What is the Most Popular?

[banjo1]

This should be a safe topic
What is your(as a builder) favorite sealer coat before you varnish a mandolin.

.Then let us know why you like it best.

[sunburst]

Shellac.
Because I have it, it's nontoxic, it has a nice color and "warms up" the wood, it is compatible with most finishes, I know how to use it and what to expect, it's been around for centuries and is "tried and true".

[banjo1]

Thats the kind of response that I was hoping for.
Thanks sunburst

[Michael Lewis]

Great response John.

[mandomaker]

Have any of you tried gamboge? I think Gibson has used it, according to a Derrington post awhile back, if I understood it right. It was a factory tour thread. I am thinking of trying it, but I am still unsure.

[sunburst]

I've thought of gamboge. It should work well for a sunburst finish because of the yellow color. It's a ground color and sealer in one, though there are probably better sealers.
I don't think I could use it to seal the color like I can shellac. I use a very thin shellac layer right over my stains before scraping the bindings. That keeps the stains from smudging around on my clean bindings before the varnish goes on. Otherwise, a sealer isn't necessary with the varnish, because the adhesion is good on un-sealed wood.

Some say gamboge was used on the Loars. I don't know for sure.

[banjo1]

Can any finish soak into the wood so far
that it will effect(hurt or help)the sound?

[Frank Ford]

Most popular? I dunno, and I don't care. In my opinion, shellac is the best sealer/under/intermediate coat for any finish, including itself. Can't do better than the best. . .

[Michael Lewis]

Gamboge is fairly toxic. If you want a sealer why use something that is so bad for you? Especially when there is better stuff that will do the job.

[Lane Pryce]

Many fiddle makers use egg whites. Have any of you ever tried it with a mandolin? Lp

[Michael Lewis]

The problem with protien based "sealers" is that they usually are subject to softening from water. I have seen old fiddles that were flaking their finish because they were "sealed" with hide glue or egg white and had been subsequently exposed to excessive moisture. If you use these products to seal your wood you have to sand it mostly off, so that it is in just the end grain pores and allows the real finish coat to adhere to the wood, not to the sealer. Even then it is a dubious adhesion in my estimation.

[HoGo]

I believe it was charlie who said gamboge was used on Loars, which is why they used it on MM's. Gamboge is poison, 3 grams would kill you, but it is not cumulative like chromium in potassium dichromate...
I prefer shellac, too...
Adrian

[woodwiz]

Can any finish soak into the wood so far
that it will effect(hurt or help)the sound?

Put too much of any finish on or in the wood, and it will kill the sound, that's for sure!

As for any finish beng able to soak into the wood enough to hurt the sound, I would think it theoretically possible, but unlikely if you were trying to get adequate protection and appearance with minimal build. Soaking with linseed oil might do the trick, but you'd have to make a determined effort, I think.