polishing hard shellac

**Sebastiaan56** · 21st January 2010, 06:36 AM

So here are some photos of an attempt at a IV Co F5 kit I did about 20 months ago. Put together entirely with hand tools, no router or Dremel or anything fancy. It helped cement the bug. I learned a lot from this kit. Spruce is a bitch to hand stain, Ive since learnt a few tricks to get it a bit more even. Binding is another story altogether and when I got it out yesterday I decided a total refinish is in order, later this year. The finish is hard shellac and since this was before Neils advice on lubricants I used extra virgin olive oil. Padded on back, front and neck, fancy bits on the inside of the scroll were brushed. From memory this was made just after the revised formula was released. I should have attempted something more simple like a classical guitar but you live and learn.

An earlier kit (folk guitar) was done with the old formula and when I saw it yesterday it was in very poor shape. Finish peeling and crazing. I found this really wierd as I am the only person I know of who ever picked up this instrument to play it, its a decoration. The F5 gets played if poorly so if it was usage related you would expect it to be worse. Before I refinish Im going to play with some polishes to see what happens.

Apologies for the photos, my iPhone is the only working camera in the house at the moment. And yes thats my workbench in the background.

**woodturner777** · 21st January 2010, 10:00 AM

Nice looking instrument Sebastiaan,
I see that you also had problems with the old formula, crazing Etc.
Cheers,Bob

**Sebastiaan56** · 21st January 2010, 10:05 AM

Only on a guitar, a box I made at the time is still the way I made it (note that I didnt say good or anything like that

........) Maybe the timber moves too much for the older formula to handle. 2.5mm would move much more quickly than a benchtop or 6mm box. The revised formula seems OK.

**woodturner777** · 27th February 2010, 01:04 PM

In reply to Paul, Martin and others in this forum that have had problems with crazing Etc.
I spent a few hours yesterday with a luthier over visiting from the U.S.A.
One of the subjects we spoke about, finishing on guitars, his comment.
Heat will soften many of the glues used in the construction of guitars.

Cold will ruin the finish of a guitar, the finish will check and crack the pristine smooth finish and shiny surface will look like a braille map of a major city.
I am not for one minute suggesting this is what happened here, but it is just a thought, so the morel to the story is keep your guitar in a controlled environment at all times and I know I do not have to say that to some here, but it does help some.
Cheers,Bob

**kiwigeo** · 27th February 2010, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by woodturner777

Cold will ruin the finish of a guitar, the finish will check and crack the pristine smooth finish and shiny surface will look like a braille map of a major city.
I am not for one minute suggesting this is what happened here, but it is just a thought, so the morel to the story is keep your guitar in a controlled environment at all times and I know I do not have to say that to some here, but it does help some.
Cheers,Bob

Definitely not the issue in my case. My workshop is fully climate controlled and the guitar in question hasn't left the workshop since it was built.

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