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Ok so getting a good finish is the most frustrating part of building a guitar for me. I hate every aspect of finishing except the final polish when it finally starts looking good. The wet sanding process is especially frustrating for me. Anyone here have any tips or tricks to make the leveling process simpler? My main problem is having the sandpaper load up. I get what look like hard flakes of lacquer that stick to the sandpaper I then have to pick these off and continue on sanding. I get these very frequently and it's very frustrating. Probably once a minute I have to stop and clean the paper off. Am I using the wrong kind of sandpaper? Maybe I should be using warm water? I dunno! Any info regarding the loading of the paper or any part of the sanding/leveling process would be much appreciated. Thanks guys.

I find the paper gets those pills when the lacquer is not fully dry. But, when I get them, I use a razor blade to scrape them off.
They are a pain because they can cause deep scratches that show up when you buff. Once a minute seems fairly frequent though. Are you doing it by hand? If so, how much pressure are you applying? I use light pressure and I use plenty of water with soap to lubricate things. I am sure you are doing the same, but maybe a bit more soap might help? I have found that it does for me.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I don't use any soap. What kind do you recommend? I'm using the same deft lacquer as you so I'm glad u chimed in. I have noticed how they leave deep scuffs and I just get so frustrated. I have lots of leveling to do this time because I tried brushing rather than the rattle cans I used on my first. I'll try using less pressure since I have a tendency to get aggressive sometimes. I am sure that the lacquer is dry. It's been probably 5 weeks or more since application.

try dish soap.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
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I tried the Deft water based laquer in the past and found that it took a very long time to harden. I found that even after the finishing (waiting 3-4 weeks to buff) a capo put a mark on the neck. I did not like the stuff. On my last build I used EM6000 and was very pleased with the results. I used odorless mineral spirits to wet sand with and it went very well. ...not too much loading on the paper and a nice hard finish.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

A few drops of dish soap in water.

I use Micromesh. It's a lot more expensive but lasts a lot longer and doesn't seem to load as easily as paper.


Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I use a butter container about half full of water with a couple drops of Palmolive dish soap. I suppose any brand will do. I use micromesh cloth and work my way up starting with 3200 and all the way up to 12000. Followed by microgloss polish. I have never had a problem with micromesh loading up. P.S. No need to use a lot of pressure. Pals, Vic.

I've been using this stuff http://www.nainc.org/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=163 for a couple of years.
Works great without clogging. I spray a small amount of water on the instrument & go for it, with the ROS. If the disc clogs up, take it off the sander & run it under a tap or blow it off with an air hose. The open mesh clears quickly & easily.
Hours of tedium reduced to minutes...

I still need to block sand after rough levelling with the ROS, to prevent a rippled finish.
Available in rolls too, right up to 1500 grit.
If you block sand with Abranet, you need to make sure the mesh is at a 45 degree angle to the block, or you'll end up sanding fine grooves into the finish.
Works for me...

Dish soap is fine. Any liquid soap will work. Some people on the woodworking forums suggest Murphy's oil soap. Never tried it. Keep a container of soapy water nearby and dip the paper in it from time to time to wash it off and also re-wet it. Soaking the paper overnight before using it seems to make a difference as well. I would not have believed it unless I tried it myself. One thing about sanding the finish...you don't want to rush it. I got a great finish on my #1 because I started with 1000 grit paper. It took forever to sand, but it looks great!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Buflex: http://www.eagleabrasives.com/buflex.html

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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreylsuits/he ... -runnin-13

I tried some soap during my lunch and it's like magic! Problem solved! I guess I jus needed something in the water to keep everything lubricated. I can't believe the difference it made.

Any other great finishing tips??

Tony's point about soaking the paper overnight is important. I was always impatient and only soaked the paper for an hour or two before starting to sand. I would go through a fair bit of paper as it loaded up quick. Then recently I let them sit overnight and the next day - wowza! Like buttery butter.

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Rob Flindall
Flindall Guitars
http://www.flindallguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/FlindallGuitars

I'm gonna let my paper soak and see how much easier that makes it also. I'm just so impatient when wet sanding. I hate it and I get distracted and bored with it so easily. Hmmm, I wonder I I could get my dr to prescribe some adderall, just enough to get me through the wet sanding. Haha

Have a look at a thread I started a week or so ago called "A few questions as I start sanding/leveling my guitar" (or something along those lines - I'm using my phone right now). I'm new at the finishing process and posted some observations as I went through sanding and polishing and got some good points from the pros here on the forum. Might be helpful . And my results turned out amazing.

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Rob Flindall
Flindall Guitars
http://www.flindallguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/FlindallGuitars

Cool! I'll look that up for sure.

I have a video on wet sanding on youtube and here somewhere.
Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNRQEfgZLQk

It might be helpful.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Thanks Todd. One question though. Can you explain "drop fill". I have seen this in reference to "drop filling" with CA. Is it the same process but just using lacquer?

+1

I use one of those yellow kitchen sponges with the green scrubby on one side to take care of any buildup on the paper. Dampen the sponge and place it green scrubby side up on the bench right next to the pail of paper/water/soap. Simply wipe the paper on the sponge and it removes "corns" like magic.

Chuck