil to the ding and let it dry.
Unfortunately, you needed to do this quite a few times to build it up so you could sand it flush.
It took forever.

Anyway.... this is my rookie experience.
I'm sure there were easier ways to go about doing it and probably some of my conclusions you may not agree with.
Just thought I would pass it on.

Scamp
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TEETERFAN
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:43 pm
Location: Kansas City, MO

Re: Finishing Update

Post by TEETERFAN »

Nice results! That’s a wonderful looking instrument. You sure had a little battle with the finishing. The important thing is you evaluated your first results and did what was necessary to improve things. Yes, steel wool can be the devil! I used it to age some hardware on a relic electric guitar and got a ton of those tiny steel hairs on the magnetic pickups, stuck in all the nooks and crannies. Anyway, the finishing environment needs to be as clean as possible. I pay strict attention to the presence of any foreign matter, in the room, on the work table, on the ceiling above, and the clothes I am wearing.
Great to see your success so far with this first guitar!
Kevin Doty
Kansas City
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Finishing Update

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I think we've all probably struggled with our first finish whatever it was. Yours looks very good in the pics. Sure is shiny.
I too struggled with TruOil using it on my first. Didn't care for the results. Sanded it all off and sprayed nitro lacquer.
Ive never looked back. It works for some guys for sure.
You have learned a lot and if you use it again I'm sure it will go much better.
Nice job!

Kevin
scamp
Posts: 223
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2022 8:19 pm

Re: Finishing Update

Post by scamp »

Kevin Sjostrand wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 8:29 am I think we've all probably struggled with our first finish whatever it was. Yours looks very good in the pics. Sure is shiny.
I too struggled with TruOil using it on my first. Didn't care for the results. Sanded it all off and sprayed nitro lacquer.
Ive never looked back. It works for some guys for sure.
You have learned a lot and if you use it again I'm sure it will go much better.
Nice job!

Kevin
I would love to try nirto lacquer for my next guitar but am intimidated by not having a well ventilated spray booth.
Could do it outside but here in New England that might be problematic ( weather, bugs. etc.)
How do you do it?
Outside?
Spray booth?

Just interested in alternatives at this point.
jread
Posts: 560
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:52 am
Contact:

Re: Finishing Update

Post by jread »

It's really a great guitar and finish. The grain really pops out. Thanks for sharing your process. When I tried tru-oil, I didn't thin it. I'm sure it would work a lot better and yours looks great!

I'm a french polish shellac guy now and have sanded back to bare wood more times than I can count for various reasons. It always seems to come out better after that so even though it's a lot of work, I don't mind. I'm not in this to churn out guitars like a factory line.
Stray Feathers
Posts: 677
Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:39 pm
Location: Ladysmith, BC

Re: Finishing Update

Post by Stray Feathers »

Good for you for persevering - your finish looks terrific. I have always assumed that oil finishes were meant for a more natural, open-grain finish as you would see on Danish teak furniture. I'm amazed that you can get such a high gloss. I did my first two instruments with a water based "lacquer" and they came out okay, but lots of issues along the way, similar to your experience. I switched to lacquer and it's another learning curve. I don't have a spray booth, so I have to spray outside (on the west coast of Canada). I will post elsewhere an update soon on two guitars that are nearly finished the AquaCoat pore-filling, yes, with some "issues", but now almost ready for lacquer. Spraying outside has been okay but limited to the right season and weather. I tried a spray tent but found it too restricting. I tend to build in the winter, spray in the summer, and buff out the following fall and winter. And it always seems I am looking for the rare warm day in October when I can squeeze in a touch-up coat . . . Bruce W.
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Finishing Update

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Scot
For years i had a wood frame. Knock down that was 6ft x 6ft x 7ft high. Id put it up on my patio and wrap it in plastic.....painting drop cloths. Worked great. Did about 12 guitars. No fans. It was naturally vented. Almost zero bug and dust issues.

It got tired after so many assemblies and disassembles, and being stored outside.

Then i got an inexpensive 10ft x 10ft push up canopy and i wrap it in plastic. Tarps on the ground. Easier to put up and take down. Stores in its bag. Awesome for me. Ive now done 3 guitars with it.

I use a hvlp rig for spraying. Was under $150 and it has worked great. I did spray my first 2 guitars with rattle cans and that does work but buying lacquer in gallon cans is more cost effective once you start using more and more.

Give it a try. You'll be amazed at what a great finish you can achieve.

Kevin
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Stray Feathers
Posts: 677
Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 11:39 pm
Location: Ladysmith, BC

Re: Finishing Update

Post by Stray Feathers »

The canopy is a great idea Kevin - much roomier than the spray tent I tried.
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Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Finishing Update

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Great idea!
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Finishing Update

Post by MaineGeezer »

I've struggled to get good pore filling with Aqua-Coat too. I haven't yet figured out a way that works; I'm thinking maybe I don't sand it down enough before starting the top coats.

You ended up with a great-looking finish -- congratulations!
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
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