Hey everyone! Have you ever dove into a DIY project, a guitar kit, or a piece of furniture, where the planning, cutting, and assembly went smoothly, but the finishing turned into a nightmare? Uneven results, damage, disappointment... Does that sound familiar?

Good news! While I can't handle past damage, I have a method for successfully finishing your first—or tenth!—guitar kit. In the last few videos, we unboxed, checked, and fixed a Leo James Stratocaster style guitar kitToday we move on to the finishing touches, and I'll show you how to achieve a result you'll be truly proud of. Let's get started!

Step 1: Prepare the wood for finishing

Preparation is the key to a successful finish. Since I'll be using water-based products for tinting, the first step is to raise the grain of the wood with water. But why?

When wood is machined or sanded, its fibers are compressed, as if laid flat. It appears smooth. But when water is applied, the wood will saturate, the fibers will straighten, and once dry, the surface will become rough again. By forcing this process in a controlled manner, we ensure that these unwanted fibers are removed before applying our finishing products.

I apply the water evenly with a cloth, without flooding the surface. Just enough to moisten and swell the fiber. Once the surface is completely dry, I take a 320 grit sandpaper on a block and I lightly sand to cut through that raised grain. On the body of the guitar, the grain really came up, so I had to use a 220 grain first to level well, then finish with 320 to smooth everything.

Step 2: Boiled linseed oil, my favorite

For this project, my favorite finish is still theboiled linseed oil. Why? Because it gives a finish that highlights the wood. I also apply a coat to the fingerboard.

Attention, very important safety advice! When working with boiled linseed oil, it is necessary always make sure to dispose of oil-soaked rags after useThese rags can spontaneously ignite! They must be dried flat on a non-combustible surface until they become rigid; this can take one to three days. Only then can you safely dispose of them.

For this first coat, I apply generously to saturate the wood fibers, then wipe off the excess. On maple, linseed oil gives a beautiful amber color, which adds a golden glow to the light wood. The key is to wipe until the surface looks almost dry. If too much oil remains, it can remain sticky, as it's not a finish that cures quickly on the surface like varnish. Once the first coat is applied and wiped off thoroughly, I hang the piece to let it cure for at least a day.

Step 3: The artistic touch: black dye and vibrant color

I decided on a two-step finish for this guitar. The first is a water-based stain from the Saman brand, black in color. It's a fairly opaque stain, but it lets the wood grain show through. I apply it to the entire body of the guitar, because my idea is to have color only in the center, and the outline in black. Since it's water-based, there's no worry about flammability. I apply it generously, then wipe off the excess, because the stain has to dry In the surface, not on the surface. After a good day of drying, the guitar is completely black, with the grain visible.

Then for the center I prepared myself to sand the black dye to reveal the wood. I started at 320, but it was too slow, so I switched to 220 to really go back to almost raw wood in the center, leaving just the open grain stained dark to add depth to the future color. This was an opportunity to create a nice fade effect, and it worked quite well!

For the coloring, I first removed all the wood dust with a slightly damp cloth. I used water-based clothing dye, diluted approximately 50% with water. In English, we distinguish between "stain" (based on larger pigments) and "dye" (based on dyes in solution). This clothing dye is a "dye": the particles are in solution, which allows the wood grain to show through brightly.

The color is amazing from the first coat! Since it's water-based, you have plenty of time to work with it, and you can even reactivate the stain with a damp cloth to blend the surfaces. I started in the center to avoid dulling my color by reactivating the black around the edges.

When using water-based products, don't panic if they dry dull, or if some funky colors appear at the seams. This will all disappear in the next steps and with the top coat. For the second dyeing step, I used plain water to work the black/color seam and make it more gradual. The color comes back vibrant as soon as the water hits the surface!

Step 4: Linseed Oil Coats and Silky Finish

For the finish on the stained wood, I apply againboiled linseed oil. I had a slight fear of color transfer, but it was minimal. Wood is very porous, so you apply it generously to saturate the fiber. You put it on, and then put it on again, for 5 to 10 minutes. It's automatic: as soon as the oil is applied, the color comes back to life, the black becomes deep, it's exactly the result I was hoping for!

After saturating the wood for 10-15 minutes, I wipe off the excess with a dry cloth. There shouldn't be too much oil left on the surface, or it might stick. The first coats require wiping off any excess. On porous wood, the oil can bead up through the open grain as it dries; it's important to wipe it off periodically, at least for the first coats.

The second coat follows the same principle. The wood is already somewhat sealed, so it will absorb less oil. This is a finish that requires patience: one diaper a dayDon't try to do two in the same day, you risk reactivating the previous layer and not overlapping. Take your time!

For the handle, after my first coat of oil, to get a super smooth finish, instead of wiping the second coat, I used a 600 grit paper directly into the freshly deposited oil. This creates a paste that fills in the small rough spots, leaving an incredibly soft finish. While all this was drying, I took the opportunity to paint the cavities with regular acrylic paint to limit moisture transfer.

Continue like this with 3, 4, 5, 6 layers. The absorption may be uneven at first, but don't worry. For the last layer, I go with a different method: a super thin layer. I make myself a small applicator with a cloth and apply the minimum amount of oil, just enough to have an even coverage without having to wipe off the excess. The surface will look a little waxy at first, but let it cure for two, three, four days, and you will have a nice even shine and a non-sticky surface.

The final word

And there you have it, my simple and effective method for finishing a guitar or any other wooden instrument! It requires patience; it's a long process. You really have to let the oil harden between coats, otherwise it's a guaranteed sticky disaster. But by sticking to one coat a day, you can achieve a really great result!

This method works wonderfully with dark woods, like my walnut guitar, which was magical. With lighter woods, you have to accept the amber hue it gives. For my red guitar, once the oil hardened, the color turned a bit brick red. In future videos, I may experiment with new water-based products to keep these colors more vibrant.

If you liked the video, please feel free to leave a like, to you subscribe to the chain, and leave me a comment about your guitar or wood finishing experiments. What works for you? What doesn't? What are your favorite methods for ensuring a successful finishing project?

Stay tuned, because more pretty extravagant guitar builds are coming! I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the next videos. In the meantime, I'm back to tinkering with my guitars. Let's play guitar, and I'll see you again very soon!