Wood finish, page 2 of 2.....
...After staining with a permanent amber water stain, a pure silk cloth is used to polish surface (again only moving in the one direction, with the direction of the grain and only down grain.
Next, I brush on a full coat of 3# cut clear shellac sealer. (Please note: if you are to use an advanced ground system, as I do now (11/2005), then omit this step and apply the ground layer/layers now instead.)
The beauty of the wood grain really begins to appear now...
...After the shellac has dried for at least four hours, I give surface a good sanding with a # 220 paper.
Here I am brushing on the first coat of German made oil varnish colored with liquid brown varnish additive (from www.internationalviolin.com ).
...This is after second brown varnish coat has been applied...
...This is after the third brown oil varnish coat.
...The forth coat is colored with 'amber' coloring liquid.
...After drying overnight, I sanded the varnished surface flat with # 220 paper and then applied two coats of clear varnish, allowing time to dry between each.
...Before the surface is finally sanded flat and then polished with finer and finer sanding papers, ending with # 12,000 paper; the varnish idealy should cure for six months, but this could be done after about one month with this particular type of instrument oil varnish.
... This final surface can then be polished with a felt pad dipped in linseed oil and then in rottenstone, again polishing the varnished surface with strokes in one direction and with the grain.
...Using this process, the wood surface appears jewel-like and every part of the grain structure is clear and interesting.
...(the varnish is not yet hard enough to sand smooth and polish, which will improve the varnish depth even more.)
Page V_14
(Modified 7/2024)
(c) 2017 by David Langsather