Easiest kind of finish for DIY?

[aarontunes]

OK all you finish gurus, I have a question: what is the easiest, cheapest, most idiot-proof way to finish a body for a DIY newb?

Here's the full scenario:

Many people want to build the cheapest Warmoth they can, and to facilitate this they order an unfinished body. They don't have equipment to spray a finish, so this would need to be rattle cans, or even better some kind of wipe-on finish. They want some selection of colors, and they want it to be glossy, or at least glossy-ish.

What kind of finish would you recommend to this person?

 

[Lbpesq]

Either rub-on poly or a stain followed by hand-rubbed Tung oil.

Bill, tgo

 

[Spud]

PolyShades - Oil-Based Stain & Polyurethane Finish | Minwax®}

<p>Minwax PolyShades offers rich stain color and long-lasting polyurethane protection in one easy step. Save time and enhance wood grain with every coat!</p>

www.minwax.com

 

[supertruper1988]

For necks, I have used and love minwax satin lacquer. Its very easy to work with even for someone who has only painted with other rattle cans. Runs can be sanded out and the new coats stick to the old very easily. It also satisfies the "hard finish for warranty" that Warmoth requires.

For bodies, that is a different story. There are so many ways it could go. Is the wood porous? Does the customer care about a glass finish?

I have done alder with spray cans but it takes a couple coats of primer and color with wet sanding in between to get anything like a "nice" finish. But for something like roasted Ash, a few coats of tung oil looks awesome.

So I guess, where you want to push people would be more of a flow chart on bodies than a straight forward "X product gives cheap easy results"

 

[rauchman]

I'm a fan of TruOil, with the last few coats being thinned by Naptha, or similar. Easy application and, if a nick / blemish occurs later on, tis easy to fix.

For colors, I've used Keda dye with great success, but this does not give a totally enveloping coloring like "paint". Dye is great to retain the wood grain characteristics of the wood, but still apply a color.

For gloss / matte, with TruOil, for matte, only put 2-3 coats on. After that, the gloss starts becoming more defined.

Currently experimenting with Odie's. I like that it doesn't tint the wood like TruOil does, but I think TruOil is a stronger, tougher finish.

 

[Michaelga]

I think some RIT dyes and Tru oil would be easy and inexpensive. Just cut up an old T-shirt, pick a color(s) and give it a try. Lots of help is available on youtube.

Michael

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

As someone who is so talentless when it comes to applying finish that I have butchered even the simplest Wipe-On Poly, I'm going to humbly suggest wax; specifically, Howard Feed-N-Wax. Won't be as impervious to scratches as a harder finish, and may require re-applying every year or two or five, but it is literally a no-brainer to apply (and I'm living proof, as I have no brain and yet this is the only finish I've ever gotten successful results from DIY-ing).

This body was just two coats of Howard Feed-N-Wax and it is effing gorgeous up close, and feels lovely:

[Edit: I just saw that OP wants a glossy finish...so, disregard. Or change your expectations.]

 

[Michaelga]

Beautiful bass!

 

[NedRyerson]

Tinting Tru-Oil is probably (in my opinion, of course) easiest, cheapest, and fastest to build up that confidence and sense of accomplishment. Because let's face it: all the veterans on all of the guitar building forums can preach patience all they want, but when one is brand new to the hobby and looking at their first pile o' parts in front of them, one is very excited to get started and then see the completed product as quickly as they can.

Plus, I think there's also a degree of unrealistic expectations in that when one is new to all of this, one only has experience with the pro grade finishes from the Big Name Makers. That may lead to leaps of conclusion that a couple of passes of hardware store spray can lacquer will lead to that deep glass-like finish on a retail Les Paul or PRS. We also see lots of posts over the years from various locations about how someone new to this doesn't have the space to spray, whether it's a house where they actually put vehicles in the garage ("whAt??!!!?") or they live in an apartment.

Wipe-on poly or TO won't match that glossy layer that matches those guitars hanging on the rack at the local musical megamart (for a beginner, as I'm sure someone will "well actually..." here ) but it'll be easy enough to apply without needing fancy equipment or space, and also provide that opportunity for pride in a completed project.

 

[Rick]

Either tru oil or wipe on poly. Maybe Tung oil, though I prefer the two former. If they want a smooth finish on something like mahogany they'll need grain filler. If they want color I've had good luck with keda dyes. If they want someone to make the package for them then try wudtone.

 

[Hodgo]

I haven’t used them, but the Wudtone finishing kits seems pretty nice. If Warmoth worked with Wudtone to create wipe on replicas of standard Warmoth offerings sold exclusively on your site… I bet it would be a pretty lucrative partnership.

But for things I do have experience with, I would argue tinted wipe on poly or wipe on poly over stain for ease of application and final glossiness.

For natural finishes shellac is darn near dummy proof, it just doesn’t provide great protection.

 

[teleme01]

One thing not mentioned is wood type, some woods are more difficult to finish than others. So I would start by selecting an easier species, I think ash is pretty easy.

 

[Rick]

Actually I've found Alder and Maple the easiest regarding filing the grain because you don't have to. Also Spud's done some good rattle can work. Hope he chimes in.

 

[Spud]

Tinting Tru-Oil is probably (in my opinion, of course) easiest, cheapest, and fastest to build up that confidence and sense of accomplishment. Because let's face it: all the veterans on all of the guitar building forums can preach patience all they want, but when one is brand new to the hobby and looking at their first pile o' parts in front of them, one is very excited to get started and then see the completed product as quickly as they can.

Plus, I think there's also a degree of unrealistic expectations in that when one is new to all of this, one only has experience with the pro grade finishes from the Big Name Makers. That may lead to leaps of conclusion that a couple of passes of hardware store spray can lacquer will lead to that deep glass-like finish on a retail Les Paul or PRS. We also see lots of posts over the years from various locations about how someone new to this doesn't have the space to spray, whether it's a house where they actually put vehicles in the garage ("whAt??!!!?") or they live in an apartment.

Wipe-on poly or TO won't match that glossy layer that matches those guitars hanging on the rack at the local musical megamart (for a beginner, as I'm sure someone will "well actually..." here ) but it'll be easy enough to apply without needing fancy equipment or space, and also provide that opportunity for pride in a completed project.

Well actually wipe on poly CAN…………

 

[Spud]

Actually I've found Alder and Maple the easiest regarding filing the grain because you don't have to. Also Spud's done some good rattle can work. Hope he chimes in.

Well if rattle canning opaque finishes, I”d say start by sanding well and use a high build primer so you can sand that smooth.
I also enjoy using cans over a HVLP as it is much more conducive to huffing.

 

[stratamania]

One thing not mentioned is wood type, some woods are more difficult to finish than others. So I would start by selecting an easier species, I think ash is pretty easy.

Open pored and grain, so needs to be grain filled unless going for an open pore grain look.