Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok, before i say anything, i just want everyone to know, that i just joined a few secs ago, and I've been looking for a luthiers forum, and....my questions are...

What grit sandpaper would be used for the final finish?

How many coats of everything?
and what are the supplies (for a gloss finish)

How llong should i let it dry?

Thanks!

Zayk...

Well, your questions are a bit broad, but here might be a little help...

Depending on your wood choice, final sanding PRE-FINISH should be done to something anywhere between 220 and 400. 400 is usually excessive unless you are sanding softwoods like flamed redwood for example.

After pore filler, for which it is common to use 2-part epoxy (Z-poxy, west systems), I sand to the same level as which I prepped the bare wood.

With finish, dry time depends on mostly on choice of finish, but then inside of that choice, on the temperature and humidity conditions of the drying environment. But here are some basics

nitrocellulose lacquer (liquid form) (behlens, etc...)...4 weeks
water borne lacquer (KTM's)...4 weeks
rattle can nitro (Re-Ranch, DEFT coatings, etc...)...4 weeks, though the chemical engineers at DEFT said 7 days in 60+ degree environment would be fine)
Catalyzed polyurethane (polyether based) (auto finishes)...3-4 days
Catalyzed polyesthers...1-2 days, unless UV cured, then you can probably push it...

For most of these, the longer you wait, the better; but this will work as a basic rule of thumb...

Typically, when sanding a finish, you level with 400 grit, work your way to 2000 grit, then maybe add some abralon 2000, 4000, and then buff your way through the compounds...

Finishes are a lot of work...

Hope this helps,
Stephen

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