I forgot to mention something...not so much a suggestion, but something to consider. It's always good to test the finish before you commit to it on the guitar. The water based finishes I have used take a lot of technique to brush on thin enough so that they flatten well. I think part of the reason is that they tend to skin-over relatively quickly, but then take a while to dry. What the mfg suggested I try with Brite Tone was their retarder... So I got some, but then my technique improved enough so that I have not used it. Also I worried about runs on curved surfaces. The Saman dries considerably quicker so if you have trouble getting it to level you might try their retarder. Alternatively, and this has worked well for me, you might prime your brush with water before dipping in the the finish. That, a light touch, and moving relatively quickly have made the most difference for me--so far. Still working on the technique for sure!
Wow, thanks for this advice! I will def look into the retarder. The tip on dipping the brush in water sounds like a really good one. I'll keep you posted on how it goes
It seems to have made a difference. Also making a difference, learning to allow the brush to drip off, and learning not to wipe the excess off on the side of the container, but rather to let it drip off. They say say that wiping it on the edge will create bubles, but it seems totally counterintuitive to me. Also keeping a light enough touch not to "push" the finish. I have struggled with getting the coats as thin as the guy in the vid suggests. His daughter (on their facebook group) suggested the taklon brush. I had been using foam like the guy in the but was still getting bubbles and streaks. It seems to work well for him though, so it's probably technique related.
This was also helpful to me...
(vid in next post)
...not so much for the volume of product on the brush, but for the speed. Fast, long strokes in one direction. What is not clear from the vids (at least to me) is that these ladies both have a VERY light touch. As one of them told me "the weight of the brush or less." At least for me, pushing and not moving fast enough seem to correspond more to streaking than the amount of product I have on the brush.
House painting just did not prepare me for this ;-)
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