• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Hossenfeffer III Build

#601
For a gloss finish I would stick with thinner coats and lots of them. I would definitely not sand between all coats - knocking down dust with a scotchbrite works fine. I sand every few coats, with extremely light pressure, and a 600 or 800 grit abranet disc on a hard pad. Once it's built up and cured you can block sand and buff like normal.

To wipe it on I use foam pads wrapped two layers of cotton. I find that gives the best of both worlds - you can load up the foam so you're not running out of finish every single wipe, but you get the smoothness of the cotton too.

I would plan on at least 10 coats, maybe more like 15. You'll know when it's there.

In terms of the sanding sealer - hard to say without looking/feeling it. Since it has epoxy and shellac on it already I'd want to be sure the wood was evenly sealed so you didn't end up with patches where the poly soaked in to the wood more than other spots. I'd be tempted to do a second coat of shellac just in case. It won't hurt.

I really like Highline's videos. Very thorough and very practical, and none of the flashy clickbaity crap that's taking over youtube guitarmaking videos lately.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reedt2000, Gilmourisgod and Beej
#603
I like to apply minwax wipe on with a small "fad" (thank you @rudy4444 for the proper terminology). Just a small ball of wadding, t-shirt material, cotton ball, etc, wrapped in another small square of lint-free cloth and then hand-rubbed on. In a way, using wipe on poly is like French polishing in it's application - many thin coats building up to the right thickness. It goes on very much like tru-oil, but builds quicker. I ensure I have a very smooth even surface to 320. I only use a worn scotchbrite around every 4 coats or so to remove any dust nibs. I usually buff it after it's been sitting for a couple of weeks in a warm space, but I've done it around a week in or so with no issues. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gilmourisgod, Reedt2000 and BishopJP
#607
My build thread has a section on finishing process using General Finishes Arm R Seal (similar to Minwax) wipe-on oil-based polyurethane. End result is a "wet-look" semi-gloss finish. Check it out, lots of detail in there. Key is light scuff wetsanding (600 / 800 grit) in between coats to remove dust, laying down drip-free, thin coats and a solid 2 to 3 week cure followed by rubbing out the finish at the end. Happy to walk you through it in more detail, especially the crucial rub & buff.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BishopJP, TerribleTim68 and Reedt2000
#608
per @dwizum advice, I'm going to put a second coat of unwaxed shellac on before starting the wipe on poly. I noticed on the first coat that it got tacky so fast I got ridges anyplace it overlapped. I did it with a foam brush and tried to keep the shellac thin, but still ended up doing a fair amount of sanding just getting it all back to level. Am I shooting for leaving a thin film of shellac on the surface, or getting all to the same level of sand-back required to get the ridges and brush marks out? I've seen a few YT tutorials where they thin the shellac 50/50 with denatured alcohol, which sinks into the grain more.
 
#609
RichterScale said:
I have to assume this is mostly oil based poly? WB poly probably dries a bit too fast to apply this way, no?
Click to expand...
Minwax does make a WB wipe on poly, but it doesn't have the Oil Modified feature that adds some amber, it's just dead clear. I have read reviews saying it dries so fast it tends to leave overlap ridges and drag marks if you try to go over it to smooth it out, which would defeat the purpose in my mind.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68
#610
Gilmourisgod said:
per @dwizum advice, I'm going to put a second coat of unwaxed shellac on before starting the wipe on poly. I noticed on the first coat that it got tacky so fast I got ridges anyplace it overlapped. I did it with a foam brush and tried to keep the shellac thin, but still ended up doing a fair amount of sanding just getting it all back to level. Am I shooting for leaving a thin film of shellac on the surface, or getting all to the same level of sand-back required to get the ridges and brush marks out? I've seen a few YT tutorials where they thin the shellac 50/50 with denatured alcohol, which sinks into the grain more.
Click to expand...

Just get it as level as you can and don't worry about building a surface film with the shellac, it's really just helping seal things up for your poly topcoats.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deff and TerribleTim68
#611
You do have to move really fast with shellac. You will definitely want to get brush marks out before proceeding with anything else. I aim to have the wood evenly sealed, i.e. after sanding back (really lightly with fine paper and a hard block) you have no totally bare wood. Usually two coats but once in a while three. No need for building up on the surface beyond that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deff and Lonnybass
#612
Lonnybass said:
Just get it as level as you can and don't worry about building a surface film with the shellac, it's really just helping seal things up for your poly topcoats.
Click to expand...
Interesting.
I need to redo the finish on my Diva build and I'm pondering going a different route than the water-based wipe-on poly. I'd hate to have to sand it completely back, but will if I need to. But you have me pondering the oil-based polys, just not sure I can do that now that the water-based is on there. :meh:
 
#613
Gilmourisgod said:
per @dwizum advice, I'm going to put a second coat of unwaxed shellac on before starting the wipe on poly. I noticed on the first coat that it got tacky so fast I got ridges anyplace it overlapped. I did it with a foam brush and tried to keep the shellac thin, but still ended up doing a fair amount of sanding just getting it all back to level. Am I shooting for leaving a thin film of shellac on the surface, or getting all to the same level of sand-back required to get the ridges and brush marks out? I've seen a few YT tutorials where they thin the shellac 50/50 with denatured alcohol, which sinks into the grain more.
Click to expand...

Are you dead set on using the Minwax? Cause I'd strongly recommend either Arm R Seal or a gloss varnish instead. I've used all three and found that the Minwax lends a sort of a "shiny plasticky" look, whereas the others take on a warmer "wet look" without looking artificially glossy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deff and SlingBlader
#614
TerribleTim68 said:
Interesting.
I need to redo the finish on my Diva build and I'm pondering going a different route than the water-based wipe-on poly. I'd hate to have to sand it completely back, but will if I need to. But you have me pondering the oil-based polys, just not sure I can do that now that the water-based is on there. :meh:
Click to expand...

You could do some dewaxed shellac as a bridge layer between the water and oil coats. Though you may want to go back to bare wood to get some deeper grain pop from some penetrating oil.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68 and deff
#615
I'm not sure why you have a desire to do a wipe down finish on a beautiful instrument unless that's the look you're going for. Minwax wipe on is for people afraid to spray and want a quick and dirty job done. Shellac can be thinned and used as a grain sealer, but then spray. Better build up, more even coats, more durable options, better overall finishes.
 
#617
deff said:
I'm not sure why you have a desire to do a wipe down finish on a beautiful instrument unless that's the look you're going for. Minwax wipe on is for people afraid to spray and want a quick and dirty job done. Shellac can be thinned and used as a grain sealer, but then spray. Better build up, more even coats, more durable options, better overall finishes.
Click to expand...

Not everybody is set up to, or even wants to spray finish. Having spent several years spraying finish (automotive paint, polyester, etc...), I readily admit you can get a more durable and shinier finish; I just don't want to go back to that...

That said, If there was money on the table, I might feel differently.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68
#618
Lonnybass said:
You could do some dewaxed shellac as a bridge layer between the water and oil coats. Though you may want to go back to bare wood to get some deeper grain pop from some penetrating oil.
Click to expand...
Yeah, my fear of sanding back to the wood is that I did all that dye work and I really don't wanna try to re-dye it when I sand that off.
deff said:
I'm not sure why you have a desire to do a wipe down finish on a beautiful instrument unless that's the look you're going for. Minwax wipe on is for people afraid to spray and want a quick and dirty job done. Shellac can be thinned and used as a grain sealer, but then spray. Better build up, more even coats, more durable options, better overall finishes.
Click to expand...
Well, there are those of us who don't have the means to spray. I don't have a gun, I don't have a booth (even a makeshift one, nor the space to even set up a makeshift one) and it's currently raining nonstop for months on end here so spraying outside isn't a thing either....even if I had a gun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dwizum
#619
deff said:
Minwax wipe on is for people afraid to spray and want a quick and dirty job done.
Click to expand...
Nope. Has nothing to do with fear. Or settling for a crappy finish.
It's for people that build as a hobby and have no need for a spray rig. Or, for people that sell on a small scale and long time frame and have no issue making a manually applied finish look amazing.
Spray rigs make sense when you have a high volume of instruments to get out the door. Or you already have a rig for another profession, or you just have the money to blow on a spray rig and the space to use it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dwizum and TerribleTim68
#620
TerribleTim68 said:
Interesting.
I need to redo the finish on my Diva build and I'm pondering going a different route than the water-based wipe-on poly. I'd hate to have to sand it completely back, but will if I need to. But you have me pondering the oil-based polys, just not sure I can do that now that the water-based is on there. :meh:
Click to expand...
I was gonna start a
Diva-inspired 4 strings made out of mostly wenge with WB poly finish- club.
I would have strongly considered your membership,.....but if you go oil base.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68 and BishopJP

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back