Restoring an antique parlour guitar part 35: Let's slap on the olive oil!

[@walterrider9600]

thank you

[@dalepal]

Your patience with applying so many coats along with some wet sanding in between is paying off. The finish is looking fantastic.

[@PeteHowlett]

What are you trying to do here? In the traditional process Bodying up uses full strength FP. As you head toward the final stage of spiriting off the process is to integrate the FP prime to burnishing the surface and getting rid of the oil in the process which uses a lot of pressure. The amount you are using on your fad is not adding but lifting off your earlier work. That is why you have patches. With the ultra thin finish you have applied and your use of 'new' rubbers/fads I think we can expect to see many more episodes as you struggle to achieve what you want. Bravo for tackling this most fickle of finishes. My old French polishing mates were hand finishing one day then spraying the next - they never looked back. They certainly knew a thing or two :) All the best :)

[@SusanGardener]

+Pete Howlett I was using an existing pad with old shellac on it. It actually smoothed out quite nicely. I haven't got the gloss I'd like but I think I'm just a glazing coat away from the finish I'm after. I suspect the scuffing up was because I was still using a 2lb cut, albeit diluted on the pad, which was a few sessions old so was probably quite thick due to evaporation.

[@evanherk]

The surface is really starting to look beautiful now...

[@SusanGardener]

+evanherk still a glazing coat needed though as it's almost a satin finish on the front. The back is shinier but there are some dull patches.

[@RandySchartiger]

You may have mentioned this in a video I missed but what are you going to do about mounting the bridge? Are you going to strip the finish just under where the bridge makes contact and glue it? Guitar is looking great!

[@SusanGardener]

+Randy Schartiger There's masking tape on the front that I'll peel off to reveal bare wood

[@alistairbanfield6965]

Do you have any recommendations with olive oil? Any specification or any kitchen brand will do?

[@jamessimpkins433]

Is it possible you hear the swishing sound more when you do the top because you are directly facing the soundhole? After all, it was designed to project the sound in that direction....

[@SusanGardener]

+James Simpkins absolutely, but the key thing is the difference between different areas. You can also feel it in the pad.

[@CarlsCommentary]

Hey are you gonna be doing any work on the fretboard? It looks pretty bleh. If so use some tung oil!

[@SusanGardener]

+CarlsCommentary yes I will. I'll use the Crimson Guitars cleaner and restorative

[@jonahguitarguy]

I've considered spraying shellac to see if it's possible to cheat the process a bit but haven't yet tried it. Spraying nitro is so quick and it looks great after buff out. Completely understand wanting to stay with the original finish since it's a vintage refin, the same reason I use hot hide glue on repairs of vintage guitars. It's looking great by the way, don't get to crazy trying to get it perfect don't forget what you started out with.

[@MusicMike939]

It is looking shiny. Other videos they don't show them applying 10 thousand coats of shellac. Maybe they just cut that part out. I know restoring is different from new. I would be interested in seeing how the process is different if you do a new guitar instead of a restore. Anyway. Good job.

[@SusanGardener]

+Lingerffxi not that different. I'd need to do grain filling on a new guitar, but apart from that it's the same

[@joesimon2018]

Toward the end sometimes it's best to get out the buffing wheel and mild abrasives instead of adding more and more layers of shellac to get the best finish

[@Sysiphistication]

When sanding would it be to any advantage to step up to 2,000 or 2,500 vs 1,500 grit to take off less and less of the last coat? Getting smoother and smoother.

[@SusanGardener]

+Sysiphistication yes it would. I left it at 1500 though. The scratches should all melt flat though with the final coats of shellac

[@Sysiphistication]

Got it. Does the temperature of the shellac make anything better or worse? Still learning from your experience with every new sequence.

[@SusanGardener]

+Sysiphistication higher temperature makes it dry faster. I'd say you want cooler temperatures to make application easier

[@Sysiphistication]

Sus, So then would keeping your shellac in the refrigerator until just prior to using it again be of any advantage?

[@treecreeperguitars772]

Surely its best to do the work on the fretboard before finishing the body? I'm not sure

[@tacratt6091]

Were you keeping your sandpaper in a bowl of water? It really helps if the sandpaper is soaked.

[@stephengent9974]

A long process. Not for the faint hearted.