French Polish and Bridge
The first guitar I finished at the Somogyi shop, I brushed on shellac, then sanded and buffed for a gloss finish. For this one I decided to try the real French Polishing, applied in the traditional method using a cloth pad.
To create a level surface for French polishing, I filled in the pores with epoxy.
It took multiple applications, sanding in between, to completely fill the pores.
After sealing the guitar with a few coats of shellac, I masked off the rosette, and sprayed a gradient.
Then lots of French polishing sessions to build up a level and glossy finish. It was my first time French polishing a neck.
Finish done and ready for assembly. The whole finishing process from grain filling to this point took about a month.
For the bridge, I wanted to continue with the rock/bark texture that I did for the end inlay. With the end inlay I used multiple pieces of ebony stacked to get a layered look. I couldn’t do the bridge in this way, for structural reasons I made it from one piece. It was a challenge to figure out how to get a layered effect but I managed by varying the direction, spacing, and height of the steps I was cutting.
I’m interested in continuing with this idea in future builds, I think there is a lot of potential to expand on it.
Bridge glued. Assembly next.