Portland Guitar Co.

( 230 ) 3-Feb-2013

Now I am prepping the guitar prior to applying the finish. Here I am applying an epoxy paste to fill the pores in the wood. I will apply a couple of coats of this and then sand the surfaces smooth.

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While the epoxy is curing I take the time to install the side markers on the neck. First I drill the holes.

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And then I glue in a PVC rod and cut it off.

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Then I sand everything smooth before applying a layer of epoxy.

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One of the more important tasks is to level and dress the frets. Here I am using a very straight sanding tool to bring the top of the frets into line.

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I use a 2 mil feeler gauge to make sure everything is level within tolerances.

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And then I use a small file to shape the crown of each fret and to round the ends of the frets into little hemispheres.

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Now on to the lacquer. Here you see the paint both I have set up in my shop.

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The process of applying lacquer involves apply several coats, letting it dry between each coat, and then sanding everything smooth. The objective is to build up a layer of lacquer that has no hills or valleys. Glass smooth is the objective.

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After letting the lacquer cure for a week I start to bring out the shine. The first process involves using progressively finer grits of sanding cloth until there is a dull shine.

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And then I use my buffing wheel to finalize the shine.

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After this is done I assemble the various parts and string up the guitar. Go to the Photos Page to see the results.