Question for Neil

**Shedhand** · 22nd January 2018, 08:53 PM

G'day Neil. I've just been reading in the Polishers Handbook about Piano Finishing again. I'm thinking about my next guitar build which will have a marquetry top of huon pine (got too many offcuts laying around) and wondered if it would be suitable for such a finish? Also, would Australian Red Cedar be too open grained to use? Is a piano finish hard enough to withstand wear from a lot of playing do you think? If you think it would be possible to do could you put together a list of the stuff I'd need please? When you have a spare minute, I'm in no hurry.
Cheers
Sheddie

**ubeaut** · 22nd January 2018, 11:21 PM

G'day Sheddie

Probably be better off with Hard Shellac as this has become a bit of a go to for many luthiers. Way harder than a french polished piano finish, stands up to the wear and tear and if it's an acoustic guitar, you should get beautiful sound resonance.

Cedar is a bit open grained for french polishing without filling the grain and doing that on an acoustic guitar could deaden the sound quality somewhat.

As for the huon pine.... Good idea to give it a really good wash down with metho before applying a finish of any kind or the oils in the huon may try to drive the finish off the surface of the timber.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

**Shedhand** · 23rd January 2018, 01:16 AM

OK, great. Thanks for that Neil. It'll be a solid body as I don't think I'm skilled enough yet to make an acoustic with marquetry. I'll order some this coming Thursday and some IMS if you stock it. Can it be posted?
Cheers
Sheddie

**artme** · 23rd January 2018, 09:51 AM

Not a musician or an instrument maker. but it is on the to do list - instrument making that is.

About 30 year ago i was speaking to a songwriter/ guitar player who had a beautiful guitar with
a Toona Ciliata top. I asked him about it and he said it provided the best resonance, for him, of
any guitar he had ever owned. The main concern he had had when the instrument was made was
to do with the ability or the cedar to stand the pull applied by the tight strings. This turned out
to be no problem.

I never thought to ask about finish!

**ubeaut** · 23rd January 2018, 10:46 AM

PM sent with info.

The below is from PM for anyone wanting IMS:

As for the Ethanol (100% IMS) we only stock it in 200lt drums for our own use. You should be able to buy it from any half decent paint shop but may only be able to get it in 4lt container.

If you can't get the 100% you can use 95% which is available at most hardware shops and Bunnies often in 500ml or 1lt bottles If the doesn't say 95% somewhere on the bottle don't get it as it could contain up to 40%+ water and is completely useless for mixing with shellac (good for cleaning windows but not much else)

**Chesand** · 23rd January 2018, 01:38 PM

I have a 1 Litre bottle of Sceneys 100% IMS which I am pretty certain I got at a Paint Spot Store.

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