michael lewis feather

[Greg Martin]

Ive been admiring your Feather, walnut and redwood archtop on your site and I realised that the finish seems slightly amber/orange. The redwood and walnut seem so closely matched, Im wondering how you got redwood to go this color and have it be so close to match the browns in the walnut . Could you explain how you went about finishing this great looking guitar?
Im gathering materials for my next build and have a very nicely figured piece of black walnut for back and sides and red cedar sinker for the top, so Im wondering about finishes early on. thanks

[Mark Swanson]

Maybe Michael can post a photo or three!

[Michael Lewis]

Welllll . . . . . to begin with the finish is the old now no longer available Behlen's Rock Hard Tabletop Varnish. I wish they would make it again but the stuff they package under that label is not the same, and not as hard. That finish is a rather heavy amber color, and it does add to or change the color of the natural wood. On that guitar there was no other color added than that finish.

I didn't select the finish for it's color, but for it's hardness and how quickly it cured. Another plus is when you get the witness lines in final sanding they buff away. The color is just a bonus if you happen to like it.

Since I changed computers several years ago I haven't got to the point I can upload photos. I can e-mail them, but don't have much in the way of computer skills for putting them up here.

[Greg Martin]

We used to sell Behlen table top finish when I worked at Austin Hardwoods in santa ana cal, The smog laws in socal ruined many of the behlen and mohawk products in the new millennium. In my attempt to not spray nitro because of health issues I do know that birchwood Caseys tru-oil Is the same old recipe and still dries hard and also gives a amber tint, on maple. Ive also tried true-lac which is a hybrid shellac product, I like that product. but neither give the tint of the table top finish . Great job Michael.

[Greg Martin]

Sorry guys its Royal lac hybrid shellac here is the site: https://www.shellacfinishes.com/product ... royal-lac/