Moonlapse wrote: I am quite tempted by some of the techniques I have seen to highlight the grain or make it pop.
Not sure what techniques you are referring to but usually a stain or dye is used in combination with sanding to highlight figure in the wood. As you seem to be new to wood finishing in general and guitar finishing in particular I would advise maybe you let this technique go until you become a bit more experienced. You will have more than enough to worry about in just getting a good looking finish the first time out.
Moonlapse wrote: And I would like as smooth a finish as possible, so probably will want to avoid any kind of glossing or varnishing. I have read all kinds of conflicting opinions about Tru Oil, Tung Oil, Linseed Oil, etc. I have come across the occasional mention of wax.
Well a well done high gloss instrument finish is as smooth as it gets.....I notice you are leaning towards oil finishes but think you should maybe consider a spray can finish as an option too. You can buy decent quality lacquers in a spray can from Stew mac, Behlin, Re-ranch just to name a few. Be aware that traditional pore filling methods often don't work well with oil type finishes and slurry filling ash will be a long and tedious affair. Of the 3 oils you list tung oil would be my choice.
Moonlapse wrote: I'd be most grateful for any kind of advice (or indeed any necessary corrections to any part of the above), but ideally what I'd hope to nail down is a specific order of events.
The exact order of events or "finish schedule" will vary some based on what products you decide to use to build the finish. Sorry there is no really universal answer. So first you should choose a type of finish and then I could be a bit more specific about what steps to take in which order.
Moonlapse wrote: In particular, do I need to fill the grain in between sandings, or should I sand, clean, sand, clean, sand, clean etc, and only apply grain filler at the end? Or should I apply it first?
This will depend on what type of filler you go with. Will it be epoxy, traditional paste, slurry or something else? A paste filler will usually go on between two coats of sealer a slurry is generally done on bare wood. Bear in mind that the type of filler chosen must be compatible with the rest of your finish products. As I mentioned most oil finishes do not go well with the fillers typically used with lacquers which are more the norm for this and you are limited in those cases to some type of slurry fill.
Moonlapse wrote: If I want to highlight the grain but without bringing any artificial colour to it, what are some good products to use? Would highlighting the grain necessitate any alteration to the order of sanding and filling? Would this product be in addition to or instead of the grain filler?
Not sure how to highlight grain without adding color.....I have seen guys use water to "pop" the grain on oak flooring but all they are doing is actually raising the grain. As floors are not grain filled and cut and buffed to a piano shine the fact the grain has raised is of little consequence there but on a guitar where smooth is needed this I feel would be counterproductive as the raise would need sanded back or filled over. Paste fillers can be used to highlight grain if color selection is made carefully, other than that it is usually done with a dye.
Moonlapse wrote: Once the sanding and filling is complete, is there anything else I would need to do before moving on to the oiling? For example, I have seen a number of references to staining, but I think I'm right that wood that has been stained need to be varnished, yes?
No, stained wood can be oiled but staining must be done prior to any sealing or filling. The first coat of finish or the sealer is the critical step here. It is easy to reactivate the stain with an oil finish and smear it around creating a blotchy looking finish.
Moonlapse wrote: I have read that ash is a comparatively porous wood. Does this make it a less or more promising candidate for an oil finish than alder?
Alder will be easier to finish no matter what as it is a closed pore wood and requires no filling. Ash by contrast has large open grain and if a smooth surface is desired will require a good bit of filling.
Moonlapse wrote: Finally, is there any mileage in applying wax?
Forget it on a guitar. Tried that one once a long time ago. It wears away quickly, looks dirty quickly and is difficult to clean and polish and as a bonus leaves the wood contaminated so no other finish will ever stick.
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. I would like a very smooth surface on the finished guitar so on the strength of what you say I would think I will definitely do this one way or another. Would adding stain to the filler be one method of highlighting the grain? And when you say not to stain before filling, do you mean fill once without the stain, or simply not to apply stain before the fill?
