Maple Veneer Finish

[meb46]

Hello all,

Before I get carried away testing and making a miliion samples, whats everyones thoughts on the best finish for a Maple Veneer? Thus far I am thinking of sealing the veneer with a "SealCoat" from Zinsser, and then a generic lacquer, 4 or 5 layers and then hand rubber for a Matte - Semi Gloss finish.

I spent the entire evening last night watching youtube movies of different opinions, thoughts and processes, and I am now more confused that enlightened.

Anyone with first hand experience on this process?

Will the SealCoat react with the glue in anyway and cause it to dissolve or pull away from the MDF/Plywood? Or even the Lacquer?

What is the best for a hand rubbing a finish on - Lacquer or a Polyeurathane?

What is the best combination of sealers/clear top coats that ensures I can keep the colour of the wood/maple as light as possible? I was hoping for a very light maple color and not have any amber effect... but dont really want to bleech.

Let me know if you have any experience,

Thanks

[meb46]

Well... after a few trial runs, it looks like Sealcoat is an absolute blessing... It applies easily and doesnt affect the veneer/glue bond at all. Thus far I have just performed tests, but looks good so far.

My intention is to apply 2 or 3 coats of SealCoat (wiping on) with a light sand in between each layer. The purpose of this is to seal as well as fill the Maple Veneer Grain. After this, I am contenplating using a clear Lacquer, multiple coats with a light sand in between each one. I then intend on finishing with a hand rubbed Micro-mesh finish to a Satin finish.

Any further thoughts or experienced advice?

Thanks

[bob barkto]

Shellac can get kind of funky if applied too thick.
You can proceed right to the lacquer at this point. It will do a better job filling what little grain there is in maple.

Most lacquer will impart a slight amber tone initially and will yellow significantly over time. Acrylic lacquers can be had that are called "water white" and don't exhibit the color change of the other lacquers.

If you want to preserve the color as it is now then a clear WB finish would might be best. Most are acrylic based and will not change color much at all.
However, there are some formulations on the market now that behave much like traditional lacquer and will yellow and have more amber tint so be aware of that.

Hope this helps.

[Jim85IROC]

For the last guitar neck I finished, I used a spray-on Minwax lacquer, then after it cured, I sanded it with a fine grit sandpaper, then polished certain areas (the headstock) and left the neck in the as-sanded state. The headstock has a beautiful shine, and the neck has an unfinished, completely raw appearance.

I'm not sure how good this would work on a veneer though. On a solid hard-rock maple guitar neck, it works beautifully, but I'd have to think that a veneer isn't going to be as flat and smooth and could have more minor imperfections that may require a thicker finish to get that flat smooth appearance. For that, a spray-on urethane is probably best because it can be built up, then sanded perfectly smooth. You can sand with a very fine grit paper followed by a light hand rub with a rather abrasive rubbing compound for a satin finish, or it can be finely polished to a mirror finish with additional elbow grease & less abrasive compounds.

[Rolex]

In my limited experience, the only lacquer that will yellow is nitrocellulose lacquer. Precatalyzed, post catalyzed, and modified acrylic lacquer shouldn't have the yellowing issue. Lacquer has come a long way, and is what I use about 98% of the time.

The downside is they are not buildable, except for nitrocellulose. The others (in most cases) have a max build thickness to them. It's a downside, but it just means your surface needs to be prepped properly.

There are several reasons to consider a lacquer. It's ability to bring out the richness and grain of the wood without the need for an oil below it, it's moderate to high durability, and the ease of rubbing out for a nice smooth finish. I have used it over maple (both solid stock and veneer) on multiple occassions and have been very satisfied.

[Mattgmann]

Is it curly maple veneer? A good way to pop the grain is put down a single coat of orange shellac (unwaxed), or stained shellac (with a little transtint stain), then sand. 2-3 coats varnish on top of that, finish with paste wax.

I'm not a fan of laquer on applications like this. It will end up looking to plasticy. It's also tougher to apply than other finishes.

If you want super clear, go with a wb varnish. You can put a compatible sanding sealer on first, but so long as you sand well after the first coat, I don't think it's necessary.

My fav standard finish is an equal parts mix of linseed oil, varnish and mineral spirits. You could switch to tung oil for a less colored finish.

If you plan to build up a substantial finish, go with a varnish with phenolic or alkyd resins. I think they look more appealing than poly.

[Rolex]

The interesting thing about finishes is that there are so many options, and every person has their favorite. While I agree lacquer can be somewhat difficult to apply, I believe the results are excellent. I also think if it looks plastic, its because it was applied incorrectly. I have used oil/varnish/mineral spirit finishes before and found them to lack durability. My personal belief is that too much build up with any finish does not look good. I have yet to see a shellac or an oil bring out the grain as well as a precat lacquer does. Again, though, just my opinion and personal preference.

[Mattgmann]

I agree that personal preference rules.

I have the complete opposite opinion regarding lacquer and grain detail. I think penetrating finishes do a better job of showing off the wood. To me, lacquer often looks like wood under glass.

I've finished a few guitars with lacquer though. But I help the grain out by starting with a very thinned shellac with a few drops of transtint dye in it. After it dries (which is only like 20min with shellac) I then hit it with 220 and 320 grit sand paper. The grain that's risen is sanded flat, but the remainder of the wood holds the dye adding contrast. Topped with lacquer, the grain looks three dimensional.


Great forum you guys have going here by the way. I can't wait to dig into one of the speaker designs posted here.