Glad you like the video! Theres lot of information on the web- google Bob and Orville Milburn, their tutorial is excellent. If you want to French polish a guitar, practice on a guitar. The curved surfaces, edges between the fingerboard and soundboard etc offer challenges that you wont learn to cope with on just a flat surface. If you make a mistake you can easily sand it away. And remember its a skill and like all skills you need to practice to improve. Good luck, Gary
Hello, I am not familiar with the liquid you used with the pumice powder..."Methalated Spirits?" Is that like denatured alcohol or turpentine like for oil based paints?
Thank you for this great tutorial in particular the intro and the environmental reasons. Just a doubt: one portion of shellac and one portion of meth, does it mean that you put 50 grams of meth and 50 grams of shellac? it should be roughly a 6 pound cut. If yes, why did you decide to use a so thick mix of shellac? thank you in advance!
Thank you Gary! If you would like to change a little the color of the guitar, would you suggest to add dye or to use o different kind of Shellac (i.e. garnet, lemon, ect.): Thank you again! Roberto
robybon Different polishes, garnet, button etc will subtly change the colour- best to experiment on some scrap wood first. I don't use dyes at the moment so can't really comment. Good luck with your finishing! Cheers gary
Dear friend, I agree with you: different type of shellac will give to the wood not big difference in term of final color. I am now finishing an parlour Hawaiian guitar of the 30's but the back of the body is lighter than the top, so I will have to use something to create a darker color. Thank you again.
Very nice video, good solid advice. Do you have experience with black schellack? Btw, it is very European... French, Polish, English, and then Czech the Finish:) And it makes you Hungary...
Hello, Great video. I have been working on a guitar for some time now and have managed to already burn through a clear coat. Originally, I used rattle cans. After spending hundreds in cans, I decided to go with a shellac clear coat for a better finish. I want to make it right this time, but I am confused about what to put the shellac on with. Also, this is on an electric and I have it painted black. I have it sanded flat to 1200 grit. Is this too fine to apply shellac? Or the smoother the better? Am I to apply with a rag, t-shirt, lint-free cloth, or linen, or? Directions say lint-free cloth...but I have heard that makeup remover pads(cotton pads) and pantyhose works well. I have also seen people use a sheet of linen and the put wool inside to hold the shellac. I am so confused... Please help me, this guitar means a lot to me and I want to make sure I am doing this right. I have no teachers and no one knows about this kind of thing around me. Thak you, Eric
Hello Eric I use a pad made from either an old white T-shirt or bed sheet material. Inside the pad I use either cotton wool balls or cotton waste. I don’t have any particular preference it’s just trial and error. Sanding shellac with 1200 would not be a problem as each coat partially dissolves the previous and bonds. However, if your black isn’t shellac that might not be the case and 1200 well be too fine- you need to set up some test pieces. Hope that helps- good luck, Gary
Thank you very much for your reply. I will just use an old t-shirt and see how it goes from there. Thank you for the pointers and have a great day! Eric
My better desires from Argentine! I have learned so much with your videos! especially french polishing! bye!
Excellent video thank you - I am going to have a go at using shellac now having seen this. Guitar is beautiful and sounds wonderful too
Very very helpfull video.
Best wishes from the Netherlands.
Geert.
@arturostaiger Glad that you have found the videos helpful
Glad you like the video! Theres lot of information on the web- google Bob and Orville Milburn, their tutorial is excellent. If you want to French polish a guitar, practice on a guitar. The curved surfaces, edges between the fingerboard and soundboard etc offer challenges that you wont learn to cope with on just a flat surface. If you make a mistake you can easily sand it away. And remember its a skill and like all skills you need to practice to improve.
Good luck, Gary
Great, thanks.
Great video, thanks for that
Glad you found it useful. Cheers Gary
Thanks for the wicked vidio. What do you recomend as the best way to learn the art on french polish.
Hello,
Pumice should be fine on mahogany, I use this method on my mahogany necks.
Good luck, Gary
Hello,
I am not familiar with the liquid you used with the pumice powder..."Methalated Spirits?" Is that like denatured alcohol or turpentine like for oil based paints?
Would you advise the use of pumice on mahogany the way you showed? Got a little project waiting for me and just wanted to know your thoughts.
I am Nava as well. I don't know too many people with that last name.
Thank you for this great tutorial in particular the intro and the environmental reasons. Just a doubt: one portion of shellac and one portion of meth, does it mean that you put 50 grams of meth and 50 grams of shellac? it should be roughly a 6 pound cut. If yes, why did you decide to use a so thick mix of shellac? thank you in advance!
Glad you found the video interesting; I use Liberon special pale French polish. So it's ready mixed and I then dilute it with meths.
Cheers Gary
Thank you Gary! If you would like to change a little the color of the guitar, would you suggest to add dye or to use o different kind of Shellac (i.e. garnet, lemon, ect.): Thank you again! Roberto
robybon Different polishes, garnet, button etc will subtly change the colour- best to experiment on some scrap wood first. I don't use dyes at the moment so can't really comment.
Good luck with your finishing!
Cheers gary
Dear friend, I agree with you: different type of shellac will give to the wood not big difference in term of final color. I am now finishing an parlour Hawaiian guitar of the 30's but the back of the body is lighter than the top, so I will have to use something to create a darker color. Thank you again.
can you wrote the name of that blue licuide so i can translate on my language,thanx.
Very nice video, good solid advice. Do you have experience with black schellack?
Btw, it is very European... French, Polish, English, and then Czech the Finish:) And it makes you Hungary...
Glad you like the video. No, I haven't used black shellac. Good luck if you do!
Hello,
Great video. I have been working on a guitar for some time now and have managed to already burn through a clear coat. Originally, I used rattle cans. After spending hundreds in cans, I decided to go with a shellac clear coat for a better finish. I want to make it right this time, but I am confused about what to put the shellac on with. Also, this is on an electric and I have it painted black. I have it sanded flat to 1200 grit. Is this too fine to apply shellac? Or the smoother the better? Am I to apply with a rag, t-shirt, lint-free cloth, or linen, or? Directions say lint-free cloth...but I have heard that makeup remover pads(cotton pads) and pantyhose works well. I have also seen people use a sheet of linen and the put wool inside to hold the shellac. I am so confused... Please help me, this guitar means a lot to me and I want to make sure I am doing this right. I have no teachers and no one knows about this kind of thing around me. Thak you,
Eric
Hello Eric
I use a pad made from either an old white T-shirt or bed sheet material. Inside the pad I use either cotton wool balls or cotton waste. I don’t have any particular preference it’s just trial and error.
Sanding shellac with 1200 would not be a problem as each coat partially dissolves the previous and bonds. However, if your black isn’t shellac that might not be the case and 1200 well be too fine- you need to set up some test pieces.
Hope that helps- good luck, Gary
Thank you very much for your reply. I will just use an old t-shirt and see how it goes from there. Thank you for the pointers and have a great day!
Eric
Hi- meths is UK speak for alcohol.
Best wishes Gary