Q: I read somewhere that the first sunburst finishes were produced by hand. Can you describe how this was done?
A: I can and have. Many years ago (1983, if I recall) I described the process at length in an article for Vintage Guitar Bulletin. That piece later became part of a small book or booklet [...]
Q: I stained a guitar red/brown using water soluble dye. After the stain was dry, I dry brushed dark brown water soluble dye around the edges, fading toward the center for a sunburst-like finish. Clear lacquer coats finished the job. Will the dyes bleed into each other over time and become unattractive?
A: No. Water soluble [...]
Q: I am building my 10th guitar and am using epoxy over bare Indian rosewood to fill the pores, with great success. Can I also apply epoxy to the soundboard to eliminate “spruce ripples” and also fill voids in the rosette?
A: You can, but I would not advise it, though it might make an interesting [...]
Q: We’d like to spray Rustoleum hammer finish but do not have any equipment. Can you recommend an inexpensive HVLP system for home/light use?
A: Yes, but I’d advise against buying a spray system just for this one job. You can buy Rustoleum hammer finish in aerosol cans under the Universal label. http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=180
Those Universal cans are [...]
Q: In preparation for painting stripped metal furniture, we’ve wiped down the pieces with soapy water and wiped everything dry, gone back over the pieces and have given them a light sanding. Do I need to be concerned with chemical residue from the previous finishes, stripper or other contaminate?
A: Possibly. Some strippers contain wax, and [...]
Q: We purchased a used dinette set; the style is often referred to a wrought iron, however the chairs and base are clearly metal. They appear to have been originally powder coated, and subsequently painted over by the former owner with what looks like latex paint. Using a gel stripper and a bit of elbow [...]
Q: I want to fume the ridge beam in my house. Obviously, I can’t simply remove it, and place it in a tent for fuming. What would happen if I painted a light layer of ammonia on it?
A: First, fuming only works with woods high in tannin, so before you do anything, figure out what [...]
Q: If I brush on a final finish, will it cause water based dye stain to bleed into the finish on the brush and smear?
A: Water soluble dye can bleed onto a brush loaded with waterbased finish. Whether that will be enough to smear the stain also depends on your brushing technique and how aggressively [...]
Q: I’m using a water based urethane acrylic lacquer. Can I leave the stuff it in the spray gun (HVLP) in between coats, or do I have to clean the gun every time?
A: Most waterbased finish clog gun tips sooner than you would expect, and cleaning the gun can be very troublesome if the finish [...]
Q: I am making French doors out of red oak. I got to the sanding stage and I noticed pithy type areas, pithy veins. I sanded them but I was wondering if you had run into this and if so how you handled it?
A: Certain types of red oak, including one we used to call [...]
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