Official Luthiers Forum!

I know it is a Controversial Subject, but I'd like to know how many closet sealers we have out there. I'm considering giving it a try.

Thanks for helping out!!!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Actually, I did not on my first & did on my second with Benedetto's recommendation.
Phil

14 I sealed 1 I didn't and that 1 formed cracked due to drastic weather changes. Sealed guitars in the same room and conditions didn't. The sister guitar to the one that cracked had no ill effects. I also sealed due to benedetto's video, I felt if it was good for his $25,000 guitars it would be good enough for mine. Yoe just have to remember that sealing is no guarantee it just help to slow down drastic changes. Sealing also make it harder to repair in the future, but I feel that new techniques such as using rare earth magnets with sandpaper seem to cancel out those problems.

I've done it both ways (so I didn't vote in the poll), but I don't see how it could hurt, really. It's an extra moisture barrier.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

What are you sealers using...shellac?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

What do you guys seal, everything,the bridge plate,the heal blocks? Do you just use shellac? Clinton

I just shellac the whole inside.

What do you use? That is a good question. What does Benedetto use?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I did shellac the whole inside of no 2 but won't on no 3 contrarily to others, i was told by someone at Sergei De Jonge last summer that it would have dampening effects which i would tend to believe but since i'm still new at this, i feel that i ought to try it dry wood this time and compare.

Shellac

Rattle can Shellac? I have thought about doing this as well..

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

This was on my mind last night so a very timely subject for me. I'm gettting ready to close up 3 boxes built in 55% rh and they will be shipped to Kansas City to my grankids home heated with forced air. I know they will endure a painful drying our process so I most probably will seal them (shellac)and just hope they heed my advice to keep them moisturized while in the cases. Probably wishful thinking.
Tom Armstrong

I took Kent Everett's building class a while back and he very lightly seals the inside of his tops with rattle can shellac. This is done after he is finished carving the braces and final sanding on the inside is done. An hour after the shellac is sprayed he lightly sands the inside surface and the top is ready to glue to the rim assembly.
If you look very close you can't tell there is any finish on the inside - it's just a light seal coat. This is just so moisture goes in and out of the front and back sides of the top in equal rates.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

Can't speak to anyone else, but Brad Nickerson carefully seals the inside of his backs/sides with a diluted/very thin coat of West Systems epoxy. He also lightly sands those surfaces. All the "sheen" is not sanded away from the inside of the box so you can most definitely tell it is sealed, but I think it makes the wood look nice. He does not put any kind of sealer on the top.

Bill Greene39096.4447916667

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

This is very interesting. Spray can shellac or lacquer sanding sealer seems like good choices. Hopw about hand rubbing polyurethane?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I guess I'm also wondering what peoples methods for this are. Do you spray the side/back assembly, then the top and attach the top? Do you have to clean off the kerfing and outside edge of the top before gluing up?

Evan,

I'm woundering the same thing. My plan is to glue the back on, mask off the top of the kerfing and the area of the top that will joing to the linning. I don't want any type of sealer on the wood that gets glued.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

No, and I wouldn't finish the outside either if I could get a way with it. Anyone every played an unfinished guitar, then tried it again after even a light French polish? A lot of German lutes had unfinished tops and boy do they sound good.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thanks Colin!

I spent four years in a laboratory looking at the moisture barrier properties of a multitude of polymers, that was my bag at the time, trying to prevent moisture ingress into supercapacitors, and trying to measure it. You don't have to worry about insomnia when you spend your time doing that, I can tell you. Staying awake is the challenge. .

Of the polymers I looked at (shellac included), most of them don't provide the moisture seal you'd expect, I was certainly surprised. Most of them don't keep moisture out very well at all, though I can't talk about a lot of that work due to a non-disclosure agreement. I can say I was looking at much thicker coats than what you'd get with a light spray of rattle can shellac.

I think of it as protection against rapid changes in humidity, but that's all - a buffer. The bottom line is that you cannot keep moisture out, but you can slow moisture ingress down. There, fours years of work, and for you it's free.

If colin says it's a tone killer, that's good enough for me...PaulB39096.8492476852

I use a 1-1/2 lb cut of shellac on the sides, back and top. Make sure to keep it off of the gluing surfaces or you will compromise the joint strength.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com