Hofner score

[drbassman]

Shellac is easy to mix and use and it's very forgiving.  Not to mention it's universal to all other finishes.  Personally, I think this one begs for a nitro finish.

OK, you've got me thinking about it.  I'll have to read up on it.  Never used it before...........

[Dave W]

Zinsser SealCoat. 100% dewaxed shellac in a premixed 2 lb. cut.

[drbassman]

Zinsser SealCoat. 100% dewaxed shellac in a premixed 2 lb. cut.

OK, it's worth a look.

[Lightyear]

I've used Zinser before but is it a blonde shellac, garnet?  I was thinking that an amber shade might look nice.  Doc, read up, there's all kinds of shellac (colors) to be had - most of it you can buy dry and mix it up fresh.  I like it because it's great sealer and it easy to work with - just not durable on it's own.

[Dave W]

I've used Zinser before but is it a blonde shellac, garnet?  I was thinking that an amber shade might look nice.  Doc, read up, there's all kinds of shellac (colors) to be had - most of it you can buy dry and mix it up fresh.  I like it because it's great sealer and it easy to work with - just not durable on it's own.

Sealcoat is definitely not like the other Zinsser shellacs, which aren't dewaxed. It's clear. It works as advertised, and you don't have to fool around with mixing up your own. It's guaranteed fresh and guaranteed to dry to a hard film for 3 years after the manufacture date. It can be tinted. And it can be used under any finish.

OTOH it's a seal coat, as the name says. if you want to french polish or to have an amber or garnet shellac as a final finish, then you can often get better results mixing your own. The premixed regular (non-dewaxed) Zinsser shellacs have a much shorter shelf life.

[drbassman]

OK, all of this shellac stuff sounds interesting, but why can't I just stain the wood like I usually do?  Spruce doesn't need a fill coat.  What would be the advantage of the shellac?

[Dave W]

I think he brought shellac up as an undercoat for nitro. It's not meant as a filler. It's not a substitute for stain unless you're deliberately using an amber or garnet shellac as a colorant.

[Lightyear]

For a colorant mainly - it will impart a nice hue and it makes a great base coat for anything else.  My thought was that it would be good way to correct your tape stripe and give it nice color to boot. 

[drbassman]

For a colorant mainly - it will impart a nice hue and it makes a great base coat for anything else.  My thought was that it would be good way to correct your tape stripe and give it nice color to boot. 

I see!  I usually use S&S under nitro and stain directly on the wood.  I'll have to read up on this some more before I can figure out which way to go.  I have some scraps from the top to practice on.........

[drbassman]

Top's on today................

[shadowcastaz]

May I assume you are gluing the neck on?

[drbassman]

May I assume you are gluing the neck on?

Yep, I installed a tenon on the neck and it will be ready tomorrow with the top.  Might even get the heel pocket routed if I'm lucky!  

[Highlander]

That's a whole lotta wing-nuts...  (that project worked then... )

[drbassman]

That's a whole lotta wing-nuts...  (that project worked then... )

Yep!  Got a bag of 100, still have 50 left over!

[Daniel_J]

That's a great shot! Really nice spool clamps you've got there, Doc!