Ukulele finish

Dave Abrahamson · #1 12-11-2018, 06:00 PM

Hey guys, I'm venturing into to instrument building after procrastinating forever. I've gone and ordered a Stewmac baritone ukelele kit because I want to build a guitar, but you know....baby steps.
I just want an opinion on finish. I have a satin finish uke and would like a shiny one��
. Stewmac wipe on on poly?

ruby50 · #2 12-11-2018, 08:55 PM

The early Martins were shellac and that is very easy to do, especially if you are not going for the full French Polish but rather just a couple of coats of shellac with a steel wool/wax buff. It is not shiny shiny, but looks good on a uke IMHO

Ed

JDaniel · #3 12-12-2018, 07:32 AM

I'll second what Ed (Ruby50) writes. Shellac is easy to apply and lightly sand (several cycles with progressively finer abrasive). A nitro-like glossy finish is hard to attain without the requisite experience. My hundred yrs old Martin Uke has a really thin skin that looks great, but isn't satin nor shiny-shiny.

redir · #4 12-12-2018, 08:44 AM

Shellac is my favorite finish now so I would agree. But you might find the wipe on poly to work very well too. Also consider Tru-Oil. Both will be 'shiny' and very easy to apply.

Dave Abrahamson · #5 12-12-2018, 05:14 PM

Thank You everybody. As far as shellac goes. Pre mix of flakes? I'm a total rookie as far as shellac goes. I'm headed to YouTube for some lessons.
Thanks again!

Update: saw Zinsser on amazon. Think that'll work?

Quickstep192 · #6 12-12-2018, 06:21 PM

Shellac from flakes is in my opinion better than pre mix. But, shellac is best sprayed and Zinsser SealCoat comes in a rattle can. If you have spray equipment, you can mix your own and spray it.

Behlen Stringed Instrument Lacquer also comes in a rattle can and I’d say the name says it all. I haven’t used it, but I used their pre-cat lacquer in a rattle can and it sprayed beautifully.

JDaniel · #7 12-13-2018, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Shellac from flakes is in my opinion better than pre mix. But, shellac is best sprayed and Zinsser SealCoat comes in a rattle can. If you have spray equipment, you can mix your own and spray it.

Behlen Stringed Instrument Lacquer also comes in a rattle can and I’d say the name says it all. I haven’t used it, but I used their pre-cat lacquer in a rattle can and it sprayed beautifully.

I agree with Quickstep. Zinsser will work, but see if you can get a can from fresh stock. Spray zinsser isn't much better and ends up being as much work. Behlen spray will require two cans for a uke, one vinyl sealer and one lacquer. Warm the cans in warm water bath (cold juice is a pain) and spray series of light coats with time for hardening and sanding between. For each coat, lay down enough to get a uniform film, watch for runs - it will flash off quickly. You can actually get a very nice nitro finish from spray cans although there is a bit of a learning curve.