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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! 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
take more than a minute to stain the neck, nor more than
three minutes to stain the body . Stain the peghead veneer,
Staining
and body . This is a coat that’s not so heavy as to cause runs .
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
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
KIT TIP: Running
If you get a “run” in the finish, let the surface dry for
24 hours and level-sand the problem area . If you
touch wet lacquer, you’ll leave a deep impression
which will be much more difficult to fix .
Day Three: Lightly scuff-sand the finish with 320-grit paper
again, and clean off all the residue . You can be slightly more
aggressive in flattening the sprayed surface now, but be
careful on the curves of the neck, and on ANY of the edges
of the neck and body (it’s easy to sand through the edges) .
Don’t try to sand out all the shiny spots yet . This sanding will
release solvent from the finish and help it to cure . Let the
finish dry for two more days .
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 .
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 sandpaper) .
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 .
Lacquer spraying schedule
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