How to apply a perfectly smooth poly finish by hand

[@ismokecivics]

Just a heads up, but it is worth mentioning proper disposal of the poly cloth. Potential fire hazard if u just toss it in the trash wadded up. Need to spread the cloth flat, and let it dry outside somewhere, or hanging over the rim of a metal can.

[@Dickcheese2011]

Oh fuck that I throw it on the garage floor while Im smoking to soak up some oil spills

[@Cognitoman]

@@Dickcheese2011😂

[@Dickcheese2011]

@Acoustics1029 💣💥

[@johnjames77]

That was suspected to be the cause of the fire that burned down Jack London's mansion he was building in 1913

[@Klabausterbeere96]

I always put those rags into a plastic bag and seal it with a knot

[@prestigeproductionsaustral1171]

Wipe on Poly? Who woulda thunk! You’re in great shape btw

[@BradAngove]

Thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

If you have trouble finding wipe on poly, mix your own with equal parts of poly, mineral spirits, and boiled linseed oil.

[@sajadh4542]

I did that and the powerpuff girls were made

[@wizard-of-other-oz]

@A D next time mix those in a jar, not in your dog. But I find it really a good solution to have such a self-mixing jar as a dog.

[@BradAngove]

Highline Guitars - for my reference next time I’m doing a video with wipe on poly, if you happen to have a video on this mix please let me know and I would be happy to refer people to it.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@BradAngove I don't think I have a video where I specifically detail the mix, but it's basically equal parts of oil-based polyurethane, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits. You can play with the ratios for different results for different woods, swap out the mineral spirits for naphtha, and add Japan drier to speed up the drying process.

[@Baagdad]

Would the same sandpaper/wipe on work for a guitar that has been stained? Once I get the desired color depth, I want to keep it. I Don't want the sanding to ruin the stain.

[@MasterGuitarFrets]

I have used many of your tips to make my guitar projects a success and less stressfull. Thank you!

[@BradAngove]

I’m glad to hear you’ve found them helpful.

[@row1610]

During lockdown, I've been making a parts guitar just using hand tools in my flat. I've been stuck on how to finish it without access to a space to use spray cans but this looks a lot more achievable given the limiting circumstances!

[@simmonphoenix3206]

Rub on water based stains and rub on poly. Then hand buff 💪

[@mpmonzon]

Yes, a great solution to small spaces

[@davidcane7211]

@@simmonphoenix3206 Although that 1st stage of applying with sandpaper fills me with dread as it could remove stain.

[@CynicalBellow]

@@davidcane7211 You don't have to sand. Just leave the pores open. Looks fantastic too! Or fill them before staining!

[@simonpepper9721]

Next lockdown,go out and busk with it.

[@gmjsimmons]

Brad, you are the best. You show enough of the work, so that we know what to do, and about how long it will take. You show what to use, and you show us the finished project. Your balance of these elements is almost perfect. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you Gary. I am very glad that you find my tutorial style helpful.

[@WeyounSix]

I usually like to have more than one opinion on these types of things but honestly your videos are the only solid and consistent content in this field that I find trustworthy. Your channel fits a necessary niche and you deserve all the views you have.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. I’m glad you’re finding the videos useful.

[@AC-hj9tv]

I definitely think of Brad like an authority in making guitars. Trying out this sandpaper and wipe on poly today

[@oldrrocr]

Thanks for validating the idea of using the wipe-on Poly. Worked spectacularly on the cedar tele body I'm making!

[@presto111man]

As a money saver- you can dilute the regular Minwax poly with Denatured alcohol or mineral spirits and use it as a wipe-on poly finish. Great video, Brad!

[@BradAngove]

Indeed. You can also use that option to turn it into a sprayable finish. Great tip! Thanks for watching.

[@shep00703]

Brad Angove what are your thoughts on using hardeners with over the counter minwax polyurethane or lacquers, etc...

[@BradAngove]

I’ve never tried it. It sounds like a decent idea.

[@shep00703]

Brad Angove Another thought, does this mean you can spray wipe on poly?

[@BradAngove]

You can. It needs to be thinned down a bit with a fast reducer, and isn’t the greatest option per se, but it’s doable.

[@martybrooke7060]

Thanks Brad, I know this is an older video but it came in handy today for my Solo 5 String banjo project. I sanded to 400 grit and now realize I need to go finer !! I have had success with this wipe on poly stuff and much prefer it to the thought of 30 coats of clear coat!

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear you found the video helpful.

[@edcaffey4248]

Brad, thank you for sharing. I just finished applying Minwax Pecan Satin - PolyShades, Stain & Polyurethane in 1 Step, using your wipe on poly method. So far your method is giving the finish that I'm looking for. Excellent process. Thanks 1,000 times. Keep up the good work.

[@BradAngove]

I’m glad to hear that it’s going well for you.

[@cagedaf8806]

Polyshades is a horrible guitar finish. It never cures

[@heatherwade2373]

Thanks so much man, you’re friendlier than a lot of guitar guys on here.

[@edwardtalavera6449]

It was such a relief when he noticed untouched part near the heel xD

[@BradAngove]

Glad I didn't miss that haha.

[@edwhite7475]

yeah that was driving ME crazy-lol

[@edwhite7475]

MY FAVORITE method for re finishing a guitar...the exact same rub on poly....ive done two or three Gibsons like that...and they came out FANTASTIC !!!

[@BradAngove]

Awesome. Glad to hear it.

[@jeaninewilson2170]

Thank you for the upload this helped me out a lot with perfecting my wood finishes.

[@BradAngove]

I’m glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching.

[@danielwhalley3849]

im a complete beginner to guitar finishing, and this is the method i will use on the telecaster kit im getting! looks brilliant and thanks for the tips!

[@riley4073]

Going to finish my DIY Jazzmaster like this too!

[@that90sshow58]

Riley And dit that turn out well? I want to do the same with a jazzmaster. Curious about yours!

[@sam127001]

wow - that turned out nice ! Really good tutorials here Brad !

[@BradAngove]

Thank you Sam. I appreciate it.

[@chrisc6504]

couldn't get wipe on poly in UK so thinned quick drying poly and wiped it on with micro cloth and was amazed at the gloss finish i got, looks like factory finish now its polished up

[@BradAngove]

Nice. The wipe on and brush on are pretty much the same product in different viscosities.

[@ronmeans8183]

would you still use the sandpaper over a dyed surface?

[@belles1835]

Ron Means same question I have.

[@ccchicken8889]

Yeah I'm curious how this whole process would be different on something like a dyed or stained quilted or flame maple top.

[@BradAngove]

You can still do it like this on a dyed surface, but you need to be aware that it could pull some of the dye out. Even in you apply it by rag right from the beginning it can do that. It depends to some degree on what dye you're using.

[@BradAngove]

Yes; I've used this method over stained and dyed surfaces before and haven't run into any problems. As long as it's not that stupid 2 in 1 stain and topcoat stuff.

[@BradAngove]

You're welcome. Best of luck with your project.

[@doc221978]

I used it on a strat body with the same results you had, but I didn't apply it with sandpaper. I was worried that dye would bleed too much. I'm going to use poly on my first acoustic guitar build next week. No dyes or stains to bleed, just natural wood. I'll try it your way to see which works better for me.

[@jeffdowning4877]

I like that you don't put a thick layer on. I like just enough to protect it and give it a shine, but not build it up so it still feels like a wooden instrument.

[@D_DXGS]

How many coats?

[@normanmozley3659]

Brad, I use stains and spray cans, then 400, 1500, 2500 and 4,0 steel wool between each coat, 10 thin coats, then I get a finish like a factory guitar. Surface prep,sand Polish, take your time, I wait 3 weeks after the last clear coat before using buffing compound. Norman Mozley

[@d.h.8835]

The sandpaper trick is genius.

[@bobsaturday4273]

very good , you 're brought us a long way in a few easy steps ( other than the elbow grease) great work and thanx for the education

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Bob.

[@severalpaperclips]

The magic word for describing the finish/dust mixture is "slurry".

[@mick2spic]

I've heard about that slurry, it's also called Santorum right?

[@djmammo9826]

"Can you slurry, can you picnic?"

[@garrettguitar]

Great tip, and great content! I hadn't considered that method, but now I'm going to have to test it on one coming up.

[@dankatz5224]

"hopefully some of you guys are in better shape than me" I think it's unlikely!

[@BradAngove]

It would be more likely now haha.

[@BradAngove]

I’m eating Doritos while reading this.

[@tyrssen1]

Agreed! We should all look that good, the rotten blighter! ;)

[@kenwood7395]

I tried your finish technique on a bandsaw box and it worked great. Thank you!

[@BradAngove]

I’m glad to hear it went well for you!

[@rzsdad1]

Brad you have made my life easier with this video! Thank you! I put this finish on a pedal steel guitar body today.

[@BradAngove]

Awesome!

[@djbird87]

Looks like that polish has been discontinued. Any suggestions on a replacement? Great work and video btw. Super helpful!

[@BradAngove]

There are many good ones. I really like the polishes that Oxford supply has now.

[@Anjuroo]

perfect. just the vid i needed to do a nice simple refinish on an old gouged up Tele i found

[@ryanewalters]

Same here,sand the bajesus out of your tele and hit it with poly : }

[@stevelindsay3643]

Great job done well. There are dozens of ways to apply finishes, but for something the size of a guitar body that was likely the most cost effect way to get great results. There are wood graining tecniques that could be applied to a plain body guitar over color if someone wanted that kind of wood grain effect. Some of the step as very similar to what you did.. I've wanted to for sometime do a distressed wood grain guitar, very rustic, The Rat Rod Of Guitars so to speak. All kinds of bizarre effects with hardware, square head nails the whole bit, but a guitar that plays like a dream. The imagination is the only limit when customiziing anything to make a one off masterpiece. Nice Work.

[@HandToolWoodGuy]

Thank you ,Brad. I am in the middle of two guitar builds at the moment, and have previously used lacquer. I love the look of it, but it is extremely toxic and remains fairly reactive to different materials like leather or the cheap rubber on cheap guitar stands. I want to switch to another finish that is not so noxious. I am going to give this a shot. Much appreciated. P.S. : I know this is an older video, and don't expect a response.

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well for you.

[@TommySG1]

Hey Brad, I’ve been following your feeds a while now. I’ve worked with all sorts of Polyurethanes my whole life and I’ve honestly never seen this method! This looks like a great time saver eliminating some steps sanding and re-applying, I’ve done woodwork but I’m not a guitar’builder’ although I’m going to give this a try soon for sure on a Strat body. Thank you! 🤙

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Thomas. I hope it goes well.

[@liljuanito123]

Thanks for the video! Very helpful and your guitar came out beautiful.

[@doc221978]

Thank you for another great video. I almost always use teak or tru oil for finishes. I'm going to try this on my next build. For all the people asking if this can be done over stain or dye: this is the same concept to apply as oil. Raising the grain before sanding will prevent most of it, but some dye or stain will always come up. Always test on scrap wood first, to find out how it looks.

[@BradAngove]

You can apply this same technique to oils if you prefer them.

[@cheekydollar]

@@BradAngove so - to clarify - i can still use the sandpaper technique if the wood has been dyed or stained without any problems? im thinking of doing this on a bass drum!

[@BradAngove]

No, the sandpaper technique can remove some of the color and create a “distressed” look.

[@stonsetr]

Thanks for putting this video together.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@stonsetr]

@@BradAngove I found out that Behlen buffers polish has been discontinued. Do you have any recommendations for a substitute? Thanks

[@Wishbringer7]

An important note when doing this: use nitrile gloves. Polyurethane can permeate skin... and it blocks oxygen receptors in the body. If you get poly on your hands within a short time you can start feeling dizzy, have vision blurring and trouble thinking. It's not just the fumes; it's the poly infiltrating your skin. So... nitrile gloves: essential. Question: what's your favorite brand of sandpaper?

[@BradAngove]

I like the 3M trizact, Norton, and Mirka Abralon.

[@fishbake7]

This is great1 I learned a lot. It reminds me of doing oil finishes using fine sand paper to fill the grain with the fine dust that is created.

[@BradAngove]

Indeed, that’s kind of the same concept. This finish just tends to cumulatively be a bit faster than oil. Although each certainly has its place haha.

[@freeelectron8261]

Great tut Brad. I think I'll follow this method for my DIY Telecaster project.

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well for you. Thanks for watching.

[@grahamhall2662]

Very good. not seen that technique before.

[@ronburati257]

This video is extremely well done. Very helpful.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks. I’m glad you like it.

[@mikecarbone828]

Thank you for the informative video, I gleaned a lot of good and useful tips for finishing some guitar projects from this video and from reading many of the comments and your replies. Please have an excellent and awesome day! 🙂

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Mike.

[@J--5]

Thanks for this video. It took away the worry of the final step of my guitar build.

[@BradAngove]

I'm glad to hear it. Thanks for watching.

[@RecipeForMayhem]

Using your technique on my barnwood guitar build. First coat done and it looks and feels great!

[@BradAngove]

Excellent. Glad to hear it.

[@DIYGene]

Great video. I will definitely try that method.

[@stellar_cartographer]

Brad you're the man! What a wealth of knowledge.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Chris.

[@stellar_cartographer]

Brad Angove of course brother! So I’m working on my latest build, telecaster body with a book matched spalted maple cap. This will help so much! Quick question, do you think I should apply some sort of oil at first to accent the figure or will the wipe on poly make the grain pop

[@BradAngove]

It depends on what type of oil you have in mind. The wipe on poly will have a similar accenting effect to some oils, but if you were to use for example a tinted danish oil base you would probably notice a difference.

[@stellar_cartographer]

@@BradAngove Quick update, body arrived early, dry sanded back to 320 grit and it it with some mineral spirits to get an idea of the figure. A ton of natural brown and reddish hues (burled & spalted maple) so I decided against any sort of light dye, tint or oil altogether and will be going straight with this method. I recently discovered this supposed clear pore filler called Aqua Coat-I'm going to give it a shot after the preliminary poly-slurry coat (ensuring that it's sealed) to preserve the little insect holes and Knicks and keep it 3D, then follow up with additional poly. I'll keep you updated on how it goes, it might be a decent grain filler. Thanks again Brad! Big fan of your videos. Sharing information and educating is everything. Looking forward to future releases.

[@fluidalchemist68]

This makes a really good (expensive) grain filler as well! Not as messy as those water based fillers who transform your backyard in a snow storm when sanding it off :-)

[@leifkeane]

Dear GOD! Inspiring!!! Do you have a video of... Os, sod it. I'll just have to watch a whole bunch and see if I can find what I'm looking for. GOOD video.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you. I’m glad you like it.

[@johnstitt2615]

I just Tung oiled a replacement neck. It turned out well. Still...I have not a proper clue in what I am doing....but you do. These vids will do quite nicely I think. 👌✌️😎🎸🤣👍🤣

[@BradAngove]

I love a good tung oiled neck.

[@WalkerMasuda]

Really appreciate the tutorial, Brad. Thank you!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@sunnys3325]

Im so DOING this. Brad is the master!

[@BradAngove]

Enjoy!

[@robbolton6004]

What do you do about the tuner holes when you're using this method on necks? Great videos. Thanks

[@BradAngove]

I put a ball of tape in them or an earplug to mask them.

[@MontegaB]

That's a great method, Brad. I'm going to have to try it on a couple of pieces. I'll probably us a DA polisher, though!

[@BradAngove]

I hope it goes well for you.

[@darvinreed2314]

If your doing something small like a neck you can wipe on regular poly I've done it a hundred times poly is like water allready by the way great job

[@Mattwest1985]

Nice video! I’m wanting to do something with my first fender. This looks really good.

[@christopherkoure1938]

I found your video when looking to help stick down some decals on an automotive Turn signal stalk! OK, Here is a comment you can try out. ... Cleaning a brush (Solvent based paint) can be done with "Ivory" soap and water! Also, between coats a brush can be wrapped in a sandwich bag and left in the freezer.

[@MichaelAChang]

Very informative. Subscribed.

[@BradAngove]

Welcome aboard

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Yes very. Wish I saw before I built my first one. Sanding is so important. I like Bargin Musician kits, can you do one on aligning glue necks in case pocket isn't straight I have a 335 kit I'll be doing soon. Or one about bolting on a glue in neck for shimming.

[@BradAngove]

I’ll cover that if any of my upcoming kits aren’t aligned properly.

[@charliedurham1954]

Great looking finish! Thanks for the info.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@djmammo9826]

Tremendously helpful, as always.

[@BradAngove]

Glad you found it useful.

[@ConstrutorMusical]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@cdsorvinyl]

Great job, this I never knew!!

[@AC-hj9tv]

Thanks for the awesome video. Using this technique on my Jaguar build!

[@BradAngove]

Awesome. I hope it goes well for you.

[@charliemcgrain]

Excellent. Many thanks!

[@hammersandchords2897]

Nice video. Any pictures of the final guitar project?

[@BradAngove]

I have some pictures of what I eventually ended up doing to this one on my Instagram. This guitar got several paint jobs over the years for various tutorials.

[@RumbleFish69]

Great video, but I truly wish I could see the complete and finished product... Meaning, the guitar put together totally. Still a great video, but I'm left wondering how this beauty ended up looking when it was all said and done. Thumbs up!

[@BradAngove]

This body was refinished about 10 times for various tutorials before I finally decided to put it together haha. I think this one ended up being the burnt finish telecaster.

[@RumbleFish69]

@@BradAngove Nice! Well, at leas that gives me some idea of what you ended up with. I just finished a damaged Epiphone/Les Paul myself which ended up right around the same, 10 coats, and somewhat burnt, but nice finish.

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

TY I learned a lot from you and you explain and make it easy.

[@BradAngove]

I’m glad you found the video helpful.

[@ecaff9515]

Thank you for sharing Great process...

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@markvega9894]

Looks pretty dam nice, I'm gonna do this to my old Ibanez GAX 75 didn't wanna let it go. But I never liked the paint job. Gonna customize my old axe

[@BradAngove]

I love refurbishing old guitars to make them feel new and exciting.

[@GuyCampo]

Very nice results! Can you stain/paint/add color prior to using the wipe-down poly?

[@BradAngove]

If you’re going to do that, I wouldn’t use sandpaper for the poly. It could damage the paint.

[@carlnikolov]

Great video! Could you use a orbital polisher with a finishing sponge on it for the buffers polish? Or do you need all of that pressure to achieve the results required?

[@BradAngove]

Yes you can use an orbital.

[@michaeloliver6745]

Thanks for the tips and tricks

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@jeremiahsisco4093]

Thank you for all of your videos here. How would you apply poly on each surface? Would it be best to do one side and let it dry and then the next? Or hang/ mount the body and do each surface at the same time? Is the sanding with poly ok to do with bare wood that has never had any sort of finish or treatment?

[@BradAngove]

For wipe on poly it’s probably easiest to hang it and finish. Yes, the sanding trick is best on raw wood actually.

[@FoxBonly]

Niiiiiice job man. Veeeery nice indeed.............

[@Doty6String]

McGuire’s ultimate compound is also great at glossing up a matte finish. It’s almost scary sometimes, might want to check it out.

[@BradAngove]

Yup. Most compounds are. Use the ultimate polish afterward to finish it off.

[@Doty6String]

Brad Angove ever use power tools with ultimate compound on a guitar? If so what’s good to use.

[@BradAngove]

Yes. I generally use a 3” polisher. Have a look at my kit page on polishing here to see what kind of stuff I use for polishing: kit.com/bradangove

[@Timaustex]

Great video as always. Can I ask what that routed cut-out is in between the pickup pockets? Strange place for a selector switch if that's what it is. Keep up the great vids!

[@BradAngove]

I believe that’s just to help with feeding the wires through.

[@aviatorblc]

Can you tell us about the black finish on the sides and, I presume, the back? Additionally, how many coats of the poly do you think one could use before getting a goofy finish? That is to say, how deep a finish could you expect? Good tutorial.

[@BradAngove]

The black on there is just the remnants of a previous finish. Probably spray can. You would switch to normal wipe on after a few coats of the poly and then could build up quite a few of you want. There’s no reason you couldn’t do something in the 10 coats total range if you’re careful and patient.

[@butcher_0392]

@@BradAngove Hi, thanks for your videos, they are very helpful Brad what happens is that I have a guitar with clear coat in polyurethane and on top of the guitar had a small Drop, fill it with super glue and with the blade remove the excess and then proceeded to use sandpaper 1000 with water to prepare the surface, and after leaving the glossy finish, I realized that the restored piece was somewhat sunken with respect to the overall finish, it is not completely flat. So I want you to help me. * 1000 sandpaper is very thick to leave that surface ready to polish? Should I use 2,000? Or what would be the best option? * How much should I leave the super glue higher with respect to the global clear coat so that when sanding, it is flat in general? I know I can sand everything and use polyurethane but since the imperfect one is small, use the super glue technique that gives good results in Drop in polyurethane, but I can not leave the surface completely flat. Thank you

[@BradAngove]

Are you using a sanding block, or just paper?

[@butcher_0392]

@@BradAngove Thanks for answering A sanding block but it is very difficult to get in stores, sandpaper of 3,000, 5000 and 7000, the finest common to find is 1000 so use that but that piece is always sunk after using razor blade, sanding and leaving the glossy finish.

[@BradAngove]

I have some higher grit paper available throught the amazon link in the description. You with need to use more glue, and you may want to just carefully level it with the razor blade before block sanding the area smooth. I have a video about restoring a beautiful gloss finish that you may find helpful.

[@caitlinw.888]

So glad I ran into this. Working on finishing a wooden box for a project, and was starting to worry, since everything I've seen recommends using a random orbit sander; I don't work on wood, so I don't have one, and didn't want to have to buy one. I'm glad to see that it's possible to get the finish I want by hand :) Very informative, helpful video!

[@BradAngove]

Best of luck with your project.

[@kroupagj]

Hey Brad, great series! What is the white material that you're working on top of to apply the poly? It looks slick and easy to clean up.

[@BradAngove]

It’s the backing paper from adhesive vinyl sheet. It’s exactly as you describe haha.

[@user-gx9pd2uj5o]

will this work when you painted on your guitar with acrylic paint?

[@BradAngove]

If you apply using sandpaper it will probably remove some of the paint.

[@user-gx9pd2uj5o]

@@BradAngove What should i use? a cloth maybe?

[@BradAngove]

Yes. A soft cotton rag.

[@santokukan]

Just a couple of questions. How does this finish hold outdoors? Will it last? If it does not works for outdoors, what can be done to make it outdoor resistant? Can you use an orbital sander with a pad for the buffing? I saw another video where the person was using one. The only thing is he has some different products but kind of the same idea.

[@BradAngove]

Use an outdoor urethane for outdoor projects. Yes, an orbital sanding with a pad can do the buffing work. It just takes a while.

[@jasonnourie9139]

Could you do this process with a guitar that has binding, Could you stain first, then use this process?Great video!

[@BradAngove]

You could but it would be advisable not to use the sandpaper in that case. It could mar your stain.

[@jasonnourie9139]

Thanks so much, have you created a video for painting a guitar from bare wood for complete beginners? Learning so much from your videos! Thanks!

[@BradAngove]

@jasonnourie9139 have a look at any of my guitar kit build series. They all start as bare wood and get paint jobs.

[@hope4ourfallen]

Don't know if this will help but..i am always broke and never near good supplies and found that a (paper bag) yes a standard brown paper bag can buff REALLY well in place of fine sand paper🙂..other replacement are those nail buffers that have different color sides to make chicks nails buff shiney...they are not that big but work great for small spots..i had to buff part of my banjo.with the brown paper bag trick and it worked surprisingly well. Just throwing it out there for folks who need supplies they may not be able to get🙂

[@BradAngove]

Ya, brown paper bags have a bit of abrasive clay content in them. They can also be used for honing knives if I’m not mistaken. Cool tip.

[@FlyingSquirrelTony]

Great tips, thanks for sharing!

[@BradAngove]

+FlyingSquirrelTony Thanks for watching.

[@shimmiharel7347]

Love your videos! very helpful ! Thanks

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for watching.

[@WW-1995]

Do you apply a coat to the other sides after applying your coat to the face or after the face is fully finished. Basically, do you do every sides for each coat or do you wait for one side to be finished

[@BradAngove]

I would do the sides at the same time.

[@WW-1995]

​@@BradAngove Thanks for the reply, have a nice day !

[@frednoce3043]

Hi Brad, Great tutorial and that finish turned out great! What kind of wood was that guitar body made of? Also, did you use any grain filler prior to applying the wipe-on poly finish or was that step taken care of with the saw dust mix with the poly? Is it possible to apply Tung oil before the poly? Lastly, I have an alder Jazz Bass body on order and wondering if that type of wood will yield similar results.

[@BradAngove]

I’m pretty sure this was alder. No grain filler with this technique. You can use this technique for tung oil first.

[@stoutlager6325]

You can use buffing pad with a random orbit sander for the last step. Saves on the elbow grease.

[@BradAngove]

Or better yet you can use an actual polisher.

[@frankalbersmann6650]

Hey Brad, really cool and informative video! I have a swamp ash telecaster thinline body that is so far only treated with some coats of boiled linseed oil. Would the trick with the sandpaper and wipe on poly also work with this body (with the very open pores and also the already applicated oil)? thanks a lot!

[@BradAngove]

Yes, it would work. However I don’t want to mislead you into thinking this will fill the pores on ash. They are usually too open for this to be sufficient.

[@michaelsimmons2503]

Thanks Brad! Love your channel !

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Michael.

[@stevenroper8958]

Great video. Just a quick question can you use the same method if the body has a binding. Cheers fella.

[@BradAngove]

Yes, the binding shouldn’t create any issues.

[@thomaskeithlutheir]

Hi Brad - great video - the idea of wipe on poly really caught my attention. Question - wondered what you think about using the "trick"application with high grit sand paper as a method of pore filling open grain woods like Rosewood?

[@BradAngove]

That's definitely one way of approaching it, but it would take longer and more material. I would typically do a quick grain fill on those with paste wood filler first before progressing to this stage.

[@danialm8122]

nice one Brad..

[@BradAngove]

Thanks.

[@allenusucstroker1977]

How did you decide to use sandpaper to applying polyurethane to your guitars and basses? I'm really intrigued by this!

[@BradAngove]

I saw someone mixing polyurethane and sandpaper to do a bit of pore filling, so I decided to test it out this way. I have also seen it done with oil before, but I can’t recall if that was before or after I made this video.

[@blottoinchcago]

Amazing Brad . I hope you , fam . friends are all safe and healthy . Things are getting better in NYC where i live now ..but this thing won't go away. So i just purchased a Warmoth Strat unfinished maple body for a new build and I'm going to use this method because it makes all the sense in the world ...just have to do the entire body in the same process . Still not in better shape than you but I've had some downtime for serious kettle bell workouts at home lol. Any additional tips such as screwing in a blank into the neck pocket so everything is blending ? I only want to do this once ! lol Thanks man !

[@BradAngove]

Just make sure you are careful to manage any drips as you work and don’t rush it. Enjoy!

[@blottoinchcago]

@@BradAngove Thanks Brad . You'll be the first to know how this turns out . much appreciated!

[@mboyer68]

Was that oil based or water..and which do you prefer? Thank you so much for the helpful videos!

[@BradAngove]

That was oil. Water doesn’t have that amber hue to it. I prefer the oil based for this type of thing.

[@gregzen7896]

Hey Brad! Love your work and this video is a huge victory for me - saving me from screwing up my Mike Lipe Gibson Les Paul restoration project with nitro. QUESTION: After trying to find the Behrens I eventually discovered your video on how they are now Mohawk but I still can't find Mohawk Buffer's Polish on Amazon. Is there any other product you can recommend? I'm about a heartbeat away from trying Howard RS0016 Restor-A-Shine Wood Finish Polishing Compound but I thought I'd check with you first. Keep up the fantastic work and content! Cheers

[@BradAngove]

Mohawk has a buff and polish kit, but really there are lots of good options. Meguiars ultimate compound and ultimate polish tend to be quite easy to find and they work well.

[@HumunculousInPants]

Brad you are an absolute legend! Did you use a guitar with black back and sides and bare wood top on purpose? It has alleviated all of my concerns, I don't think it looks jarring at all.. it looks great :)

[@BradAngove]

I've honestly just left the back and sides of this guitar black for ages because it seems to go with everything. I just use it to demo various transparent finishes and paint job ideas on the top.

[@ThekiBoran]

Is there dust in top of the can of poly? If so you could be introducing dust into the finish when you put your rag on top of it.