Hard Shellac questions

[Sebastiaan56]

Morning all,

Im finishing an acoustic guitar. The top is Western Red Cedar and is very soft. Ive had to sand out fingernail marks several times. I put 3 coats of the hard shellac on, increasing the cut each time. Ive left it for a week and yesterday hit it with the EEE to get my ugly face showing. Lookin good!

Then 9yo played it for about five minutes and scratched it very noticeably, 6 scratches 2-3cm long. Now he is a wannabe punk so the treatment was full on but I thought it would be more resistant than that. How much curing can I expect in a week? I used olive oil to help keep the rubber moving, this shouldnt affect it should it? Im loathe to add much more shellac as the instrument has a good bass / treble balance. The back, neck and sides are fine.

Any suggestions?

Sebastiaan

[Toymaker Len]

How about getting a $50 plywood special for the nine year old and telling yr little Felliciano that the good guitar is reserved for adults ?

[ubeaut]

Three coats of ever weakening shellac is little or no finish for a guitar (or anything else for that matter) especially one with such a soft timber face that has probably soaked in most of the finish leaving very little on the top. Another half dozen or more and leave it for a few weeks to a month before the 9 yr old punk gives it the treatment.

The number of coats shouldn't hurt the sound quality, if anything it should enhance it even further. The oil is also possibly trapped in the finish making it softer, but basically it sounds like there's not too much finish to begin with.

Personally I'm with Len and would be giving him the $50 ply wood one or going to something like Danish Oil so he can bash the hell out of it without it showing. After all what does a punk want with a nice shiny guitar.

Keep the Hard Shellac for a gooder instrument that will be used by someone who actually cares.

Cheers - Neil

PS You really need to get a good body of polish on the timber before you start using any oil and preferably use paraffin oil as the lubricant or raw linseed.

[Sebastiaan56]

Three coats of ever weakening shellac is little or no finish for a guitar (or anything else for that matter) especially one with such a soft timber face that has probably soaked in most of the finish leaving very little on the top. Another half dozen or more and leave it for a few weeks to a month before the 9 yr old punk gives it the treatment.

The number of coats shouldn't hurt the sound quality, if anything it should enhance it even further. The oil is also possibly trapped in the finish making it softer, but basically it sounds like there's not too much finish to begin with.

Personally I'm with Len and would be giving him the $50 ply wood one or going to something like Danish Oil so he can bash the hell out of it without it showing. After all what does a punk want with a nice shiny guitar.

Keep the Hard Shellac for a gooder instrument that will be used by someone who actually cares.

Cheers - Neil

PS You really need to get a good body of polish on the timber before you start using any oil and preferably use paraffin oil as the lubricant or raw linseed.

Thanks Neil, Len,

Actually the guitar is for some friends, the boy wanted to try it. Ill sand back and go for 6 coats. The theory is the more coats and harder the soundboard the more treble response as the board gets stiffer. Where is the optimum? only one way to find out

thx

Sebastiaan