Aloha everyone! I am finishing two necks and decided to try a different finish after about a dozen builds. I used Minwax clear lacquer spray with a semi-gloss finish. I used about 6 very light coats on the first neck and find that the nice, smooth neck now feels slightly rough. Not terrible, but not smooth. Should I use steel wool on the finish, add more coats of lacquer, or?
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I also grab a full sheet of sandpaper and 'shoeshine' sand the back of the neck using finer and finer paper. Turns it into glass texture
Finish coats always retain some fingerprint of the method used to apply it, brush strokes, aerosolized micro-beads settling on the wood, dust from the air, etc. polishing the cured finish cuts it smooth, ultra-fine grit sandpaper or steel wool usually do the trick.
like the final polishing of a glass lens after grinding the shape.
Dampen with water. Leave to dry. Sand.. Repeat.. Repeat.. Repeat. Add first coat.. Sand with fine sandpaper wipe down. Add second coat. Add third..
I use boiled linseed..
Wetting brings out the stray woodgrain. So does finishing.
What to avoid.. Usually a shiny coat at the back of the neck of a guitar leaves it sticky.. You want it to be slippery..
Trial and error.. It worked for me :)
Thanks. I'm going to try this on a future build.
I happened to have a brown paper bag collecting trash, took a piece and rubbed the neck - It is smooth as a baby's ...! Here are a couple of pics of the neck, a laminate of oak and mahogany, with a mango fretboard.
LaminateNeck1891a.jpg
LaminateNeck1892a.jpg
LaminateNeck1894a.jpg
Nice.
You can also go over it with a brown paper bag. Works like very fine sandpaper or steel wool.
I'm going to try that. Thanks.