Acoustic Guitar Construction

As we know, pore filling is, in the technical sense, a big PITA.
I've been trying many methods, all of which take <gasp> TIME!!!
I don't got no stinkin' time - so I have a sure-fill method that I just thought up and hope it works.

This is part 1 - filling the back. Part 2 - filling the sides - might be a little tricky - that will be later.

Sand to 220 or so, and clean the dust out of the pores one way or another
Mix 1/4 cup of tap water in a 2:1 ratio with more tap water - by WEIGHT - I use a triple-beam balance because I'm a pro - not by volume - which is, like soooooooooooo not-pro.

First step is to pour enough water on the back to flood it, so to speak - being careful not to let any spill over the sides. Duh.
Watch for a few minutes to see if any dry spots appear and if they do, add a little more water.
I let this heavy coat cure overnight.
The next morning, you want to remove the standing water from the back, down to the wood. For this - and again, I'm a pro - I use a spokeshave from Veritas $250.00. If I'm in a hurry, I'll use an electric ROS with lots of little holes in the sanding disc to allow free flow of the water. But I get more satisfaction out of the old-ways-are-best scenario.

You will find that this method does not make a lot of nasty sawdust. Again, duh.

Now inspect the pores, and you will see that they are filled to the top, perfectly, with the water. I take the extra professional step of packing in the water a little tighter, and then a liiiiiitle more, to eliminate any chance of shrinkage.

.Some people will like it so much at this stage that they will give it a quick steel-wooling (Liberon oil-free brand) and call it good - and it will look good - but I do a second and third coat - lighter coats this time - and then spray on the final coat of water thinned 50% with water - be sure to clean your nozzle - no not that nozzle, Herman - and let cure for at least 1 year.

The sides are another story, because one must be very careful when pouring on the first coat of water; go very slowly so it stays in place around the corners and does not spill onto the top or back. Build it up thick and proceed as above.

That's one way to do it. Are you tired of all of the other sure fire methods?

Yes I am, John. I'll be finishing up the build on that manzer-wedge granadillo pretty soon, and will not have to pore fill. I may just buy a few dozen billets of granadillo and start up D. Bagwill Granadillo guitars.

Nice Dave, but that still sounds too time-consuming. I plan to use this tool that fills and polishes in one step, haven't tried it on a guitar yet but you can see the fast build-up I got on this concrete countertop:



The finish is still a little wavy in the photo but it smooths right out as soon as I shut the tool off, no buffing required. As you can see it's not limited to horizontal surfaces either so it should work just as well on the sides.

You are the MAN!! Cannot believe I did not think of that!!!

Have you considered heavy water for the sides? Might stay in place better. Just a thought...

Now you're just embarrassing me - no I did NOT think about the heavy water - an excellent point.
I was thinking that maybe folding the water, or molding it into shape before putting it on the back, might be a good idea though. But for that you would need a thicker medium, so maybe a 1:1 water-water ratio would be best.