High Gloss Guitar Finish Option (without spraying)

[@TornelliGuitars]

This comment is always the link to my latest vid, please enjoy!… kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWXUdZaCiLZgrtEsi=XiXaeHKK8qjxK8sa

[@williamjones3616]

Personally the hardest part of making a guitar is the finishing process. You have certainly mastered this technique as it is as good as anything I have seen on You Tube. Eccellente!

[@baileyjones7145]

Sì certo! La chitarra è bella!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for such a kind comment, I really appreciate it! 👍

[@timdone1902]

This is probably the 5th time I have watched this video, but having just received my melamine lacquer today it seemed rude not to. If I can get anywhere near the finish you achieve I will be very happy

[@TornelliGuitars]

😂Thanks Tim, glad it’s helpful! 👍

[@novacordaguitars-metecemkuzu]

I'd really like to see the surface today, after a year. Considering there was no pore filling done, it's a no brainer if the finish held up its gloss without sinking in after a year. Thank you for showing this.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment!👍 The surface today is as good as it was when I did this. I kept this body because I wanted to see how it aged. That’s a really good suggestion to show it again after a year. Im currently shooting my finishing video for my rosewood singlecut guitar so I’ll include this body on the video to show people how it looks now. Thanks 🙏

[@novacordaguitars-metecemkuzu]

@@TornelliGuitars Lovely. I am looking forward to it!

[@humblegeorge]

This is hard work and takes courage . I just did a Rosewood Stratocaster using total boat lust varnish .Then paid a real Luthier to buff it out as he has 40 years exp and the right buffer with twin 16" cotton wheels.

[@kevinjackson4237]

You may not consider yourself to be an expert, BUT I CERTAINLY DO! Your attention to detail, and the amount of care taken is utterly inspirational. I am in the process of building a "Klein" replica and will certainly be using your technique. Thank you so much for sharing your no doubt hard earned knowledge.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks, that’s very kind, I’m so glad you found this helpful! 👍

[@tyremanguitars]

thanks so much for sharing, I don't want to set up a spray booth just yet and this kind of finish is exactly what I am looking for.

[@TornelliGuitars]

I’m really glad it helped, thanks for the kind comment!👍

[@MSU23]

Thanks for this video!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind comment!👍

[@kenmcd2014]

Excellent tutorial. What a brilliant finish you achieved.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind comment!👍

[@luthiferbuilds]

that guitar shape is SOOOO sick i love it! and for the finish.... i love the outcome you got id be more than happy with that too. im using it to finish my current build when that time comes. cheers thanks buddy

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks buddy, I’m following your current build so I’m looking forward to that. Hope some of that info helped! 👍

[@jonahguitarguy]

Looks amazing!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for taking the time to leave such a kind comment 👍

[@bhartissimo]

Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate and explain the process. The finish looks stunning!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment! 👍

[@redstrat1234]

Lovely work

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment!👍

[@realitystudioscustomshop]

This is a brilliantly clear explanation of your process... the finish looks flawless

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment 👍

[@user-nn9mg3sw9j]

I was looking for some information on high gloss finishes and came across this video. This is a perfect, to the point video that answers all the questions I had. Great work.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment, I’m glad it helped 👍

[@lakeb4561]

I love the video very helpful I am going to be starting a build soon. Any advice on what stain that will would work well with this lacquer

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the comment. I’ve used water based stain and water base aniline dyes and had no issues. I have seen the colour lift slightly with solvent based stains so my advice would be to stick to water based. Hope that helps. 👍

[@euro1859]

very nice results !

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment! 👍

[@HENNINGRAS]

Can you share the image of the cutting compound the NW1 you use, I cannot see it properly in the video..... please....

[@BAGHEAD1995]

This is a great video. Could you apply this over a nitro burst paint finish ?. Cheers!.

[@flyawayhorses]

An excellent video! Question: can the melamine be applied over a stain or a paint? TIA, Rob.

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@flyawayhorses hi Rob, thanks for the kind comment. Yes the melamine can be used over stain but I wouldn’t advise using over paint, it is unlikely to be compatible. I’ve used both water based and solvent based stains and found that it works best over water based, I did see some slight lifting of the colour when using solvent stains. I’d use a cellulose sealer over the stain before applying the melamine for best results. I hope that helps 👍

[@flyawayhorses]

@@TornelliGuitars Much thanks! A couple of years ago I refinished an old dining table made of solid mahogany with stuff called Circa 1850. It came out really well in spite of my inexperience, and I'm thinking of using it on a Epiphone body someone did a horrible paint job on. I'm pretty sure it isn't mahogany, so I'll try a test patch before I dive into it. Anyway, thanks!

[@paulcumming7438]

Excellent videos always,thanks so much for sharing your skills and techniques. Its a fantastic way to learn guitar building. Thinking of trying melamine lacquer finish, both spray with aerosol and applying with foam brush. Can I just ask is either way toxic at all like nitro/ urathane. I have no sense of smell or taste so have to be careful what I breathe. Many thanks in advance for any reply. Please keep up the great vids. Huge respect. Paul UK.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks Paul. It’s pretty nasty stuff so you definitely want to be in ventilated area. It’s much simpler to control if you brush on because there’s no spray particles flying around in the air. I brush on without using a mask all the time with the workshop doors open and it just lets the fumes straight out. It is basically cellulose with melamine resins in so the same precautions are needed as spraying nitro cellulose if you use an aerosol.

[@waynehughes8297]

Looks great, can you do the same over a painted surface?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks Wayne, no, most likely this will not be compatible with anything that’s already painted. It is fine over stains, I’ve used over the top of a sanding sealer with no issues. Hope that helps. 👍

[@TempleGuitars]

Beautiful finish, and the guitar is lovely also. Does this lacquer work over stain well?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thank you for the kind comment. Yes it works fine over the stain. I’ve used water soluble aniline dye and water based stains with no issues. I haven’t tried solvent based stains. I use a cellulose sanding sealer (also from chestnut) to seal the stain before applying melamine. I hope that helps. 👍

[@ronnyskaar3737]

Brilliant 🤣 Can this be done 8n top of waterbased staining?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Yes, I have tested this finish over water based stain and it works fine. You can use a cellulose sanding sealer after the stain but before the melamine also.

[@ronnyskaar3737]

@@TornelliGuitars Thanks a lot!

[@robertnewell5057]

My goodness. I just got some of this stuff and put a coat on. I reckon I was using a small amount and went quickly using a foam brush, but it has huge track marks. If anything I brushed out even less than you, but it dries really fast. It isn't especially warm here in the wild South West of England. Like you, I'm not thinning. I wonder if there is something obvious I'm missing. I cannot imagine getting rid of these tracks in the brief amount of time it took you, even if I went lower than 800. Any tips? It's sure quick, and glossy as FP.

[@TornelliGuitars]

The first time you apply it can be a bit of a shock how quick it dries and how big the track marks can be. It sands very quick and easy though and I’m not getting it perfectly flat in between coats, just aim to take the high points down. There will still be track marks. If you brush on the next coat at 90 degrees to the last then it will start evening out. But however you do it you’ll likely have a lot of track marks by the last coat, don’t worry about that. If they’re very deep when you’re all done then just go at it with 600 grit when you come to do final sanding, trust me it goes very fast, just be sure to stop using 600 way before you’re where you need to be. Use it to get to how you hoped it would look after you finished brushing on, and then just sand up the grits. It’s likely to be less than an hour extra sanding at the end. Alternatively if you have some thinners add some to the mix and that will also help level out the last previous coat(s). Ask anything else if you need.

[@robertnewell5057]

@@TornelliGuitars Thanks again. I think I was over-reacting. Once I got a 2nd coat on it started to look more normal - but you do have to be quick. It also flats out a bit as it dries. Thanks for being so generous with your time and advice.

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@robertnewell5057 no problem, anytime! 👍

[@sabo3592]

Wonderful work! How hard does the surface get after curing? Can you make marks with your fingernail pushing into the finish?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment, and no pressing a fingernail will not mark the surface at all. It is not a strong as something like a 2k finish but it is definitely a hard finish. 👍

[@sabo3592]

@@TornelliGuitars thank you for your answer. I'll give it a try. You got a new follower on insta 👍

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@sabo3592 thank you for the support!👍

[@MixingGBP]

Looks great and super shiny!! Can you apply this finish over a painted finish and get the same results?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thank you! In most cases no, it’s a cellulose based product so you’d need to be very sure what you’re painting over but I’ve only ever used it for natural finishes over bare wood and finishes over stain using a cellulose sealer. I hope that helps.

[@MixingGBP]

It helps, thanks. I have a not so common poplar wood body for my project and it doesn’t look so good with stain, so I have to find a nice and simple way to paint it and get a clear finish on it. Preferably without an air compressor setup as I don’t have one yet.

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@MixingGBP I’d probably go with a coloured 2k spray can in that case, so long as you do a great job prepping before finish you’ll likely be fine. So long as you have a way of not breathing in the fumes, it’s pretty lethal stuff. That’s the main reason I don’t do those unless I can spray outside.

[@MixingGBP]

Sounds good, appreciate your help!

[@jaspersimkins1784]

If this lacquer is applied to a guitar with a binding, will it stick to the binding and seal it along with the wood?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@jaspersimkins1784 yes I’ve used it many times on guitars with binding, it bonds to it with no issues.

[@jaspersimkins1784]

@@TornelliGuitars In another video you made regarding this lacquer, temperature and humidity were mentioned as something that can affect the finish. What kind of weather conditions are optimal to be applying the finish?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@jaspersimkins1784 sorry I missed this question. Generally I haven’t had any problems if I’m applying it on a day where it’s above 15 Celsius and it’s not overcast or raining. We do get some really humid days here in summer but I’m not particularly scientific about it. If it feels humid outside I avoid finishing. That’s probably really unhelpful but I don’t have much more precise info I’m afraid. I hope that helps a bit 👍

[@jonasmuhlen6290]

Thanks a lot for this video! I have a few questions: Does this finish darken the color of the guitar or does it stay transparent? And would this work if I dye the body beforehand?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi Jonas, yes the finish darkens the wood the same way that any finish does but it doesn’t have a yellow tint like an oil based finish. Yes you can also use the finish over dye. I have used water based stain and also water based aniline dye under this finish. Both are fine. I use a cellulose sanding sealer on top of the dye before I apply the melamine. This is to make sure that the melamine does not lighten the colour of the dye. I have used the melamine over a water based stain once without applying any sealer and I had no issues but to b safe now I always use sealer. I hope that helps.

[@jonmatthews4254]

Great result, looks useful as an alternative to spraying, cheers. Do you use a wax at all once polishing is done?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the comment. I don’t tend to but you can use a microcrystalline wax over this with no issues. Not sure about other types. I hope that helps!👍

[@cederickforsberg5840]

I wanna paint a guitar GLOSS SNOW WHITE but I have nowhere to spray. Can I do this method with a solid color as well?! I would love to be able to paint a guitar at home with no spray fumes !!!

[@HENNINGRAS]

Will the Chestnut Nitrocellulose sanding sealer have the same gloss effect like the Melamine from Chestnut? Reason is I have two cans of them still sealed I bought long time ago and never had the chance to use it on a project....

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi Henning, no the cellulose sanding sealer won’t have the same effect, it is compatible as a layer under the melamine but it is designed to be sanded easily rather than buffed to a high gloss so it doesn’t shine like melamine. If you wanted to get a really nice satin shine you could use the sanding sealer and then a microcrystalline wax but it still would not be a mirror finish. I hope that helps.

[@HENNINGRAS]

@@TornelliGuitars Thanks for the info, now I know what to do, will use the celulose , just use it on other projects to seal the wood and nothing else...

[@jasoncarpenters7838]

Can the melamine be used with stains?

[@TornelliGuitars]

I’ve used it with water based stains with no issues, I can’t say for other types of stain.

[@judsonchristudas]

Mate, I like your humbless. But to be frank, it is an excellent job what you did there. Do you think, If it's worth, high glossing guitar like a Gibson Tribute?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment, I really appreciate it! Also I’d say that it’s certainly worth refinishing your guitar if you love the gloss finish and the guitar 👍

[@eyyomama]

beautiful! i dont get it yet, is melamine compatible with oil under it? im asking because i‘d like to oilpaint and get a high gloss finish, hoping that this melamine would be the solution…?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment!👍 I’ve had a few questions about what may be compatible underneath but at the moment I’ve only experimented with water based and solvent based stains. As yet I haven’t tried any paint so I’m not sure whether or not it would work for you scenario. The melamine is essentially a cellulose finish with melamine resins so it will activate solvent based stains and products (to some extent) and may lift the colour slightly (it did when tested it), however the water based colour was fine under melamine. Not sure that’s going to be of help to you though.

[@hikupmusicofficial]

Will this work with black satin finishis and black matte and would I have to sand it first

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi, if you mean will this go over the top of an existing Matt black finish then it would depend on the finish you have now. If the current finish is poly (which is likely for most guitars) then this isn’t recommended to go over the top of that, which would mean you would need to sand first. If you want to recolour then that would be fine. I’ve used this over aniline dye and I use a cellulose sanding sealer to seal the dye before applying the lacquer. Hope that helps, let me know if you need more info. 👍

[@chrisbardolph]

Nice job. Just ordered some melamine lacquer myself to try out. How would you go about getting a satin finish? Would you buff to a shine and then knock it back with steel wool or something like that?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks!👍 If I wanted a nice satin sheen I would have stopped at 2000 grit however I think the best satin sheen you can get is from hard wax oil. I use it whenever I want a satin finish. If you want to take a look at my GGBO kit build I did some close ups of the finish which is using Osmo Polyx 3032. It’s also the quickest and easiest finish to apply. A lot less time and effort than Melamine, but of course you don’t get the option to gloss it up like Melamine. Hope that helps!

[@chrisbardolph]

Tornelli Guitars (formerly CoolWoodItaly) Would you say Osmo Polyx is better than a water based poly?

[@chrisbardolph]

Tornelli Guitars (formerly CoolWoodItaly) I should actually mention that I’ve been doing a series of fabric covered guitars. Looks like hardwax oil is more for absorbing into wood than building up layers, which is more what I’m after.

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@chrisbardolph not better or worse just different depending on what you want. I’d use Osmo over water based poly on lighter wood (like ash) because It brings the wood and grain to life a bit more (in my opinion) because the even the clear Osmo provides a very slight golden tint to the wood (although nothing like as much as some of the danish oils etc). Clear Water based finishes (in my experience) leave the wood colour unchanged which can leave very light woods looking a little flat. I always think oil based finishes provide a richer grain definition and depth but that’s just my opinion and others may well disagree. But in the end it’s just personal preference.

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@chrisbardolph just seen this one! Yes I wouldn’t use it over fabric.

[@brucezallain]

what grade paper are you sanding between coats with?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@brucezallain 5 or 600 grit, just to flatten the imperfections out.

[@philippratt3553]

did you apply the front and back at the same time, and if so how do you keep from leaving marks on the opposite side you've just covered? and then do you just leave it laying there or do you hang it to dry each night?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@philippratt3553 hi, I tape a small block into the bridge pickup cavity so that I can flip it over to finish the back, then yes I’ll hang it overnight.

[@genekloszewski5484]

Where is your respirator?

[@aah4632]

Looks very good. Do you know if it ages similarly to nitro? (slight yellowing, maybe even cracking with temperature changes). Or is it more like a poly finish? Thanks for your videos!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the compliment and question 👍 I don’t have personal experience of how it ages yet but I can tell you the logic behind why I chose it. It is basically a catalysed lacquer containing melamine resins so I’d say it would develop a yellow hue over time. However it is stronger and more durable than nitrocellulose so should be more resistant to wear, scratches etc so I’d say it won’t age the same as nitro from that point of view. i have done a test guitar for myself to see how it ages over time but apart from a slight hue I expect to age more like poly (I may be wrong!)

[@aah4632]

@@TornelliGuitars Keep us posted if anything cool happens after getting some playing and UV light on it!

[@fredgraphix113076]

Hi do you also put finish coat on the binding? T.y.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi, Yes I put the finish on top of the binding.

[@peterdavenport5882]

Hi I’m a new subscriber to the channel and still catching up on your videos. I Like the look of this finish very much. Finishing is always a pain no mater whatever I’ve tried and you make this look so easy. One question, can you use melamine lacquer on top of a nitro paint? Great video and nice work. Thanks Peter

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi Peter thanks for the support. As I understand it this is not compatible over nitro. It is a cellulose product but with melamine resins so it is fine to use over stains etc as a clear coat but not over paint. Having said that I have never tried it. I hope that helps.

[@jnorcic]

Great tutorial mate. Am I right to assume that Melamine Lacquer is commonly known as pre-catalysed nitro lacquer? I'd love to know if like traditional nitro it melts into the previous layer on application, or does that catalyst prevent this.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks John, yes my understanding is that Melamine falls into pre-cat category. So far as melting into the previous layer, I think it there is a recoating window’ where the next layer will bond to the previous layer if it’s applied before the initial layer has cured sufficiently. Recoating after that requires a bit of sanding in order to get a mechanical bond. However this is the limit of my current understanding and information about Melamine is limited, but I’m going to ‘deep dive’ into Melamine lacquer and do an updated video because I love the finish results and I’d like to get some expertise around the chemical properties of the finish.

[@Ron-pi3my]

will this melamine lacquer work on an acrylic finished guitar? I have finished a Les Paul style guitar with an acrylic gold top spray and a gloss acrylic lacquer spray over but the finish is not very durable especially on the back and neck, any slight catching with a finger nail will scratch the lacquer. The bare wood was stained using a water based wood dye and sealed with shellac, the gold top spray does appear to be hard and fast.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi Ron, interestingly I had exactly the same issue with an acrylic finished body that I wanted to use this over but the Melamine is not compatible with acrylic underneath or over the top. Having said that, I have not tried it, but that was the answer I got from Chestnut (product manufacturer). Hope that helps 👍

[@Ron-pi3my]

@@TornelliGuitars thanks for your reply, I think I'll give it a go! I can remove the old lacquer from the stained parts and try a test patch under the pick guard. Excellent video by the way!

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@Ron-pi3my thanks for the kind comment & good luck with the refinish!👍

[@mareDBS]

Hello. Did you thinn lacquier with mineral spirit or something? IF yes, what is ratio? Is thinning necessary? Thanks

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi, if I want to use the lacquer to grain fill then I don’t thin it. If I have already grain filled the body then I thin the lacquer using (15%) Cellulose thinners. I hope that helps. 👍

[@mareDBS]

@@TornelliGuitars Thank you.

[@ChrisFranklyn]

Looks superb! I've had great success with Chestnut's acrylic lacquer, but you say the Melamine one is quite thick. Have you tried both to compare? I've been curious about the Melamine so was wondering. It's good to see you use a foam brush with success because for me they just leave bubbles everywhere - probably bad technique on my part but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks Chris! 👍 Yes (unthinned) the Melamine is pretty thick, however that’s also because I’m applying with a brush, I’m sure the spray will be thinner and a more even application. But for me that was what I wanted because I’m also using it as a grain filler. Haven’t tried the acrylic from chestnut so I can’t compare but I’m going to stick with this as my high gloss product of choice because I’ve got much quicker and better results than I have using Nitro, poly, high build oils, varnishes etc. The foam brush also works fine, I’ve done 4 guitars with the same technique now and each with the same results, I found a bristle brush left noticeably more track marks too. Also I did get bubbles when I shook the tin (first time) rather than gently turning it over to mix the melamine.

[@jyoun79]

Did you say that you thin it, and if so, with what?

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi, thanks for your question, no I didn’t thin it because I wanted to build it up quickly. If I had already filled the grain I would have thinned with 10% cellulose thinners.

[@jyoun79]

@@TornelliGuitars that makes sense, thank you! And do you apply this over a painted/stained guitar body as well, or is this only done over bare wood?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@jyoun79 I’ve only used it on bare wood up to now but I’m about to use it over water based stain which I don’t expect any issues. If I was painting I’d use the same make of clear coat as the paint rather than use melamine over the top just to be safe.

[@robertnewell5057]

Extremely heIpful. Also great detailed analysis of scratches. I notice you aren't wearing a mask. Is this for the purpose of the video? Melamine has a long safety sheet and has been associated with lung problems, although maybe the quantities you are using makes it OK. Be interesting to hear from you.

[@TornelliGuitars]

Thanks for the kind comment. Just to the right of the camera I have double doors wide open, this is definitely not a job to do in sealed areas without a mask. I always brush rather than spray melamine as well so there are no atomised particles floating around in the air. I hope that helps.

[@robertnewell5057]

@@TornelliGuitars Thanks so much for the prompt reply. I'm dofinitely going to give this stuff a try. I'm French polishing at the moment, but looking for something tougher. Cheers.

[@andyking7621]

Excellent work ..... Please wear a bloody mask though!

[@elijahpollard6828]

Do you think this finish will play nicely with a alcohol based stain on a maple top?

[@TornelliGuitars]

I have see it used with an alcohol based stain and it lifted the colour slightly, though I haven’t tried it myself. However I’ve used it with water based stain with no issues. If I use stain with this I think I’ll stick with water based but that’s only because I’m happy it works.

[@TornelliGuitars]

I have see it used with an alcohol based stain and it lifted the colour slightly, though I haven’t tried it myself. However I’ve used it with water based stain with no issues. If I use stain with this I think I’ll stick with water based but that’s only because I’m happy it works.