I have been watching videos of guitar finishing. The ones from USA often mention Naphtha - used to wipe down wood before finishing - is this white spirit or lighter fluid? Do you only need to use i...

@jamesbisset Water based finish might be the best thing if you are working in your house. I think Tonetech sell it

@rocknroller912 This takes building a guitar on the kitchen table to a whole new level!

@jamesbisset I think oil varnish would work on a guitar but your correct it's not cheap. I've just purchased some from Italy and 3 x 100 ml bottles were about £30 each, however that would do 3 violins...

@jamesbisset Oil varnishes are fairly easy to apply and the colour stage can even be rubbed in by hand without a brush. There are base, colour and finish stages which can be accelerated by uv light in...

Can’t get the 'edit' button to work, so I’ll just stick this in a separate post - oil vs spirit vs Stradivarius:

It appears that there is a debate eternal in the violin world over oil vs spirit varnish. It always reaches the ‘what would Stradivarius do’ stage. Essentially, spirit varnishes are quick to apply and...

That’s what I’m trying to work out. There must be some sweet spot between the poetry (and sheer bloody-mindedness) of this: and the simplicity (crudeness?) of just thinning a pot of Ronseal and wipin...

French polishing - Shellac?

I’m just wondering if there’s a finishing technique that’s half way between an oil rubdown and multiple coats/cans of nitro-cellulose?

Welcome and cheers for the Q's! Yup - Making Ukes is great practice and cheaper than guitars but it can be a lesson in humility... tighter bends, tinier everything... the good news is that when you go...

@markbailey thanks for the reply. Yep only just got the sides bent and it was rough going. I think there may be a bit to much spring back in them but they’re in the mold no ready for the next step. on...

@mvandenoudenhotmail-co-uk Check out the Bagpress videos - my next Uke will have laminated sides:

Hi M, Welcome to the clubhouse! If you can private message me the shape of the sides as a PDF then I'll have a go at laminating one from veneers. Let me know how thick you are finishing at if differen...

And what you are experiencing with the tear out is due to the timber having what is know as interlocking grain ie it changes direction throughout the thickness of the timber. You can reduce the degree...

@mvandenoudenhotmail-co-uk I recommend that it dispenses very strong coffee and even stronger liquor!

I realised today how I can keep out of Guitar Casualty. I swapped the fluorescent strip light in my shed for an LED strip light. I can now actually what I'm doing! Apparently I've built my last guita...

I've heard they are great - was it expensive? Where did you get it from? I need about 20!

I have done all 7 of the tubes in my garage/workshop since last Summer. You can get LED tubes that will go in existing fittings - they come with a new starter - they work well and will save on power -...

Show off! I got a 1.8m long 48W number from Toolstation. I Cost 28 quid and lights up my single garage, er.... guitar workshop beautifully. And bonus is that it comes on at the flick of a switch inst...