Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm trying to keep up with the spirit of regular updates although I haven't done a lot. I did a bit of work on the dovetail and got that where I want it. Next I finish sanded everything, sealed it and started pore filling.
Have I mentioned I flat don't like pore filling.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Lol... But you like a nice flat finish a lot more than you hate pore filling.... And so you do it as a labor of love.

I will admit that I have not pore filled any yet... Maybe I am weird - but I like to feel the wood grain..

This one is going to get a gloss finish plus the pores in the koa appointments and the mahogany are pretty big. I think pore filling is not so big a deal if the wood has smaller pores and it is going to be a satin finish.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Pore filled and shellac sealer padded on. I lightly wet sanded this with 400 and started french polishing with Royal Lac.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Its getting closer and closer.

What is your pore filling product/routine?

I might even make the deadline.

For pore filling I used Timbermate. It had already been sealed with shellac but I don't worry about that. I thin the Timbermate a bit then smash it in good with a squeegee going cross grain. I wipe most of the extra off with a piece of burlap. After it is dry I sand it back to the wood with 220. Finally I sand with 320 then seal again with shellac to start my finishing schedule.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Steve's got the shop back together, its looking good. Baby Bird is coming along, nice set of Waverley's waiting. Got to play with the new sander. My youngest daughter Emma admiring Steve's humming bird and flower inlay.

Enjoyed the visit today - your daughter is a delightful young lady!!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Well I'm out. Looks like the delays to rebuild the shop and take care of client guitars did me in. Still finishing and won't be buffing it out for at least 3 weeks. I'll post here when it's done.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

If this was a shop building challenge, you'd certainly be the winner Too bad about the guitar, but you can't rush perfection. She'll be a beauty when she's finished

Thanks Dennis. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has looked around the shop and wanted to do a complete demo and remodel. It took several months longer than planned but, unlike previous attempts, I kept going until ALL major mods were complete. I still have about a half dozen projects to do (at least - ha) but they are all things I can complete in a weekend. All in all, well worth the delays.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this little guitar will do. I have no clue what the small box should sound like at this point so I'm just guessing. If a larger bodied guitar thumped the same way this one does I would figure it was overbuilt. Given the size I kind of expected this but we shall see.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Not sure if anyone will ever see this but I promised I'd post when it was done. Didn't expect it would be over a year but a busy day job and a steady stream of repair work kept it on the shelf for a long time. This one turned to be one of the good ones, sound is balanced all the way up and down the neck. I was expecting the small box to make it "treblely" but it didn't which is a pleasant surprise.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Loverly....

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Beautiful! I'd love to hear it.

Don't feel bad. Mine from that challenge is still unfinished for similar reasons. I hope to finish it this fall.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Very nice Steve! There is something about letting an instrument sit in the shop unfinished to soak up all the vibrations of the shop not to mention music in the room. It will also do most of the stretching and yawning and settling in as the box starts to relax and begin to realize it is and instrument and not a bunch of wood glued together.
I've thought over the years, several instruments that have spent several years in the shop with the boxes built sounded better or broke in quicker than the norm...

Hi Hans,

Thanks. I have a few other projects that have been "ripening". Guess I ought to finish them and see how they sound!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Very very nice work there. I really like it a lot.