French Polishing Part 1 Bodying - Howell Guitars

[@mathieugervais4294]

Oh my god! Thank you so much sir. I was about ready to give up on french polish and then I saw you video and I applied your techniques and the results after only one coat is simply amazing!!! Thanks again to you

[@rjlchristie]

You can't beat such traditional cabinet making skills, especially in experienced hands.

[@JuanDeMarias]

Thank you Richard. It looks like you only charge the pad a couple of time at the beginning of the video and when starting the back (albeit it's a big pad). Do the charges last that long? Also, it's hard to see if you use the whole rubber or mostly the front of it under the index, middle and thumb fingers ...

[@ecaff9515]

Excellent process. Thank you very much for sharng. I am bulding my second guitar and I want a French Polish finish. You have made my dream possible.

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

Glad I could help. Let me know if I can help further. Good luck with the guitar

[@Resonant93]

This video has helped me a lot. Thank you for being so thorough and clear in your explanation.

[@moisesmyles8340]

You probably dont give a shit but if you are stoned like me atm then you can watch all of the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my girlfriend for the last months =)

[@howardfinn9890]

@Moises Myles Yea, have been using InstaFlixxer for months myself :)

[@jameshuntley428]

Thank you for posting the video. I’m newer to French polish and have watched quite a few videos/tutorials. What I find fascinating is that all of the other tutorials that I have seen use an approach where the muneca/rubber is slid across the guitar with the grain in a path that is like an airplane landing, being careful to not retouch a given area that has just received shellac. Your approach of circular movements with, against and across the grain is quite different. Are you familiar with the other technique I described? I’m going to try your approach and see how it works for me. Thanks again!

[@rjlchristie]

13:22 and 17:03 "get in there where that cut-away is, more trouble than its worth. but there you are". Ha, ha, my conclusion exactly.

Except if you consistently play above fret 15 !-)

[@roystevens4609]

Wow, the best. Thank you.

[@daviddouglas7950]

Hi Richard, thanks very much for this excellent demo. Question is there something that can be applied to mother of pearl that can be removed after the polishing process is finished? Thank you Sir, Dave in the Adirondacks

[@AndyPanda9]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

Your very welcome Andy.

[@tarsari]

Hi Richard, I just want to thank you and comment for new watchers…if you try to french polish guitar don’t look further, this video (and next) is all you need. No need to watch others, pay monthly contributions or buy books. Regards, Tarik Saric

[@ecaff9515]

Mr. Howell Which grain filling process for a semi-hollow body do you prefer? Thank you for your advice.

[@iandean4995]

Hello Richard, excellent demonstration of how it should be done the professional way. Could I just ask... where did you say you get your shellac from, it sounded like you said Southern Tonals... but my speakers are pony and I couldn't just grasp the last bit of it. Thanks. Ian

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

Hello Dean, I get my shellac from Southern Tonewoods, it's the best I have used. All the best, Richard

[@mrfrontranger7911]

hi what size cotton cloths do you start with for both peices. I have 3 coats of 2lb bodying coats on what grit should I bring that to before the next step?? thanks

[@mickrowan]

Gday Richard, Thanks for your very informative video 👍 I am about 3 sessions into polishing my guitar and have noticed a few blemishes on the cedar top under the polish ( bad prep.). Can I sand the top back and start again ? Cheers Mick

[@MastersOfTheHeart]

interested in knowing what you did to the blemishes, i am preparing my cedar top now for French polishing... please let me know. thanks.

[@notrash22]

Hello again Richard, These videos are just great. I've been using your methods on a couple of vintage guitars that I've stripped back. I'm so happy with the results, and I'm now onto my own builds. Where do you keep your guitars between bodying sessions, and during construction for that matter? Do you worry to much about the heat and cold, dryness and humidity? I come from down your way originally and I know how variable the weather can be there. Plus you have the sea air as well. Thanks and all the best, Russ

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+notrash22 Hi, After bodying I hang the guitar through the tuner holes to dry that way nothing is touching any of the polished areas. During construction I just put the pieces somewhere safe until assembly. Thanks for the interest. Richard

[@bigfootguitars6119]

great video @richardhowell - thanks for sharing! quick question - could you please describe the 'brush on' stage steps prior to bodying? How many coats approx, curing time etc? Am keen to try out your technique, looks absolutely gorgeous. Karan

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+Bigfoot Guitars Hi guys. The brush coat is used to seal the grain filler before the bodying starts otherwise the bodying would tend to remove the filler as it has no hardeners to set it off, hence the brush coat of polish. Only one coat is required and it can be applied as soon as you have finished the grain filling process. I then let it rest until the next day, then cut back lightly with ooo steel wool and start the bodying. Good luck, let me know if I can help further. Regards, Richard

[@harryodum5598]

Are you using a 2-pound cut?

[@bighank99]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful tutorials. So you have no colour blotching trouble by starting the top with orange shellac rather than the blond?

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+Henry Leparskas Hello Henry, thank you for your interest. With the top, I start with a fad coat of blonde shellac to seal the spruce/cedar then only use blonde shellac for the first three body coats, after that, I MAY use orange if I want to give the top some colour otherwise I continue with the blonde. Hope this helps. Richard.

[@edadpops1709]

Hi ive watched and learned much from these vids, thank you. I build arched top guitars ive alwsys sprayed lacqure, but health concerns have turned me to shellac and french polish, which im rsally digging, but and im having some problems with the rubber picking up material from a previous pass, what can you suggest? If you were doing archtops would you make up a different rubber, or change technique? Thankyou.

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

Edad Martin It sounds to me that you might need to use a bit more oil to stop the rubber dragging, it should slip on the surface with ease. Let me know if this does not help. Yes I would use the same rubber on an archtop

[@marcboluda4560]

Hi Richard, i've heard in your video that you use tripoli and steel wool , after three days drying. Do you use them dry, or with oil? Thanks for your answer Marc

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

Hi Mark, I usually only use ooo steel wool dry no oil. Richard

[@steveganz6936]

A wristwatch?

[@bengordon7635]

you can do this with nitro lacquer

[@tinybird8316]

hiya... I am making a uke for the first time and up to the french polishing all is great and polish is really rather good but I cant get directional marks in the polish where on the soundboard the fretboard finishes... the bit between the sound board and sound hole... its such a small area that movement of the pad/rubber I can only really go across.... any tips please? thanks, robin

[@tinybird8316]

hiya, i ended up sanding it back around the fret board (fine wet and dry with olive oil on) and with a new start came a better finish! thanks for taking the time to respond. robin

[@jonlopez8190]

Mr Howell, I did a disaster of my 3 pieces of furniture since I change from a 2# cut, used before, to a 1# cut afterwards, I'm guessing that since the new mixture is thinner it got to dissolve in a mess with the thicker previous coats. I'm I guessing right Mr. Howell? How can I fix it, please.

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+Jon Lopez It probably needs to be sanded, I use a 1500 wet - dry paper but that is on a good surface. Try a 1200 paper and continue polishing with a THIN mix. Usually the thinner the polish the better the finish.

[@jonlopez8190]

Thanks again Mr Howell and Happy Holidays!

[@BlaisPianoGuitars]

I can't believe you don't have something to secure it while rubbing = geezewiz. And you're one of better ones.

[@robybon4719]

thank you for this tutorial. How many pound cuts is the shellac for this really interesting method?

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

He said he was using blond shellac, which is a one pound cut.

[@robybon4719]

One pound cut! thanks ;)

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

robybon Yes, the thinner the polish the better. More thin coats are better than less thick coats if you want to keep the surface flat.

[@robybon4719]

thank you Richard! you are right! In a case of retouch (i.e. a small portion of surface of french polish varnish missing) which dilution shellac-alcool would you use? I am trying a thicker dilution in order to reduce the alcool effect---

[@wolflahti412]

Whether the shellac is blond, amber, or orange has nothing whatsoever to do with the cut.

[@jonlopez8190]

Mr. Howell, after bodying the item, how much time do you give it before you continue on the last process which is 'spiriting'?

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+Jon Lopez I give it three days to dry, then spirit. All the best, Richard

[@jonlopez8190]

And what happens if you wait way more than that, would this cause a negative effect, would it be too dry for spiriting? I appreciate your answer, thank you.

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+Jon Lopez No the longer you let it dry the better, I often let it stand for two weeks or more if I can. The three days is a must wait period, longer is better.

[@jonlopez8190]

Great Mr Howell, much obliged!

[@snappydoodad]

I am so confused watching this. I have a project guitar I was doing fine on using a different method - smaller pad, mix of 8 drops lac 6 drops alcohol, 1 drop oil, starting off the end, looking for a good vapor trail, then doing the reversing figure 8s, adding oil only when sticking (before finishing the singular coat), just putting one complete coat - then waiting for stiffing and spiriting, the three steps of which are "one session". Using the method above where you keep going for 20 minutes on the top I get a dull gunky mess (which I immediately spirited off). What gives?

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

+snappydoodad It sounds to me that your polish is too thick, your rubber is too wet or your not using enough oil or it could be a combination of all three. Try thinning your polish and using a bit more oil. Let me know how it goes. Good luck.

[@ThePrimordialBeing]

+Richard Howell I'm also confused that you put the guitar face down on the fresh surface. I can't imagine that it would not get dirt and other impurities on. But, can you tell me - I am just experimenting with shellack and need to french polish a guitar - but I am affraid it staying sticky. Or is there any trick to avoid sticky fingers and fingerprints all over it? The guitar's previous owner applied some shellac layer on the back but he did a miserable job. It remained sticky for few years and gradually dirt was catching into it - what could have been the problem? I will be very grateful for your answer.

[@soheilyazdani9517]

The shellac you are using is old and so is not drying if its been on the shelf for long it won’t dry properly

[@ssp5324]

Hello Richard, When I polish, some waxes appear white on the surface of the instrument. So I have to use maths to polish the waxes. How can I do like you do? Thank you.

[@HowellGuitarsRichard]

I use wax free shellac.

[@SteveBlackdog]

I wish I'd found your excellent tutorial before I started!

[@watchnlearn2731]

What a fricken waist of time. Just use lacquer