French Polish Progressing along

[jrc127]

Here's a pic of the top with the first full session of FP (I spit coated it about a month ago). Because of the softness of the top and my sloppiness in cutting the binding channel there are some minor flaws in the top. But it looks like it will level off fairly well.

I'm using caramel amber waxed shellac on the top. Garnet unwaxed on the back and sides.

[Jim_H]

Very nice James!

I french polished a top (my first time trying it) a month or so ago, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the process, and the result was better than I expected too!

Keep us posted!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

James, looks like you are doing a fine job with your FP.
I've yet to try it, but I'm sure it is fun.

Kevin

[johnnparchem]

I like the garnet on the back and sides. It looks like you have been really neat keeping it off of the top.

[Jim_H]

Looks great! Any reason for using the waxed shellac on the soundboard? I know nothing about FP other than it is a thin, painful finish to apply!

That wasn't my experience at all. Mixing the shellac and keeping it fresh is a bit of a chore, especially if you don't use a lot of it, but I found the application rather... therapeutic... and *very* not stressful (unlike almost any other finish I can think of).

[Oval Soundhole]

Looks great! Any reason for using the waxed shellac on the soundboard? I know nothing about FP other than it is a thin, painful finish to apply!

That wasn't my experience at all. Mixing the shellac and keeping it fresh is a bit of a chore, especially if you don't use a lot of it, but I found the application rather... therapeutic... and *very* not stressful (unlike almost any other finish I can think of).

If your hands weren't on fire by the time the guitar was ready for buffing, you did something wrong.

[Jim_H]

Seriously?

My hands didn't get tired at all. In fact I found that not using a death grip on the pad, instead using a light touch, made all the difference. The only time you have use any amount of pressure is as the pad is getting dry on the bodying sessions. Everything else was just a light touch, and no, my hands weren't on fire... to the contrary.

[jrc127]

I used the waxed shellac because I liked the color and it came only un-dewaxed. On the StewMac site they say you don't need oil as a lubricant with wax shellac but I found it still helps the process. I think it also says the wax gives the finish a bit more protection from moisture damage.

I don't find the FP process painful at all but, like was said here, it's therapeutic. It is very relaxing -kind of zen-like as when they were applying car wax in Karate Kid "wax on, wax off". My wrists get kind of tired though and a light touch seems better but hard to remember to do. I know a nitro finish the toughest but there is something really satisfying about doing FP.

It is taking me longer than it should probably because I read somewhere that you should let each session cure for a couple of days so it doesn't craze. What's the experience here? It could increase my productivity if I didn't wait so long between sessions.

[johnnparchem]

It is taking me longer than it should probably because I read somewhere that you should let each session cure for a couple of days so it doesn't craze. What's the experience here? It could increase my productivity if I didn't wait so long between sessions.

I wait and hour or so in between but I will only do about 4 sessions a day. A session for me is one pretty good charge of shellac. Not dripping but if I twist the rubber tight I can see the shellac come through. I polish untill it get sticky and then I use a bit of oil and polish untill I covered the whole side, top or back and the rubber is mostly dry.

I have done 2 complete guitars, and 2 other guitar tops. My first guitar is over 2 years old and no crazing. The FP finish is so thin it is hard for me to beleive that it would craze. I could see if I was spraying or brushing on shellac.

I am finished in a long weekend. I watched Robbie O'Brien videos and he completes his guitars in a weekend.

[jrc127]

Thanks, John. I figured I was taking too much time between sessions. I've been at for about a month! I stepped it up a bit in the last few days. I think the back and sides are close to built up enough. The top is coming along.

I'm hoping to have the finish complete enough to finalize things during the holidays. I'm about an hour from John Hall's shop so if he can schedule me some shop time, I'll have him show me how to finalize the neck joint and maybe bridge installation. I'd really like to start the new year with a new guitar - that I built! I'm thinking playing it for the first time will be like catching my first trout on a fly I tied, maybe better!

Happy Holidays

James