180..240..320..400..FP! (Full Version)

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kominak -> 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 3 2011 9:05:14)

So after 3 days of sanding my elbow is aching but my first build is about ready for french polish - she's smooth as baby's butt and very nice to touch [:)]
It was a bit of a challenge to get a 96% non-denatured ethanol around here, but I finally got a 1l bottle, hopefully it will be enough for this guitar (they even had a 100% ethanol but that was too expensive).
I heard somewhere that the old masters occasionally took a sip of shellac, anyone tried this?[&:]
First spit coats are going on tonight!



Marcus Dominelli -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 1:52:43)

1oo% ethanol is a waste of money for french polishing. It very quickly absorbs water from the air, returning to 95 or 90% or less. It's good to keep your mixture in a sealed container whether you're using methanol, ethanol, or isopropanol. It all absorbs moisture from the air.
I'd like to try french polishing with vodka, just to see if it works!



Stephen Eden -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 12:16:56)

I've just started using Isoproponol and find it better than the last stuff I used what ever that was solevent 'a' it was called. It's supposidly faster drying so perhaps it can make the job faster. we shall see about that.

I have heard someone perhaps even on this forum suggesting that FP is very 'potable' as in drinkable. I would love to try it but over here ethonol is £50 a litre. And there are alot of rules for keeping it. Perhaps I shall try a few flakes in a shot of vodka one day to



Sean -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 15:43:58)

Made with Everclear its drinkable, although I don't know why you would bother, I'll stick to tequila. If you want your fill of shellac buy a pack of junior mints, a lot of candies are coated with it.



estebanana -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 16:43:42)

Do yourself a favor and buy a nice 1-1/2" wide imitation sable artists brush and brush the shellac on. Make a thin cut and brush it on to body up. Padding in the beginning is drudge work. If you have to pore fill with pumice don't waste your time padding before you fill, just brush it on. My friends and I that do a lot of French polishing have been using the brush to begin with great results and less time building the body. Later, level and move to the pad-

French polish is one of those things that can be done in a very personal sequence, and I also agree you don't need any fancy alcohol. Pore filling is probably the most tedious of the processes in French polishing so take it slow and carefully.

If your arms are aching from repetitive movement of sanding the brush will be a welcome relief.



estebanana -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 16:49:33)

Don't drink any shellac or alcohol meant for industrial purpose. Methanol is poisonous and the reason it smells bad is because they add an agent to it to make it smell and taste unpalatable.

It will kill you and you will go blind and bleed internally while you are dying. So never drink any alcohol that is not expressly made for drinking.

"180..240..320..400..FP!"
320 was good enough - 400 is too fine to do any good at the prefinish stage. [:D]



Sean -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 5 2011 22:15:08)

Yup besides you don't want to have to explain in you AA meeting how you fell off the wagon because you were making another guitar.
And yes I am drunk[:D]



kominak -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 8 2011 7:56:10)

quote:

Don't drink any shellac or alcohol meant for industrial purpose. Methanol is poisonous and the reason it smells bad is because they add an agent to it to make it smell and taste unpalatable.


It's pure ethanol (only water added) so that should be fine, but since I mentioned the "old master's story" to my wife, knowing how curious I am she keeps an eye on me [&:].



kominak -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 8 2011 8:01:56)

quote:

Do yourself a favor and buy a nice 1-1/2" wide imitation sable artists brush and brush the shellac on. Make a thin cut and brush it on to body up. Padding in the beginning is drudge work. If you have to pore fill with pumice don't waste your time padding before you fill, just brush it on. My friends and I that do a lot of French polishing have been using the brush to begin with great results and less time building the body. Later, level and move to the pad-


Thanks for the advice - I did 3 coats with thin shellac, several hours apart - top and sides with the brush and back with the pad, just to see how it goes. The brushed parts were faster and easier to avoid bleeding from dark woods but needed more leveling afterwards.



kominak -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 9 2011 8:29:08)

Did the first pore filling session yesterday, it went smoother than I expected - about 80% of pores are filled, have to do it one more time.
I finally understood why the headstock shape should be kept simple. I gave up on filling some areas of my crazy design:



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Peter Tsiorba -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 9 2011 22:40:48)

Dobri den, Martin. I think the fact that you are in Slovakia, should allow you to use pure, hard-core Moravian Slivovice, not just some generic, boring ethanol! You Czechs and Slovaks have some seriously superior spirits fit for the demanding french-polisher's art :) Plus, when it feels like concentration is a bit high, you can always dilute it a bit with a nice big sip of cold pilsner ;)

Glad your progress is moving along smoothly.



kominak -> RE: 180..240..320..400..FP! (Aug. 10 2011 8:50:03)

Peter, your knowledge of french polishing supplies here in Slovakia is impressive! I think slivovica would definitely help with "always move in circles, never go straight" rule in FP [:D]



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