RevJohn

Thanks! As I said in the OP, I'm happy with the color and how it turned out on my test block; especially since the Mahogany is being stained.

Thanks! Definitely going for a high gloss finish on the maple. Would it be best to grainfill then?

Hey folks! I've been really interested in building a guitar for a long time and I've decided to do it. I'm starting simple with a Les Paul kit from Solo. Nothing too crazy yet as far as the woodworking goes. I'm wanting to do an entirely wipe-on finish. (Just because). I've been experimenting with scraps of wood and I just want some feedback before I start working on the guitar whether or not this method makes sense. Back, neck, headstock (mahogany): Sand to 320, fill with mahogany colored woodgrain filler, sand to 320 again, stain with minwax wipe-on stain (two coats), then about a dozen coats of Minwax wipe-on poly (Steel wool between coats). Wet-sand to 2000 grit then polish with a few stages of automotive polish (I've got plenty of that lying around). I was really pleased with this. The plan is to do the whole back and neck this way, but use steel wool to scuff the neck to a satin finish. The one thing I didn't do on my scrap pieces was thin the poly on the final coats (it was all straight out of the can). From what I'm reading around here scrolling through threads, it looks like thinning it would give me a flatter, shinier finish? Any issues so far? Am I missing anything or doing anything wrong yet? Would there be any advantage to using a sealer on top of the stain before the poly? For the maple top (just a regular maple cap, no veneer): Sand to 320, dye with angelus dyes, and the same wipe-on poly technique. I'm getting mixed info on whether I should grain fill. Would grain filling be necessary on Maple if I want a high-gloss finish? I have some Birch-Casey sealer and filler, would that would better for that? Really appreciate your wisdom and feedback!