THanks for doing this video Stephen. Prior to watching it I would not have a clue about applying shellac now I think I could have a go. Looking froward to see your finished guitar
Hi Stephen. Thanks for the excellent videos - I’m looking forward to watching you finish the guitar. Forgive me for being cheeky - I’m being given the Coban kit for Christmas with a spalted maple top. In your expert opinion, will the spalted maple take a stain? I would like to stain the top blue (using a water based stain) and possibly first add a black stain to bring out the grain. I’m very wary of the wood not taking the stain evenly and nervous about having to sand such a thin veneer several times. What is your opinion? Finally, I want a high gloss, durable finish and can’t decide between wipe-on poly and oil (although I will oil the neck). I’m leaning towards poly for its durability. Do you think it will bring out the colour in the same way as oil and will I be able to get a decent finish using it? What would you use as a grain filler / sanding sealer? I have used shellac before when making a pair of side tables and was interested to see you choose it for your finish. What led you to that choice? I have some level of skill, but no great experience and should be grateful for your advice. Best, Paulo.
Hi, all good questions! the spalted maple will take the stain but you have to be aware that the water may lift the veneer as it soaks in to the wood and softens the glue. Also you may find that the surface has pieces glued in to plug the holes in the veneer and the water based stains might not take to the glue. Over all you should test your stain on a scrap first. as long as you sand carefully you wont break through the veneer. You can also spray a thin guide coat, usually black celulose, over the surface so you can see when you have sanded over the whole surface evenly. I like french polishing and applied with care its easy to get a great finish but it does take time. I apply a number of coats to build some thickness before sanding with a block to identify low areas then add drops of shellac to fill the holes then sand them off slowly building up the thickness to make it even. You can use fine pummace as a filler with shellac and if you do then the pummace will become clear when you apply the shellac. you can apply the shellac or any other top coat over the stain. the final finish is all down to how much time you give it. hope that helps and good luck!
Hi Stephen. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply - very kind of you and extremely helpful. Best wishes, Paulo.
THanks for doing this video Stephen. Prior to watching it I would not have a clue about applying shellac now I think I could have a go. Looking froward to see your finished guitar
Thanks for the feedback Paul. I’ll doing the last episode over the next couple of days. Stay tuned and good luck with yours!
Excellent video Stephen. That mahogany is looking very nice indeed. Thanks for the effort. Hope you're doing well mate.
Cheers Tony. It’s a rainy day project, I’m praying for more rainy days so I can finish it 😂
@@SuffolkCraftsmen Judging by the weather we've had where I am, you're going to be finishing it in no time :-D
Hi Stephen. Thanks for the excellent videos - I’m looking forward to watching you finish the guitar. Forgive me for being cheeky - I’m being given the Coban kit for Christmas with a spalted maple top. In your expert opinion, will the spalted maple take a stain? I would like to stain the top blue (using a water based stain) and possibly first add a black stain to bring out the grain. I’m very wary of the wood not taking the stain evenly and nervous about having to sand such a thin veneer several times. What is your opinion? Finally, I want a high gloss, durable finish and can’t decide between wipe-on poly and oil (although I will oil the neck). I’m leaning towards poly for its durability. Do you think it will bring out the colour in the same way as oil and will I be able to get a decent finish using it? What would you use as a grain filler / sanding sealer? I have used shellac before when making a pair of side tables and was interested to see you choose it for your finish. What led you to that choice? I have some level of skill, but no great experience and should be grateful for your advice. Best, Paulo.
Hi, all good questions! the spalted maple will take the stain but you have to be aware that the water may lift the veneer as it soaks in to the wood and softens the glue. Also you may find that the surface has pieces glued in to plug the holes in the veneer and the water based stains might not take to the glue. Over all you should test your stain on a scrap first. as long as you sand carefully you wont break through the veneer. You can also spray a thin guide coat, usually black celulose, over the surface so you can see when you have sanded over the whole surface evenly. I like french polishing and applied with care its easy to get a great finish but it does take time. I apply a number of coats to build some thickness before sanding with a block to identify low areas then add drops of shellac to fill the holes then sand them off slowly building up the thickness to make it even. You can use fine pummace as a filler with shellac and if you do then the pummace will become clear when you apply the shellac. you can apply the shellac or any other top coat over the stain. the final finish is all down to how much time you give it. hope that helps and good luck!