Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, I certainly don't have any experience with this, but I ran across a neat looking product in a furniture/house restoration product catalog that will be of interest to some. I have seen a few posts asking how to tell what kind of finish had been used on an instrument. This might be what you're looking for.

FINISH INDICATOR


If this helps someone, I've done my good deed for today.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

That's very cool. Doesn't look as though it will determine shellac or varnish, though, so sometimes you just have to know the history of the maker.

I'll have to check that one out. It'd be huge for repair shops, since 99% of their work is on stuff you can spray.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Agreed, that looks like an interesting product to check out. Still, as Rick said
the shellac/varnish point is a useful one that seems to be missing. Knowing
history of various shops and makers is still probably the best way to
determine finish, as well as knowing how to spot differences in crazing
patterns. It looks intriguing enough to make me want to get some to try out
anyway. Thanks.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Cool. Thanks Ron!

Even if it doesn't indicate shellac/varnish, at least it would allow you to eliminate several methods that look alike.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Well, if you use the product and it isn't ANY of the products it is capable of indicating....then at least for shellac, a small bit of alcohol ought to reveal a shellac finish? I'm assuming that since you want to determine the finish type that there is a small area that you can "sample".

If it's not one of the indicated products OR shellac then....?

Joe