Finishing ('Workhorse' Lacquer Finish)
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<<< Drilling for Neck, Bridge & Wiring
The fingerboard is protected
with masking tape,
cutting
the tape into the nut slot
and over the truss rod
nut
The tape is worked down
carefully over the frets
to
prevent lacquer from
creeping under the tape
The neck after two coats
of sanding sealer (for a
full
description of the
lacquering process see
our
build & finish page)
Bodies drying after two
coats of sanding sealer
A closer view of a sealed
mahogany body when dry
The sanding sealer is
flatted off with abrasive
sheet
After sealing and flatting,
the bridge earth lead is
installed ...
... and taped down inside the
control cavity to keep
it
free of lacquer
The bridge post bushiings
are installed, trapping the
bridge earth lead in place -
the bushings are then
stuffed with paper towel
to
keep the lacquer out
The sanding sealer on the
neck is also flatted off,
before the neck is sprayed
with its amber tinting coat
The flatted bodies are given
their colour coats -
transparent brownish cherry
for the mahogany ...
... and translucent white blond
for the ash
An ash body after the
colour coat has dried ...
... and a mahogany body
in the same state
The bodies are then given
two full gloss clear coats
and one gloss flash coat -
here's
an ash body after
the flash coat has dried,
showing the slight 'eggshell'
quality to the finish and
the unfilled grain showing
through
A mahogany body after its
gloss lacquer coats have
dried - just look at that
grain pattern, lush!
The neck after its gloss
lacquer coats have dried -
the subtle amber tint under
the gloss really brings
out the figuring in the maple
The ebony headstock facing
under its lacquer coats