Stewart MacDonald 5297, Assembly Instruction Manual, Page: 32 / 42

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take more than a minute to stain the neck, nor more than
three minutes to stain the body . Stain the peghead veneer,
too — it’s easier than trying to mask it .
Let the stain dry . Unmask the sides of the fretboard, sides
of the nut, and the soundboard (if the body was stained) .
Everything else should remain masked .
KIT TIP: Stain or not to stain
You can also use colored grain fillers to slightly color
the bare mahogany or rosewood while filling the
pores, and skip the stain entirely . Test this on scrap
mahogany and see if you like the somewhat lighter
appearance .
Wear plastic gloves when handling stains! The neck, back
and sides of the mahogany kit should be stained . For the
rosewood kit, only the neck should be stained (the back and
sides don’t require staining) .
We recommend our ColorTone water-soluble stain in an
equal mix of tobacco brown and red mahogany . Add 25
drops of each color to each ounce of water to produce a
warm dark stain . For a lighter, redder color, you can use only
the red mahogany at 50 drops per ounce of water . Test these
stains on sanded scrap mahogany first .
Four ounces of mixed stain is plenty for a neck and body;
one ounce is enough for a neck . Pour the stain into a shallow
bowl . Wet a soft clean cloth with stain and apply in long uni-
form strokes in the direction of the wood grain . It shouldn’t
Staining
The washcoat seals the stain or the natural color in the wood,
and keeps the upcoming coat of paste filler from produc-
ing a smudged look . Sealed in this fashion, only the open
pores of the wood accept the filler . Let the neck and body
dry overnight . Wear clean cotton gloves whenever you touch the wood .
Lacquer is highly flammable — always work in a dry, well
ventilated area, away from open flames or sparks . Be sure
to wear an appropriate respirator while spraying .
Spray one uniform “washcoat” of clear lacquer on the neck
and body . This is a coat that’s not so heavy as to cause runs .
Applying a washcoat to seal the wood
We recommend using a grain filler for leveling the rosewood
and mahogany grain pores . Let the filled wood dry overnight
after application . Light sanding with 320-grit Fre-Cut® will
remove any remaining buildup of filler on the sealed surface .
Try to avoid sanding through the washcoat into the stained
mahogany . If a sand through does occur, touch up the area
with matching stain and wipe off the excess .
Filling the wood grain pores
Day Two: Lightly “scuff-sand” the neck and body with 320-
grit Fre-Cut® paper to knock off the high spots in the finish
(on flat areas, be sure to use a backing pad on the sandpa-
per) . Sand just enough to “open” the finish; don’t try to sand
out every shiny spot or sunken area in the lacquer . Clean off
all the sanding residue . Now spray the neck and body with
three uniform coats of clear lacquer, one hour between
coats . You now have SIX coats . Let the guitar dry overnight . Day One: Never apply more than three coats of lacquer per
day . Spray an initial light misting or “tack” coat, followed
several minutes later by a heavier wet coat . The tack coat
gives the wet coat better adherence and lessens the chance
of a run or “sag” in the finish . Spray three wet (not runny!)
clear coats on the neck and body, an hour between coats,
and let them dry overnight .
Lacquer spraying schedule
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