The wiping varnish thread

[SnowManSnow]

I'm going to use a good 1.5 inch brush and brush on the ace 276a111 w an 8% acetone thin


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[Rodger Knox]

TruOil would also be a good choice. It's probably not as hard as the brush on varnish, but it's also a little easier to apply. Here's my schedule:

The pores need to be sealed, but not necessarily completely filled before you start the TruOil, I typically brush on a couple of coats of 2# cut shellac, and sand back to wood. This does not fill the pores, but it does seal them. You don't have to sand, but I prefer the appearance of the oil directly on the wood. If you do sand, you need to get all the shellac off or it will show. With the pores sealed, the first 6 coats of TruOil will fill them. The first couple of coats will take a bit more oil to seal the wood, unless you left the shellac. Once it starts to shine a little after it dries (usually 3 or 4 coats), you can use less oil. I put the TruOil on very thin, at least 4 hours between coats. Every three or four coats I'll let it dry 24 hours and level sand, starting with 400 or 600 grit, and working my way up. When I get 16 to 20 coats, and have level sanded with 1000 grit, it's almost done.

The last coat has to go on perfectly, and then I'm done. I don't sand back after building the finish as is typically done with a nitro finish. This method produces a "soft gloss" which I prefer over the appearance of nitro.

I've found it works better if you stretch it out, there's less shrinkage if you allow more drying time. I'll frequently wait 3 or 4 days to sand back, 24 hours is a minimum. I usually take at least a month, sometimes six weeks, to do a finish. It's probably only 4 hours of actual time spent, and can be done in a week, but there will be some shrinkage, similar to nitro. Nitro is sanded back, and you can also do that with TruOil, but I wouldn't advise it. It's thinner than nitro, and getting it thick enough to sand back would take 40 or 50 coats.

Do NOT wetsand at any point after you start the oil, use dry paper on a block. Wetsanding will usually guarantee witness lines.

[Truckjohn]

I personally use the decent quality disposable foam brushes from Lowes, Home Depot, or a woodworking store. Though a good quality brush is magnificent, I hate trying to get bristle brushes all the way clean.... Foam brushes are good.. Throw away chip brushes are trash and virtually guarantee bristles and trash in your paint.

On the varnish. I like a high quality oil varnish. My current favorite is Behlen's Rock Hard table top varnish... Though I have heard they recently changed recipe towards a new formulation that may not be as good. I thin it 20-30% or so - so it flows properly and levels nicely. Do not brush without thinking it or it will leave a runny, blobby mess that takes forever to dry.

Thinner wise - Behlen's rock hard reducer is #1 choice. VM&P Naptha or the conventional stinky mineral spirits are #2 and 3... Do NOT use odorless mineral spirits unless you want a giant sticky gloppy mess on your hands.

Scuff between coats with 320+ sandpaper with a very light touch so you don't sand through.

Wiping varnish is doable. I have done it for gunstocks and small guitar parts. I find it goes better if its thinned out a bit.. That way it's not like trying to wipe pine tar. The trick to wiping varnish is that the wood underneath has to be quite finely sanded (like 400+ grit)....

Thanks

[Bruce Sexauer]

Before you try to finish a guitar, I advise you put a finish on a board or some such that is in the same size range as a guitar plate. Always start at one end of the field and work across to the other on a wet front. Every brush load of finish, once on the field, should be brushed back into the body of finish already applied. This is called tipping off. There are books on the subject. I have a schedule I use and I will email it to you if you email me and ask for it.

[pickitluther]

I've only finished my guitars with nitro lacquer. You builders who have used oil varnish to finish guitars , do you level sand and buff out like we do using lacquer ?

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by pickitluther

I've only finished my guitars with nitro lacquer. You builders who have used oil varnish to finish guitars , do you level sand and buff out like we do using lacquer ?

The process is much the same. Less coats, more sanding. For reasons I have not been able to identify, while being more time consuming, varnish is more pleasant than nitro for me. Perhaps because I love the work more of it makes it better?

[joinercape]

I finished my first half dozen guitars with a product called Waterlox, which has nothing to do with water, it's a tung oil based varnish which is very easy to rub in, allowing several applications a day. It's an American made product that I used for years on custom furniture, long before I built any guitars. It dries pretty fast for an oil based varnish, but cures slowly. I wasn't in any hurry so four weeks before rubbing out didn't bother me. I had good luck with it on all but one guitar, whose owners personal chemistry reacted with the oil and ruined the finish on the neck. I refinished it (the neck) with shellac and he was happy. After that I switched back to French Polish (shellac and walnut oil) for the next couple dozen instruments. But still, there is nothing so lovely and warm feeling as a well done oil varnish finish.