Arseneau Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Hi All. Well, my first build has reached the finishing stage and I'm just looking for any suggestions for a really killer finish on highly figured birds eye. The body is oak with a 3/4" birds eye maple top (surprisingly not at all heavy...go figure), neck is Eastern rock maple, rosewood fingerboard, curly/birds eye veneer on headstock. I was originally planning on doing the "stain black, sand back" thing in either blue or crimson, but since the birds eye is so highly figured I thought it would look best if I just used a medium to dark brown aniline dye and sanded it back with a very diluted amber over top to give a slighty more pronounced natural look, then coat with either nitro or poly from a can for a glassy finish. Does this sound like a reasonable way to finish really nice wood? Any suggestions/pics of really cool finishes on birds eye maple? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 I'm a big fan of a natural finish on birdseye maple. Straight up, maybe a coat or two of shellac to give it that nice, warm glow and pop the grain, and then start shooting clear over the top. I've never really seen a coloured/stained birdseye finish that I was crazy about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Definitely don't do the "black/sand back". I've found that in contrast to flame or quilt, birdseye tends to look dirty and clogged when you stain it darker. If you want amber, just use amber. Don't use a dark mixture prior to the final color. I would just use amber over the whole thing, and the birdseyes will get remarkably darker in the appropriate areas just because they'll drink in the stain. For a medium blue or other "non-natural" color, the dark or black can work okay, simply because you're masking the natural grains and eyes anyway with the false color. Even then I'd stay away from black and just use a slightly more potent mixture than your final color as the initial stain/sand back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arseneau Posted October 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 So, it's okay to use polyurethane or lacquer over shellac? I was going to use that Minwax fast drying poly or try the brushable lacquer that they make...which would be better?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 So, it's okay to use polyurethane or lacquer over shellac? I was going to use that Minwax fast drying poly or try the brushable lacquer that they make...which would be better?? ← Yes. Shellac goes under pretty much everything. It's not called the 'universal sealer' for nothing, y'know. Over oil, under laquer, works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 My personal preference would be to use lacquer. It dries faster. It's easier to rub out. It's a whole lot easier to fix a scratch or chip. I think that it looks better than poly. Especially if you're planning on building it up. Look for some spray cans of Deft. Cheap, easy to use. Almost colorless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Here are links to what I think are two nicely finished BE tops. They are both done by Ron Thorn. Yes, I know he has the equipment to do it right, but I think they are two examples of how BE can look. I have had a chance to play the second one (the clearnatural top- #70) and visually it is just unreal. It is one of the nicest looking guitars I have ever seen. The sound kicks ass as well. Bursted Birdseye Natural Birdeye #70 Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i-j-c Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I love Ron Thorn guitars...they are by far the nicest looking guitars I have seen... Thos BE tops look superb...so too the binding. I like the way he does the lower horn cutaway..being recessed in the back so as not to spoil the front.. +1 on docs response... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arseneau Posted October 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Ok, one last question: I bought a can of amber shellac that really brings out the figure nicely on the piece of scrap I tried it on. However, it says on the can (only noticed after I bought it): DO NOT use under polyurethane finishes. I had planned to use the Minwax fasy-drying poly over the shellac but now it looks like that won't work? Any ideas why this is and what it will actually do to the finish if I use it anyway?? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Ok, one last question: I bought a can of amber shellac that really brings out the figure nicely on the piece of scrap I tried it on. However, it says on the can (only noticed after I bought it): DO NOT use under polyurethane finishes. I had planned to use the Minwax fasy-drying poly over the shellac but now it looks like that won't work? Any ideas why this is and what it will actually do to the finish if I use it anyway?? Thanks. ← Odd. Is the shellac dewaxed? Because I've had good luck using shellac (always dewaxed, always mixed fresh from flakes myself) over oil, under nitro, and under waterbased finishes. Test it on scrap, see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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