Finish for guitar

[Smudger]

I wonder if anyone can help, here, please?

For a bit of fun whilst I am off sick I am making a cheapo kit guitar (Les Paul style). It has a maple top which I want to finish with natural colour and a hard, high-gloss. I have tried yacht varnish (on the back of the guitar) and it was a disaster - I am finishing it in my workshop and it took so long to dry that it ended up covered in dust and I have had to sand it back to wood.

I think that a spray finish would be the way to go, especially as it would dry fast enough to alleviate the dust problem. Some guitar building websites advocate cellulose lacquer - can that go straight onto wood, which seems to have some sort of sanding sealer? I asked the people who sold it to me what I should finish it with and they said 'whatever you like' which seems a bit too easy!

So any help much appreciated.

 

[Wanlock Dod]

Smudger,

I think that a few of the turners use the spray on lacquers, I would expect that these are usually put on after a coat or two of sanding sealer (of a compatible type). I'm sure the info will be on the turning forum somewhere..... :roll:

 

[davy_owen_88]

Have a look here if you have a compressor and spray gun or here if you want it in an aerosol.

A coat or 2 of vinyl/sanding sealer followed by a number of nitro top coats. Wet sand then buff to a high gloss - jobs a good'un.

 

[Smudger]

Brilliant. It's already had what looks like a bath in sanding sealer, so I'll just string it up and spray - there's a guy in Manchester who sells a lot of nitrocellulose sprays, but he's a bit hard to follow in places.

Thanks, guys.

 

[Benchwayze]

I have the same problem watching Eastenders Smudger! :lol:
best of luck with the guitar finishing. Mostly though, such guitars use a two part laquer applied by brush and sanded between coats, finished off with metal polish or even jeweller's rouge.

Just don't fret!

John 8)

 

[Philly]

Hi Smudger
I've had great results with Chestnuts Melamine lacquer - a great product.
Here's a guitar I sprayed using the same product. It was easy to apply (I use a cheapo B+Q spraygun) and rubbed out the finish. It came out like a mirror!
I think Chestnut also sell some of their products in aerosol form?
Hope this helps
Philly