CGHbuilder86

For the most part it works really well, you do have the occasional problems. I have gotten acoustic guitar tops, backs, and side woods thicknessed very close to the finished dimensions but you do have to do the last bit with a random orbit sander in order for it to be smooth. If your wood is cupped you will have some problems. Fingerboards, necks, those things seem to do really well. P.S. Some sort of hold down jig, would probably give better results, and be safer.

That is an extremely nice sander. I would love to have one, but sometimes for me it’s just to hard to let go of that kind of money for one tool. I guess the lower cost stationary planers are pretty useless for this kind of work. Right?

What is the best way to thin acoustic guitar woods very close to the finished dimensions? I’ve been planing the wood with a wagner-t-safe planer in my drill press, and then sanding to the finished dimensions with a porter cable random orbit sander, when I can’t have them thinned from the supplier. This method works ok but if the wood is warped a little your in trouble. I’ve also done a little hand planing, but when it comes to hardwoods for the back and sides, it’s tough. Cost is also an important matter. Cost is always an important matter.

Yeah, I see your picture. Your Guitar is lookin great!

Thanks for the previous reply’s to my questions they have been very helpful. But I’m still having a little problem. I thought the easiest way to remove the deep sanding scratches would be to spray two more coats of lacquer, so after sanding with 400 grit paper to give a nice tacky surface I sprayed two coats of lacquer. Then I let it cure for four days, after letting it cure, I sanded with 1500 grit paper and followed with 2000 grit. Now the fine compound that I started buffing with is supposed to remove 1000 grit and above sanding scratches, so I don’t think that is giving me my problem. I also followed the fine compound with extra fine. Now after I finished all the buffing, to look at the finish in light from regular light bulbs, it looks pretty good, not perfect though, but when I look at the finish under florescent lights it looks worse. There are some very fine sanding scratches, and it does not look as clear as it should, It’s just a little dull looking when the light hits it right. Could letting it cure for only four days cause it to look a little unclear? I also used an off brand cheap lacquer thinner to improve the spraying, this wound not be causing my problem would it? Any help on this would be appreciated.

I am working on buffing out a nitro lacquer finish. I am using a buffing arbor that uses a motor and pulley to run. It’s the kind Stewart MacDonald sells. I am using the menzerna dry buffing compound, grades fine, and very fine. I am running the buffs at about 862 rpms. Before buffing I wet sanded in grades of 800, 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, and 2,000 grits. The problem I am having is that if you look at the finish across the guitar it looks wonderful, but if you look straight down on the finish and the light hits it right it looks bad scratched and dull. The top looks pretty good the neck also looks pretty good, it’s mainly the dark rosewood back and sides that are giving me this trouble. Any help on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

Sounds like maybe the wood absorbed the paint/stain unevenly, if you sprayed the paint on the bare wood. If you sprayed it on top of a sealer that’s not the problem, but your spray gun might be inferior, and could have caused the paint to spray unevenly.

I have made several acoustic guitars in my time. I am now thinking about making an ES 335 or an ES 175 style electric guitar. These guitars are usually made with laminated tops. My question is would these guitars not sound better with a solid top, such as a carved maple top? All acoustic guitars sound better with solid tops, so it seems to me that these electric guitars would sound better also, maybe the sound would ring more and resonate through the body more. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks!