HawkeyeKane
1058 posts
Jul 10, 2012
1:59 PM
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I've put the first coat of stain on my 'Zoo, probably gonna give it some touchups, if not another whole coat.
My question though....
It's gotta have some kind of protective clear coat. I've gotten differing recommendations on this.
I've been told by one amp guy that polyurethane would be the best for this. But another fella very experienced in woodworking has told me that polyurethane, while making it more durable, will affect the overall tone of the amp, and that I should use lacquer instead.
Can I get some third or fourth opinions?
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Hawkeye Kane
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Noodles
76 posts
Jul 10, 2012
4:16 PM
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Lacquer leaves a tough finish, but it will wear off when you touch it a lot. It’s best for moldings, art pieces, fireplace mantels, etc. Your cabinet may turn black from body oils deposited from your hands. You would not use lacquer on a chair, for example.
Poly-urethane is what’s used on commercial cabinets, display cases, bar railings or anywhere that the public will be touching it often. It will stand up better and it’s easy to touch up.
A good choice may be a marine varnish, like they use on wooden boats. If you spill a drink or carry your amp outside any water won’t bother it. It’s really tough too.
Anything that seals the pores of the wood “may” affect tone, but you probably won’t notice the difference. All of the stringed instruments are sealed, like guitars...right?
You can buy vinyl (tolex) and glue it on like fender amps? You can get in black or tweed with complimentary grill cloth. There’s a video on Youtube on how to do it correctly.
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Noodles
CBH 2016 Chromatic available for trade
Last Edited by on Jul 10, 2012 5:14 PM
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HawkeyeKane
1060 posts
Jul 10, 2012
4:39 PM
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I'm not going the tolex route. I want it to remain its natural wood finish. I'll look into the marine varnish. Hopefully it doesn't run too high on the pricetag...
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Hawkeye Kane
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HawkeyeKane
1061 posts
Jul 10, 2012
5:58 PM
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Well, here's the other thing...
What i have in my head for what i want the final outcome to look like, is kinda what Noodles described. I want the finish to be a hard coat, and also very shiny. Like what you'd find in the nautical woodworking of say a mahogany runabout. Now, if there's a good lacquer that will give me that glassy shine and protect the wood simultaneously, then I'd be all for it.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Cole
4 posts
Jul 10, 2012
6:44 PM
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To me, I like what MJ suggests/recomends. Varnish & poly U's can be tough and very impervious to all sorts of things an amp may see. Although varnish can crack and discolor and become brittle over time.
In my opinion as a finisher that restores antique furniture and does finishing on commercial & residential woodwork & cabinetry... I think the very best material to use that is very tough is catalyzed varnish. It's also know as conversion varnish. It's what I think of as lacquer on steriods.
Generally it has an 8 hour pot life once the catalyst is added and must be applied by a sprayer. If that were my 'zoo... my first choice would be CV, with good ole lacquer as a 2nd choice.
If you're interested, you can ship me the cab and I'll gladly finish it for you. Been meaning to shoot you a line anyway. I have a dear Auntie that lives in Springfield and wanted to hook up with you on my next visit there. I'm down here in Louisville KY... holler at me off forum.
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Cole Stevens
www.colestevens.net
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HawkeyeKane
1063 posts
Jul 10, 2012
6:54 PM
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Ill look into that as well Cole. And thanks for the offer, but this is something I wanna do myself from start to finish. No pun intended.
Ill hit you up offlist.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Cole
5 posts
Jul 10, 2012
7:04 PM
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Cool... I understand completely! You need to be kinda set up for CV application gear-wise anyway... which would be a be expensive proposition if you aren't.
A thing to consider though: sheen. The more glossy it is the harder it is to see through the finish to appreciate wood & color. A soft satin sheen allows to you to see more wood without surface without reflection getting in the way. that might be important to you from an asthetic point of view.
Is one sheen better than another? Not really. The difference between high sheen and low is the amount of flattening agent that is used.
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Cole Stevens
www.colestevens.net
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MJ
435 posts
Jul 10, 2012
8:06 PM
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You can get lacquers in varying degrees of gloss.
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HawkeyeKane
1064 posts
Jul 11, 2012
7:06 AM
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@Tuckster
Funny you should say that...that was the other mental example I had in my head as to how I want it to come out! Gymnasium floor!
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Hawkeye Kane
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