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Actually the coats are quite thin.  Stewmac describes the topcoat layers to be "dry" sprayed or some such.  In other words, not enough is put on each time for it to appear wet.  I also sand between each sealer coat and between each 6 coats of topcoat so that takes it down some.  Is this much different than the KTM regime?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I fill with typically 2 sessions of zpoxy sand back to the wood and a 60/40 wipe. Two light sprayed coats of shellac as a sealer. and if using KTM9 or nitro spray 6-8 primary coats followed by 2-3 final coats. So my whole process has nearly half the coats of your full process.

not doubting you I was just surprised to read that Colortone said to use 12 seal coats.

Great discussion.

[quote=Rick Turner]Why not simply farm out the work to a specialist?   Many of the top-dollar luthiers do, and the cost is just built into the final price of the guitars. The work is also warranted.

I'm amazed by what hobby and amateur luthiers see as valid jobs to farm out (neck making, for instance) while wanting to do the hardest, most environmentally and health sensitive, and most finicky of all jobs at home...finish work. There's a strange disconnect from reality here at the OLF.   I don't get it.[/quote]

There is only one issue for many people Rick. There are only a hand full of finishing farmers out there, none that I've found in Canada (there's just no way to easily send my stuff to the US for spraying than back again without a hassle). For the cost of the first 2 guitars plus shipping I can set up a safe explosion proof spray booth (which is what I have) in my shop and be done with it.

So for many folks, farming out the finishing just isn't an option were as some other pieces are easier to get, pre-made necks, inlays, fret boards, bridges etc. These are just parts, were as a finished guitar body going across the boarder would most certainly be a real hassle. I can see this as a great option for those with finishers near by or even half way across the country. But going over boarders just isn't going to happen.

Personally, I love making as many parts for the guitar I can. It's all very very satisfying to me.

Somethings are just not to be understood by everyone, sometimes it's not worth trying to figure out the best laid plans of mice and men.

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[QUOTE=Ricardo]Actually the coats are quite thin.  Stewmac describes the topcoat layers to be "dry" sprayed or some such.  In other words, not enough is put on each time for it to appear wet.  I also sand between each sealer coat and between each 6 coats of topcoat so that takes it down some.  Is this much different than the KTM regime? [/QUOTE]

Michael, my understanding is that the Colortone product is essentially Target Coatings re-packaged, in which case the standard application thickness is less than 2 mils wet.  Still...thats a LOT of sealer, which is probably EM8800.

I'm doing my next top differently.  A seal coat of shellac then just top coats (12) of Colortone. 

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Gerald Sheppard posted his Target USL finishing schedule a while back.  It's in the archives.  It works well.
Terry
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7477& KW=gerald+sheppard#forumTop

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I basically used Gerald's schedule (and Ultima) for the archtop I posted on a recent thread.

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Dave
Milton, ON