©2014, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Page 7
4.
Stain
and
Finish
the
Neck
and
Body
(Apply
Rosette
Decal)
Once
masking
is
complete,
the
neck
and
body
are
ready
for
finishing.
What
type
of
stain
and
clear
coat
is
applied
is
personal
preference.
Actually,
stain
is
optional,
but
some
type
of
clear
coat
(lacquer,
polyurethane,
acrylic/urethane)
should
be
applied
to
the
body
and
the
back
of
the
neck
to
protect
the
wood.
As
stated
earlier,
the
fretboard
should
be
left
unfinished
since
it
is
made
of
rosewood.
The
bridge
should
also
be
left
unfinished
for
this
reason.
The
rosette
decal
must
be
applied
before
the
final
clear
coats
are
applied.
It
is
okay
to
apply
one
coat
of
clear
coat
to
the
guitar
body
before
applying
the
rosette,
but
several
coats
should
be
applied
afterward
to
ensure
that
it
is
protected
and
sealed
to
the
guitar.
To
apply
the
decal,
soak
it
in
a
bowl
of
water
for
approximately
20
–
30
seconds
until
it
starts
to
slide
off
the
backing
paper.
Slide
it
onto
the
guitar
body
around
the
sound
hole,
peeling
away
the
paper
backing.
While
it
is
wet
it
should
slide
around
on
the
guitar
with
slight
fingertip
pressure.
If
it
starts
to
get
stuck
and
needs
to
be
repositioned,
dampen
your
finger
in
the
bowl
of
water
and
wipe
it
around
the
surface
of
the
decal.
Use
a
sponge,
cloth,
or
paper
towel
to
smooth
the
decal,
remove
any
trapped
air
bubbles
and
remove
excess
water.
Allow
the
decal
to
dry
for
several
hours
before
applying
the
next
clear
coat.
Once
the
all
coats
of
finish
have
dried,
remove
the
masking
tape.
5.
Glue
the
Neck
to
the
Body
Before
the
neck
can
be
glued
to
the
body,
the
joint
has
to
be
prepared.
Rough
dry
fitting
was
done
in
Step
1,
but
now
finish
has
been
applied
to
the
body
and
neck.
That
finish
must
be
removed
from
the
neck
‐
body
joint
for
proper
glue
adhesion
(Note:
Finish
removal
on
some
parts
of
the
joint
may
not
be
necessary
if
they
were
masked
prior
to
finishing).
To
do
this,
insert
the
neck
into
the
body.
Holding
the
neck
firmly
in
place,
use
a
sharp
razor
knife
to
carefully
scribe
a
line
around
the
fretboard
where
it
rests
on
the
top
of
the
guitar
body.
Also
scribe
a
line
around
the
neck
heel
where
it
meets
the
side
of
the
Before
removing
air
bubbles
and
wrinkles
After
removing
air
bubbles
and
wrinkles
Figure
4:
Applying
Rosette
Decal
during
Clear
Coat
