Non-glossy protective top coats after stain

[bulldozed]

Hi all,
First post here, I'm planning to buy one of the LP kits in a month or so and ideally achieve a colour top/white bind/natural back finish (at this stage possibly a charcoal grey top, red or blue... Serious indecision!). What I would like to do is avoid a highly glossy finish as I know the odds of me mucking it up in a wintry Melbourne climate and with no aptitude at all is high... Plus I actually really like the raw-ish wood feel. I have been reading many threada in this section but as-yet haven't found a matching question - I like the looks of the various dingotone finishes and expect I'll be quite happy using it; is it a simple matter of using everything but the finishing coat in the process, then being able to rub in wax over the body to achieve a permanent colour finish and a protective wax finish? Or am I, as I fear, missing an important step?

[Andy40]

Hi Bulldozed.

Welcome to the forum.

You can achieve a low gloss or satin type finish with dingotone. I would use the stain, intensifier and final coat. Just don't buff it to a high gloss. In fact my TLA-1R is on the final coats as we speak, looking very satiny. I could choose to leave it that way or polish to a low or high gloss in 21 days time.

You can, I believe, use Dingowax as a finish instead of the final coat (or with it - correct me if i'm wrong DB). I think Shazzrandom finished her build with Dingowax. (Double check that fact). I dingowax my fretboards only but did contemplate finishing me tele with the wax.

Don't be too worried about "mucking it up" as I've done that ...hmmm... about 3 times on my current tele build. Just takes a question or two on the forum, a bit of elbow grease and a bit more patience and you'll come up with a finish to be proud.

You can also achieve a satin finish with Tru oil I believe, just dont buff it to a high gloss.

I've never tried the wipe on poly stuff, maybe one of the other guys can fill you in on that stuff.