Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive

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estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive

This guitar was prepped with sandpaper and scrapers and all the stuff you do to get it ready shellac. Then I used a piece of towel folded into a small square to wipe shellac on the guitar. I went all over it and covered all the surfaces for about an hour, rotating the guitar so each area could dry enough between coats. All areas got three to five wiped on coats and all the raw wood was sealed.

I put it away for 24 hours to dry and let the shellac harden a bit. Then I sanded the whole thing with Sky Blue assilex equivalent to 600 grit wet/dry paper.

The back is nearly finished, I just need to check some areas of the binding and do some light pumice filling here and there, wait and then smooth it out. Same with the ribs. Once all the details are checked and pointed up as little fills the back and ribs will need a few sessions with the pad to bring up the body and smooth it off. Then I might go over them again with the abrasive and final padding.

The headstock and neck need more padding, but first I’ll wipe on a few more coats to neck and headstock, then level back with the Sky Blue abrasive. I don’t even bother pore filling necks and headstock anymore because the leveling process drives super fine particulate shellac into the pores and wiping on more shellac melts them down into the pores. I might do a light dust of pumice on a rosewood face of the headstock if it has particularly deep pores, but otherwise necks and headstocks are a wipe on shellac, cut back the next day with assilex, 5 minutes, wipe clean with towel and wipe on more shellac. The shellac film dries better because it’s being cut back everyday and never gets thick, it’s thin and tough. Final finish will be padding and spirit off to a hard glossy slick surface.

Next is the top, shellac is wiped on, cut back the next day, checked for imperfections in binding. And usually left to harden more. I pad it last, and alternate between padding and carefully sanding with assilex. These day’s I’m leaving the top with less and less finish, as little as I can get away with.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 4:57:01

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

Assilex is designed to ride over low spots without following the contours of the micro valleys. It cuts the bumps off, but doesn’t follow into the low spots. And it’s like thousands of little micro scrapers so it doesn’t leave the same scratches that 609 wet /dry paper does. There’s no need for wet sanding with higher and higher grades of sand paper getting finer in grit.

The dust clogging the abrasive gets cleared by simply wiping it on a towel. Then back to work.

You can work the abrasive over the surface in any direction without fear of scratch patterns.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 5:03:49

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

The back after one session wiping on several coats, dry overnight, cut back with assilex next day. It’s almost finished, some padding, cut back again, pad, cut, final polish.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 5:08:36

Stephen Eden

Posts: 914
Joined: Apr. 12 2008
From: UK

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

Working hard on that sponsorship deal I see. haha

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 10:19:57

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to Stephen Eden)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Stephen Eden

Working hard on that sponsorship deal I see. haha

I can afford the materials and the shipping is free in Japan, but I’d wear their windbreakers, patches and go to guitar shows if they pay the trip. 😂

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 11:43:45

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

Assilex abrasive

I think Assilex is about $2 a small sheet in the US

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 16:08:56

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to JasonM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JasonM

quote:

Assilex abrasive

I think Assilex is about $2 a small sheet in the US

The sheet is perforated and tears into two pieces, you use one half at a time, so they should be roughly a dollar per sheet.

I only use four sheets or less per guitar, so the time savings on labor seems to pay off. And I keep the worn out sheets for polishing metal.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2023 16:30:02

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

Nine years ago, 2014 Assilex topic

I found the product in 2009 ~ I was pooped on for talking about it.

I AM FINALLY VINDICATED!!

Whoooooooooooooooo

Hooooooooooo!

lol 😂
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=252313&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=assilex&tmode=&smode=&s=#252362

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 11 2023 0:44:33

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

I remember, and also recall you saying there is some difference to this product vs micromesh. Or maybe micromesh is just a rebrand, I cant remember lol.

A while ago I got some DMT diamond plates, and they were not effective for very long. Got some Japanese Atoma ones, and they are so much better! I prefer whetstones, but the plates are nice to have. Anyway, now I preach about how much better the Japanese ones are!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 11 2023 15:12:31

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to JasonM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JasonM

I remember, and also recall you saying there is some difference to this product vs micromesh. Or maybe micromesh is just a rebrand, I cant remember lol.

A while ago I got some DMT diamond plates, and they were not effective for very long. Got some Japanese Atoma ones, and they are so much better! I prefer whetstones, but the plates are nice to have. Anyway, now I preach about how much better the Japanese ones are!

I like the steel plate diamond sharpeners for bringing back chisels that need a whole bevel regrind. They are fairly cheap so I haven’t noticed a difference between brands, but I’ll try the Atoma next time. Seems right for flamenco guitar making….

A Toma que Toma a Toma

In Japan Atoma could be a family name, but more likely a romanization of how Atom is pronounced in Japanese- atomu but I can see it bent towards atoma, the Greek plural atom.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 12 2023 1:23:29

Firefrets

Posts: 111
Joined: Mar. 22 2023

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

I've not used Asilex, but I presume it's going to be similar (all be it thinner) to the foam padded abrasives. I bought a load of Indasa offcuts last year after Monsieur Eden recommended them, and they're pretty good. I use them a lot for fretwork etc too. Quality abrasive is definitely worth investing in.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 12 2023 17:26:37

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (in reply to estebanana)

I’ve never used Inbasa abrasives, I’d like to compare it to Assilex.

Assilex is like velour cloth with Velcro fuzz on the back. It’s not what I would call a ‘macerating’ abrasive like conventional sand paper, but a woven product like microscopic ribbons on edge and the tiny ribbons scrape rather than tear with pointy teeth like sandpaper. And the block of hard urethane foam that you back it with makes the assilex track over the surface without conforming to the dips and valleys.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2023 5:46:54