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Close to finishing no 3 . Bubinga back and sides, engelmann spruce top , mahogany neck and maple binding ...My question is about finishing the bubinga...the first two were EIR so I used Zpoxy to fill the pores then sprayed zinnsser shellac followed by Em6000..worked well...the bubinga seems to be much denser and I was wanting to bring out the grain in the finish ...so I was thinking just one coat of z poxy then shellac then the laquer or possibly just the shellac then the laquer......
any advise would be appreciated..

thanks

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MK5acoustics.com

Take an off cut of your Bubinga. Shellac one part and stick some oil varnish (anything will do) on another part. Do the side by side comparison.
Oil will be the victor!

The Zpoxy will pop the grain and add an amber tint .. then finish as usual. With the EM, you might still want to do the shellac ... nitro, not required.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Why would u put shellac on top of epoxy?

I just finished a bubinga in April and used Z-poxy followed with a coat of blond shellac and the nitro lacquer and the grain shows real well. photos here http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=26984

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Mike - Shellac on Zpoxy, before EM6000 ???... well .. I dont know how well the Em will adhere to the Zpoxy .. shellac becomes the binder layer. I know that nitro is fine straight onto Zpoxy ....

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

It's why I asked. I did shellac, poxy, EM, no real issues. But if shellac increases bonding, I'm interested. But both shellac and poxy are unaffected by water... So was wondering if there really was utility in adding shellac on top of poxy.

If shellac is a better binding surface, then how well does shellac bond to epoxy? I realize that I'm asking a question with implications since I used shellac first then epoxy. I find it hard to believe shellac reacts on the surface of epoxy chemically (cured) yet I realize we thin epoxy with alcohol! Very interesting subject... I hope that those of u in the know will chime in.

Also, using shellac to seal wood, then sanding back will expose wood fibers for the epoxy to adhere to.- Mike

The rule is that shellac will bond to nearly anything, including epoxy. Epoxy may or may not stick to shellac well.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks Waddy for the thumb rule. However, if I only use shellac to seal wood, then sand back, am I not minimizing adhesion issues?

One more thing, Tony, after applying shellac to epoxy, do I need to sand off just the nubs? Thus maintaining a contiguous coating of shellac?

nice finish Fred !!...how may coats of zpoxy did you apply..Bubinga doesnt seem to be very porus..I like the Zpoxy ..I use to use this and simular resins laminating wing skins on R/C pattern and racing planes..so I am used to using this stuff...I love the Em 6000 ..easy to spray, dries quickly, and the best part is clean up!!

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MK5acoustics.com

Em 6000 is a great product for us "hobby" builders given the cost of explosion proof booths. We are all still searching for the correct spray schedule.

How hard does em6000 dry? I've done a few with ktm sv, which is very forgiving in application but does not dry very hard at all. You can push your thumbnail in it after months.

No reason you couldnt scuff it lightly Mike ... I would tend to use more of a french polish technique to put it on though ....

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"