04-02-2020, 11:35 AM
I'm building a solid body electric guitar, made from a chunk of Redwood which is extensively burled. I want to apply a gloss clear coat to protect and show off the wood. I plan to spray it with Crystalac because that's what I have on hand and I've been pleased with the results on a couple of other projects. In doing a test spray on some scrap, I find the absorption to be very uneven. To be expected, I guess. Some of the wood is soft and some is quite hard. So my question - Should I seal this wood somehow before spraying the Crystalac? Would a thin coat of shellac be appropriate? A grain filler? On my test piece, I used several coats of clear and still had a couple of areas that looked dull, as though all the finish had absorbed into the wood instead of on top. I'm out of my league here, never having worked with this type of figured Redwood. Thank you!