Here's a few pics of the instrument in question:) just for fun. There are noob mistakes, but I don't plan to let them happen again.
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| Finishing with Royal-Laq http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=49405 |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Thu May 25, 2017 7:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Hi folks.... I'm currently in the process of working on finish for my 3rd guitar. The first 2 were kits so this is really a step up:) anyway.... I've heard good things about Robbie's French finishing DVD... My question is.... if I use this DVD as a guide will the same processes hold true for royal laq? Here is a link to the particular DVD http://www.lmii.com/products/media-gift ... ge-noimage I need some good direction because what I thought would work just doesn't seem to work. I know... practice practice... I'm more than willing, but I want to get started right. Thank you for any input.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Thu May 25, 2017 7:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Here's a few pics of the instrument in question:) just for fun. There are noob mistakes, but I don't plan to let them happen again. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Thu May 25, 2017 8:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Go to the Shellac Finishes website and check out Robbie's video there. The process he shows for RL there works just fine. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Thu May 25, 2017 8:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
SteveSmith wrote: Go to the Shellac Finishes website and check out Robbie's video there. The process he shows for RL there works just fine. Hey Steve:) I'll check it out. I had just seen positive reviews about the DVD from older posts and wondered if it may be more in depth. I guess what I need to do is get some orphaned sides and just practice. Good time investment Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | Jim Kirby [ Fri May 26, 2017 6:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
I've had success with the process in Robbie's video on Vijay's site. Some people report success doing something more like regular French polishing with the Royal Laq, but I haven't been able to get the swing of it. My pad sticks and drags too soon. Could be just me, though. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Fri May 26, 2017 6:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
I've been doing more of a French polish per David Wren's video on the site. Straight Royal Lac is just too sticky to polish with IMO. I charge my pad with about half Royal Lac and half Everclear then use a bit of walnut oil on the pad (probably less than a drop). I only use the walnut oil when I start a session or if the pad starts sticking. I'm still doing final leveling with 1000 grit wet. After a 3 week cure I'll probably sand with 1200 then go to the buffer. This is before leveling and buffing. 
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| Author: | doncaparker [ Fri May 26, 2017 10:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
I've used the French Polish method to apply Royal Lac. It is definitely stickier than regular shellac, but I didn't have any trouble with that. A little olive oil allows a normal French Polish method to work fine. This is a little like that joke: Patient: Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the surgery? Doctor: Of course! Patient: That's funny; I couldn't before. You can certainly French Polish with Royal Lac, but you have to be able to French Polish, period. Adjusting for the extra stickiness of Royal Lac is not a big deal, or at least, it wasn't for me. I had a tougher time opening the darn jars than doing any of the actual finishing! |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Fri May 26, 2017 10:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
doncaparker wrote: I've used the French Polish method to apply Royal Lac. It is definitely stickier than regular shellac, but I didn't have any trouble with that. A little olive oil allows a normal French Polish method to work fine. This is a little like that joke: Patient: Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the surgery? Doctor: Of course! Patient: That's funny; I couldn't before. You can certainly French Polish with Royal Lac, but you have to be able to French Polish, period. Adjusting for the extra stickiness of Royal Lac is not a big deal, or at least, it wasn't for me. I had a tougher time opening the darn jars than doing any of the actual finishing! So Don, do you find any need to level sand at the end? Do you "burnish" the finish? If so, can you share how? I'm just starting my french polish journey and finding I much prefer it to spraying but still need a lot of practice. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Fri May 26, 2017 12:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Well I've been honing this some today and find that a few drops of alcohol on my pad helps the finish of royal laq go a LOT smoother. The speed and pressure you use also has a lot to do with it. I just need to rinse and repeat Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | doncaparker [ Fri May 26, 2017 9:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Steve-- I tend to do a light wet sanding with olive oil and pretty fine wet & dry sandpaper after a series of coats have had a few days to toughen up. But, I also try to have a "pulling over" session with a mostly dry pad every so often. There's a lot of "some of this, some of that" going on with French Polishing, and Lord knows I'm no expert. Have you looked into the Tom Bills course? It is really good. I learned on my own before that course came out, but on the next few I need to finish, I'm going to try to follow Tom's course, more or less. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Fri May 26, 2017 10:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Finishing with Royal-Laq |
My break through today (although I'm Sooooooo new at this) is that using a few drops of alcohol on the pad to thin the stuff it goes on a lot slicker. It's nearly fun! As the above poster suggested I watched the vid from robbie on how he did it. What I'm struggling with is that I don't know what to look out for and what is a problem / looks good. In other words having so little experience it hard to know if I did it right when in the middle of the process:) I think that's where an actual course would come into play... There is a triad of learning that involves the following 1: research 2: practice 3: instruction. Although vids are great having someone show you is the way to go. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of local folks here who know this art. Fortunately there is technology  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | James Orr [ Sat May 27, 2017 12:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
doncaparker wrote: Have you looked into the Tom Bills course? It is really good. +1. You can join the Luthier's Edge and get full access to it. I have Robbie's online course as well as Tom's. Robbie's is great, but I do prefer the thoroughness of Tom's instruction and his method. I had really good results using it with Royal-Lac my first time trying it. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Sat May 27, 2017 6:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Thanks Dan and James, I will check out Tom's video. We were fortunate enough to have a local furniture restoration expert give a hands on course for our luthier group so that was a huge help in getting started. However, I'm still trying to dial in the process and obviously need more practice. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Sat May 27, 2017 8:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
SteveSmith wrote: Thanks Dan and James, I will check out Tom's video. We were fortunate enough to have a local furniture restoration expert give a hands on course for our luthier group so that was a huge help in getting started. However, I'm still trying to dial in the process and obviously need more practice. All this has me considering buying 5-6 orphaned backs and spending time on them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Sat May 27, 2017 10:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
SnowManSnow wrote: SteveSmith wrote: Thanks Dan and James, I will check out Tom's video. We were fortunate enough to have a local furniture restoration expert give a hands on course for our luthier group so that was a huge help in getting started. However, I'm still trying to dial in the process and obviously need more practice. All this has me considering buying 5-6 orphaned backs and spending time on them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro I think a single piece of wood cut in the shape of a back woud be plenty to practice on. Just follow your complete finishing process on it. |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Sat May 27, 2017 11:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Brahttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto ... 44%2F&_rdr Can't comment on quality but looks good. |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Sat May 27, 2017 11:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Ok, doesn't work, Google 68 hr French polish instruction luthier facebook |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Sat May 27, 2017 11:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Or 'the art of French polishing video course' |
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| Author: | James Orr [ Sat May 27, 2017 12:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Practicing is definitely a good idea. The good news is that by the time you get through the course you'll have a great feel for it because you'll have so much practice in. |
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| Author: | meddlingfool [ Sat May 27, 2017 7:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHHvcN7RoY |
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| Author: | Jim Kirby [ Sun May 28, 2017 7:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
doncaparker wrote: I had a tougher time opening the darn jars than doing any of the actual finishing! Ha, no lie. The video tips about cleaning the lid and the lip of the jar are pretty crucial pointers. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Mon May 29, 2017 3:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
So has anyone actually used these videos ? They are really well made. From what I can see they are professionally done and the website is slick. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | James Orr [ Mon May 29, 2017 3:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
SnowManSnow wrote: So has anyone actually used these videos ? They are really well made. From what I can see they are professionally done and the website is slick. Yeah, totally. I got the course before it was a monthly subscription, but now you can sign up for a month for $29.95 to take the course and decide if you want to stay on. It's pretty awesome. It's in-depth, too. I'd watch the intro videos and through the first session of bodying coats, do the work, watch the next section, do the work, etc. That's how I think you'd get the most out of it the first time as opposed to watching it all the way through before starting work. |
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| Author: | SnowManSnow [ Mon May 29, 2017 3:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
Thanks James. As I say they look well done. I'm at a point where I want to get better but I'm finding myself having some reoccurring issues. Nothing TERRIBLE, but just some points I'd like to get past. I'll definitely look into this as an investment in building a skill. It's pretty rad when you can't do something, and one works at it... and can:) its real life leveling up;) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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| Author: | doncaparker [ Mon May 29, 2017 7:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Finishing with Royal-Laq |
I've watched all of Tom Bills' French Polishing course. It really is thorough and well done. |
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