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I just finished buffing out an EI rosewood guitar and the the zpoxy in the pores is quite noticeable in the pores under the varnish top coat. The pores are completely filled but they show up as shiny dots. I have noticed this before but it is barely noticeable in most woods. This rosewood is the old very dark purple color and the pores really stand out. Has anyone noticed this under other finishes like lacquer or poly? I use rock hard varnish right over the zpoxy - don't know if a coat of shellac before the varnish would help or not.

Thanks, Paul

Paul,
I hevnt ever noticed this, but I dont use varnish and rarely french polished guitars also. I would suspect that it is something to do with the varnish more than the zpoxy. A picture of what you are experiencing would help to understand.

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Reguards,

Ken H

I believe the reason they show up as tiny dots is because they arent completely filled.That`s why a lot of us sand back to the wood.If I see any shiny spots at this time,I pore fill again.I have just put the third coat of z-poxy on a guitar and will probably give it a wash coat after sanding again.By the way.I`m not really that fond of z-poxy,it always takes a lot of coats.I think I`ll try CA next time. I`ll be asking for tips on this process one of these days.
James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

+1

You need to sand down to the bottom of the lowest shiny dot, then reapply the epoxy or start with your clear coats.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

Ahhh yes, I didnt even think to mention the sanding. It is a standard practice for me to put at least 3 coats on and then sand back to where I see no shiny spots before even starting the finishing process. In most cases, the guitar will usually already have a pretty good shine on it before I ever put the first drop of finish on. This could quite possibly be the problem.

I also had a strange case of something similar with a piece of mahogany (?) that I posted about a couple of weeks ago. I ended up sanding through the guitar trying to get down to where I could no longer see the shiny spots. That was a first for me and I wouldnt assume it to be something that would be seen on a regular basis.

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Reguards,

Ken H

I am quite sure the pores are filled. When I sanded the zpoxy filler after the final porefill, there were no shiny spots, the surface was evenly dull everywhere and no sanding dust showed up in the pores. Every coat of varnish went on smoothly, it didn't sink into the pores which it would have if they were not completely filled. The clear zpoxy just showed up under the varnish when I buffed out the finish, sort of like a metal flake paint job. The surface film is not cratered, it's continuous(or it was till I sanded all the varnish of tonight).

Paul

Not sure what to say.Maybe a couple of coats of shellac before your final finish product would help.
James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee