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I have plenty of time this build to shop a little for a finish and was wondering if there was any reason NOT to use the MinWax quick dry polyurethane that I used on my first kit build?

It literally took me days to figure out how to apply and finish it and having a system wired I'm tempted to use it again, but am getting smarter by posting here before I dive in.

The KTM-9 is probably my first choice but any real reason NOT to use the MinWax product?

thanks

Larry

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Thank You and Best To All

Hi Larry,
The Minwax is great stuff. It's cheaper and better than the other stuff.
Stay with Minwax and put the money in your pocket.

walter

The concern I would have is shrinkage, discoloration and sound muffling. I have never used Polyurethane on an instrument so I do not have the experience with it, but many furnisher grade finishes are a bit too brittle, shrink and discolor faster than instrument grade finishes. There are too many relative inexpensive instrument grade finishes available. My line of thinking is you put likely over $500 in materials, hardware plus your labor into this guitar. Why skimp on the finish. JMO

I have a friend who is a strings teacher...Well, one of his students decided to carve her name in a viola. When the school approached the parents about money for fixing the instrument, the father said he works in the furniture industry and knows some guys who would re-finish the viola for him. The school unfortunately went with that. Now the viola sounds like a cheap POS. The furiture finish tightened up the box and choked off the sound.

If you want to use stuff frm the hardware store to save yourself some money, I say go with shelac.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

[QUOTE=JBreault]Now the viola sounds like a cheap POS. The furiture
finish tightened up the box and choked off the sound. If you want to use
stuff frm the hardware store to save yourself some money, I say go with
shelac.[/QUOTE]

Beware of the regular hardware store shellac though, there is wax in it
and it never dries hard. Ends up a gooey mess on an instrument in fact…
The only shellac suitable for instrument finish is dewaxed shellac you can
buy in flakes and mix yourself with alcohol, or Zinsser makes something
called Sealcoat only available in fine woodworking shops from my
experience.
Bowed instruments have different finish requirements, traditional finish is
varnish, but a varnish (shellac mixed with gums in fact) that is much more
flexible than what one would use on a guitar. Takes the brittleness off a
little bit some say and it accomodates the changes in moisture in a small
box better. I think the few guitar makers using varnish use a much harder
varnish.
Haselbacher varnish technique

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

[QUOTE=laurent] [QUOTE=JBreault]Now the viola sounds like a cheap POS. The furiture
finish tightened up the box and choked off the sound. If you want to use
stuff frm the hardware store to save yourself some money, I say go with
shelac.[/QUOTE]

Beware of the regular hardware store shellac though, there is wax in it
and it never dries hard. Ends up a gooey mess on an instrument in fact…
The only shellac suitable for instrument finish is dewaxed shellac you can
buy in flakes and mix yourself with alcohol, or Zinsser makes something
called Sealcoat only available in fine woodworking shops from my
experience.
Bowed instruments have different finish requirements, traditional finish is
varnish, but a varnish (shellac mixed with gums in fact) that is much more
flexible than what one would use on a guitar. Takes the brittleness off a
little bit some say and it accomodates the changes in moisture in a small
box better. I think the few guitar makers using varnish use a much harder
varnish.
Haselbacher varnish technique[/QUOTE]

You can dewax the shellac pretty easy. Cut it slightly with son PGA pure grain alcohol. Let it stand in a covered clear container for 3-5 days all the wax will fall to the bottom and shellac will rise to the top. carfully pour off the shellac in to another container. Wala dewaxed shellac.

if you are building your wooden artifacts with wood from the big box home centres then i guess hardware store urethane finish would be appropriate if you are going to hang it up as a sign outside your shop!!!

but if your intention is to make a musical instrument....

[QUOTE=JBreault] You can dewax the shellac pretty easy. Cut it slightly with
son PGA pure grain alcohol. Let it stand in a covered clear container for 3-5
days all the wax will fall to the bottom and shellac will rise to the top.
carfully pour off the shellac in to another container. Wala dewaxed shellac.
[/QUOTE]

Yes, the 1gal dewaxed Zinsser Sealcoat is the same price as the Zinsser clear
or Amber, save yourself the trouble!laurent38728.5343865741

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I agree!! As you recall I use Zinner's Sealcoat almost exclusivly. I love the amber hue. Warning to those that don't know the Zinsser's Bull's Eye Shellac is not wax free and most other pre mixed shellac sold are not wax free. The only one I know that is is the Zinsser's SealCoat

Zinsser's sells two different shellac products.

This one is not waxfree


This one is 100% wax free.


I use the sealcoat as sealer or wash coat under laquer, works nice and it helps pop the figure of flamed maple better than the vinyl sealer. I spray it at approximatly 1.5-2lb cut.

Here is a link to Zinsser's web site on the two products.Rod True38728.5946875

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