jb291 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Hi all, I'm new to this forum and am just starting the process of building my first guitar. I have curly redwood that I'm going to use for the top. Do I need to use a grain filler on the redwood to obtain a smooth fish when I lacquer it? Thanks for you help......JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 You can really answer this question your self. Does the grain looks like big holes that the liquid finish might seep into, or like the pores of your skin very small and tight? If they are big you need to grain fill and if they are not, then you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 no grain (or should i say pores) on redwood - but it will drink up lacquer so be prepared!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 Your best bet with Redwood is to use a clear pore filler, like 2-part epoxy (Home Depot). It will help if you thin it a bit (damn if I can remember the thinner now...Acetone I think) thinned down, it will really sink into the pores better than with no thinner, and the epoxy will give you a great flat surface to build your lacquer finish on. Having said all that...AFAIC, it is not a wise idea to use this kind of wood for your very first build... ...If you do decide to go ahead with it, be prepared to take a risk and ruin/lose it before the end, it is not a beginner wood and you can run into many problems using it, problems you are not yet prepared for. Good advice and a pertinent warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb291 Posted November 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Thanks for the help..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 What Drak said....if it is flamed redwood, you'll have a lot of end-grain showing. The main issue with redwood is that it is very soft, so you need to stabilize it. If you go with epoxy, use one with a long set-up time. CA also works well for this, but you'll need a lot and you need to work fast to avoid a blotchy outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 If you are going to use epoxy don't do this, but I have used shellac to seal my soundboards with good success. This will shut down the way softwoods suck up a lot of other sealers and finishes. Again though, Epoxy over shellac is a big NO NO (epoxy does not adhear well to shellac). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Another thing...when you thin down 2-part, it also slows down the dry/cure time. I have seen 5-minute epoxy stay wet for well over an hour after thinned, so if you get 1 hour epoxy and thin it, I don't know how long it will take to actually dry 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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