Help with Finishing Ukulele

Hi Everyone

Firstly, thanks so much to everyone here who reads and then shares your advice and experience, it’s very appreciated!

So, I made a ukulele back in 2015 and never got around to finishing it with a lacquer/oil/clear coat, but want to finally get it finished now.

I have a friend who is a Panel beater and I had been told that I could finish it with 2 Pack Clear Coat. Here are my questions:
1. Do I need to do anything else to my ukulele to prepare it for it’s final coat in terms of sanding or a sealant?
2. Can I just paint the uke with 2 Pack clear coat direct to the raw timber or will it need some sort of sealant?
3. Will 2 Pack (the clear coat used on cars) work for a high gloss and hard finish without affecting the sound of Ukulele to much?
4. I know to tape over my bridge but should I tape over my fretboard or any other parts of it or should I just clear coat the whole thing?

Any advice, thoughts, tips and advice would be amazing. It is the only Ukulele I’ve ever made and I absolutely love it and don’t want to stuff it up.

Thanks for your help

If this is the first instrument you're wanting to finish, may I suggest using Tru-oil. It's very forgiving and gives a lovely finish. Google it and you'll find a few youtube videos of it being used to finish guitars and ukes. Check out the Mya Moe videos especially where Gordon Mayer shows how to apply it properly. You can choose how shiny or dull you want by the number of coats you apply. Keep going until you're happy with the look.
Laquers require a lot more preparation and wet sanding etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ocS4F6ShNI

Welcome the wild and wacky world instrument finishing! The pitfalls! The gnashing of teeth! The competing advice!

First of all if I was you I would follow Mikeyb2's advice and just go with an oil based wipe on finish. Virtually foolproof and relatively quick. Plus the results can be quite attractive. If you really want a shiney, mirror glass, thick finish be prepared to do a lot of work and perhaps get in deep in the bushes. Regardless of what finish you choose, yes the fretboard and bridge should be taped off. Also if you want that type of finish, you should do a prior pore fill and base coat. Pore filling is a whole murky science in itself. Do yourself a favor and don't go there unless you want to start a science project. I'm not saying you can't pull if off, and many a lovely finish turns out on the first try, but be prepared for a learning curve.

I am not familiar with the stuff you mention, but it appears to be some sort of proprietary urethane substance meant to be sprayed on cars over a base of paint. Could it work? Yeah sure I suppose, but I would definitely want to experiment on some scrap first. Polyurethanes are used on instruments all the time with good results. Allan of Barron River Ukuleles gets some stunning results (https://www.brguitars.com/gallery/tenor3/blackwood_tenor1/) using high gloss polyurethane, but then again, he is Allan.

Good luck and don't forget to write!

+1 for Tru-oil. Available from most shops that sell gun supplies.
Miguel

Shellac, easy, forgiving, hard wearing. Wipe it on, brush it on or spray iit on. Nothing simpler.

DPO said:

Shellac, easy, forgiving, hard wearing. Wipe it on, brush it on or spray iit on. Nothing simpler.

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+1 for shellac! Plus it is non-toxic.

+2 for shellac. Shellac on that dark wood will look fantastic! It will give a little tint to your top. Just something to consider. Even the blondest shellac will have an amber hue.

I like Tru-Oil for a variety of reasons, and have worked out a protocol to get a real nice glossy but still very thin finish. I don't do what all those youtube videos, or MyaMoe do. I've written up a little doc you can get at:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1t49gfO_pioRARQ8CmikgOHBydBVUs6gh

jupiteruke said:

I like Tru-Oil for a variety of reasons, and have worked out a protocol to get a real nice glossy but still very thin finish. I don't do what all those youtube videos, or MyaMoe do. I've written up a little doc you can get at:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1t49gfO_pioRARQ8CmikgOHBydBVUs6gh

Click to expand...

Very nicely written and thorough protocol. The results are pretty impressive too. I love the "chasing the shine" idea. I get that.

+1 to jupiteruke's excellent write-up. Because I'm inherently lazy, I came to realise that I was leaving myself far too much work to finish off my Tru-Oiled projects to a high standard....
I tried diluting the oil with experimental amounts of mineral spirits and padding/dollying it on with the French Polishing technique. Once I had found a dilution that eliminated the tack and drag of the oil/spirit mix, the results were quite good, but not as good as jupiteruke's, as mine required a buff with a non-silicone automotive polish to get it looking really good. I have since moved away from Tru-Oil but agree that it is a good choice for both novices and experienced builders with light work loads and no spray equipment and/or spray experience.

NIce write up Jupiteruke. I may have to give true oil a go

My favorite is french polishing. It takes some time to learn, but when you learn it you will love it.