Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Ask your wood and other materials questions here. Please DO NOT post pictures and ask us to identify your wood, we have found that accurate ID is nearly impossible, and such discussions will be deleted. Thanks.
Post Reply
Max Fridman
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:33 am
Location: Clifton

Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Post by Max Fridman »

I got my first chance to work with an epoxy clear coat this past week. And I simply could not keep it from running off of the sides.

Luckily, I was only finishing a router table fence, so sanding runs is not much of an issue.

But it made me wonder how an acoustic guitar is done.
Look at this blog to find more information about epoxy
User avatar
Bryan Bear
Posts: 1375
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:05 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Post by Bryan Bear »

I'm interested in following the comments here. I didn't know anyone was using epoxy as a clear coat on guitars. I thought it would be too soft. I know it is used as a pore filler. I use zpoxy to fill pores. I like the look of it and have often wished it was durable enough for a top coat. What epoxy are people using for final coat on guitars?
PMoMC

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Post by Barry Daniels »

I don't think that is a thing.
MIMF Staff
Steve Mazy
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 2:00 am
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Post by Steve Mazy »

"I don't think that is a thing." Barry Daniels
I wholeheartedly agree with Barry. I don't know why you would want to do that in any case. I owned an Ovation (they were new and I was young and dumb) in the early seventies and damaged the top. Was told at the guitar repair that it was some sort of epoxy or acrylic finish and necessitated removal of the entire surface in order to repair the wood beneath. That was my only experience with a material of that sort on an acoustic instrument.
Years ago Taylor guitar initiated a UV cure material to accommodate the volume of their production thereby eliminating the longer processes of traditional lacquer. This allowed them to spray in some cases one thick coat, run it under the UV lamps and ship it out the same day. When you ship 700 guitars a day (current estimates of the combined output from Taylors factories in El Cajon,CA and Mexico) you need a method like that.
I'm a McFadden lacquer man myself.
Clay Schaeffer
Posts: 1674
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Do you epoxy clear coat all surfaces of a guitar at the same time?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

If you want to do an epoxy finish on the back and sides of an acoustic guitar you can apply it in the same fashion as when doing an epoxy pore fill. Apply a small amount of epoxy to the surface, spread with a spreader (some use an old credit card) and squeegee off the excess. Coat the back first, and then do the sides. I use about 1/2 oz of epoxy per coat - a little more for the first coat and a little less for the following coats. Lightly sand between coats and do multiple coats squeegeeing off each coat as thin and smooth as possible. After 4 or 5 coats you should have enough epoxy on the surface to level and sand out any slight imperfections and either sand and buff it to a low sheen, or hand apply a top coat to bring the lustre up. Some people sand to 3000 grit and apply a coat of Odie's oil as a top coat. Allowing the epoxy to cure before final sanding is a must, both to reduce the chance you will develop sensitivity to it and to avoid making a gummy mess.
I would not use epoxy on the soundboard, unless "Ovation" is the sound you are after.
Here is a video that talks about finishing options:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO4h3AffZq0
Post Reply

Return to “Wood and Materials Q&A”