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estebanana -> Dry sanding with Assilex abrasive (Jul. 10 2023 4:57:01)
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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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