Poly Want a Cracker?
Build Your Own Guitar – Part 4
(A Guide For Beginners By A Beginner)
Okay, just so we are clear. There were no cracker’s involved in this step of the 7 string guitar build. If you missed
the previous parts you can see them here, here and here.
So applying the polyurethane was definitely the longest part of the process so far of building this 7 string guitar. Give yourself about 10 days.
To do this step I bought plenty of foam brushes, some 440 grit sandpaper (you might even want to lighter grit sandpaper) and a small can of semi-gloss polyurethane.
Be prepared to apply a lot of coats of poly. I honestly lost count but I think I ended up a
pplying 10 coats of poly to the body give or take a coat.
The other thing I will note is that after about 6 coats I decided that semi-gloss polyurethane was not going to cut it and that I should switch to gloss poly.
Just go for that shine!
Before I applied the first coat of poly I gave the body a really light sanding.
After that I put on the first coat. The first coat will really soak into the wood and really won’t be shiny at all.
Let that dry and then come back and lightly sand.
Using the foam brush does reduce brush strokes but they will still be there. Sanding between coats will knock them down a little bit but close up you will still see them.
You probably can’t avoid brush strokes unless you spray on the poly. And hey, this guide is just about building your guitar using stuff that is easily accessible and cheap so it is what it is!
I put on the poly brushing north and south on the front and back of the guitar.
Each coat let dry overnight and give it a light sand the next day before you apply the next coat.
It’s really not that hard.
Make sure to check on the guitar for about 5 minutes after you apply a coat just to make sure you don’t have any drips or air bubbles forming. Brush em away before they dry.
Now just repeat this about 10 times!
I found the whole process of applying the poly that much better if I enjoyed my favourite beverage after applying each coat!
