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Here is a shot of a Sapele 00. I use an edge vise from https://www.luthiertool.com/edge_vise.html as a router guide and make acrylic templates on my cnc. It's pretty quick taking about 20 minutes from start to ready for finish. The purflings are hand mitered with a sharp chisel and obviously the infill piece can be made from whatever you want. There are a bunch of builders out there doing the same thing. Note:my tail block is made from europly plywood making the end graft only decorative, though if you use a strip of solid wood it would likely still serve its original purpose.

Best, Michael

Hi Ernie,

I got the idea for using Silvertip from my friend Jay Lichty who may have gotten the idea from John... One of the things I like about Silvertip is that I can re-coat without having to sand the epoxy back as long as I do it within 72hrs. Also the 6hrs between coats is pretty swell.

I have used oil violin varnish on all of my instruments with the exception of 2 classical that I built for myself. One of them was black walnut with a pumice\shellac pore fill. Both were FP finished. I actually enjoy the finishing part of the build. I guess that I am comfortable with the oil varnish and hesitant to try something different.

Thanks michael I have jays long video, think I loaded it off the OLF forum, for those who are interested . Thanks for the link to chris, been doin it (end grafts ) by hand for yrs. , I like the more precision look that you posted vy cool !!

Michael, are you routing for the end graft after the bindings are already on?

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Pat

Tell ya what, I used CA as a pore fill on my last guitar and I'm not sure I'll ever use anything else again. Do you hate pore filling? Wouldn't it be great if you could pore fill a guitar in 30 minutes? Then CA is the pore fill for you. That's right step right up folks...

I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard horror stories of noxious fumes, stinging eyes, nausea from someone who did.

What do you use to avoid all that? I don’t want to hijack, so maybe we should start a new thread on CA pore fill, but I’m very curious.


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Yes

Only times I ever used thin CA was to stabilize ancient Brazilian Rosewood. In that case, I wanted a clear finish. Not that it matters to me anymore (and maybe it doesn't matter to any of you) but how could you dye an instrument that has been pore filled with CA?

I have not tried it but my guess is that you could die or stain the wood the way you want it and then pore fill with the CA an in effect it would set the color. I did sand the CA back to wood so that could be a problem. But basically I use the CA like a traditional oil filler. Fill the pores and sand back to wood. So I guess what ever process works for that would work with CA.

I used Star Bond medium CA and set up a work bench and a fan. I have a breeze way garage with my band saw and other dust making machines in it. Open up both doors for cross ventilation and blow the powerful fan across the work and out the other door. No fumes at all. I use a credit card and squegie it across the grain then wipe it off with a paper towel.

BTW you can get CA that doesn't have the noxious fumes but it's expensive. In any case you would definitely want to do this out door's unless you have a nice hood or something.