Question regarding Shellac: I applied and let it sit for the time recommended on the instructions. However, When I sanded after letting it dry it left a white film over the wood, especially in the grains (red oak). What should I be doing differently?
Thanks,
Mark
Tags:
Work somewhere dry, wipe it down using a soft cloth dampened with denatured alcohol, strip and reapply finish if necessary.
Stewmac and various other sources have good info on French Polishing.
That just sounds like dust and sanding marks to me. You would get that with any finish you sanded. If you want it to be smooth, you would need to use a grain filler to fill the pores. So basically, you've done nothing wrong, and your project is not ruined. You're just not finished with it yet.
For CBGs, which are supposed to be kind of rustic, I just brush on two or three coats of shellac and call it a day. Maybe just some light scuff sanding with some fine sandpaper if the grain got raised, or there is a run. Then a final coat over that.
For "real" guitars or where you want a super slick and smooth finish, you can either handle shellac like lacquer or do a French Polish finish.
A good resource for lacquer type finishes: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_and_repair:_Finis...
A good resource for French Polishing: https://smartflix.com/store/video/2371/French-Polishing-For-Guitarm...
Smartflix has some other finishing videos too. You can rent them for $10.
Cut the shellac to 1 lb. 4 quick coats and it's done. Flows out easily, no brush marks. No need to sand coats level, which wears down embossed graphics.
I'm with Skeesix on this one - sounds like sanding marks and dust. Blow it off with an air hose and apply another coat of shellac. Like Skeesix said ; it's not ruined - it's just not done.
I love using shellac. It's a great finish that highly underrated, in my opinion. We seem to forget it's even out there. I thin some regular 3lb cut 50-50 with denatured alcohol to make what's known as a spit coat and brush it on end grain to keep it from absorbing too much stain during the staining process. I also brush on a spit coat before staining pine to keep it from having that mottled, blotchy appearance. Great stuff!
White film on shellac sounds like too much moisture, either the wood is not seasoned, or your workshop is a Florida basement. I would think a good drying out may be all you need. With shellac finishes, I always complete the process by buffing the surface with a section from a brown paper bag. If your'e gentle enough, it won't remove the finish, but will smooth out the rough spots. To prove it, run the back of your hand (it's more sensitive for woodworkers), along a section before and after, this will demonstrate what I mean with the brown paper buffing.
Started by Timothy Hunter in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray 17 hours ago. 1 Reply 2 Likes
Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 21. 11 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 10. 1 Reply 3 Likes
Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by BrianQ. Mar 9. 4 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies 1 Like
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Ken I in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Brian partington Mar 8. 8 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 6. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 5. 4 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Nomad Jack in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 2. 6 Replies 1 Like
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Carl Floyd Mar 1. 15 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Joe in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Carl Floyd Feb 29. 13 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Chance in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 22. 12 Replies 1 Like
Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 21. 2 Replies 4 Likes
Started by Brad in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 19. 6 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Jacob Shook in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 16. 10 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 16. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Skeesix in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Skeesix Feb 6. 2 Replies 1 Like
Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Steve M Jan 31. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Mi Rankin in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Justin Stanchfield Jan 27. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Posted by Vlad on March 6, 2024 at 2:32am 5 Comments 2 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 2:09pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 17, 2024 at 11:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by Vlad on February 11, 2024 at 1:06am 1 Comment 1 Like
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 8, 2024 at 4:05pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
May 11, 2024 from 11am to 8pm – Speakeasy Grill
0 Comments 0 Likes© 2024 Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker. Powered by
Cigar Box Nation is presented by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!