Someone asked about the lacquer I use. I've always used Nitrocellulose which was the standard for a long time.
I have thought about giving the water based lacquers a try, but have yet to try it.
Nitrocellulose is what I'm used to and trust. For now I'll stick with it.
When in Oregon I get a local brand made here in town, but have also had success with other brands.
Avoid the canned spray on lacquers because they don't sand out very well.
I usually use home made shellac to seal. For that I get both light and dark shellac flakes and fill a glass jar about half full with them. I then add Everclear (Or as George Jones said "White Lightning") filling the jar to about 3/4 full. Let that soak for a few days stiring from time to time until all the flakes are dissolved completely. Brush that on and sand flat about two or three coats. It drys fast, sands nice and you can spray the lacquer right over it.
The shellac also works well for doing a French Polish finish. Nice for touch up work or even an entire finish. There are some youtube videos on doing that also.
The best classic & flamenco guitars are always done with French Polish and never lacquer. Not as tough as a lacquer finish, but easy to apply with minimal equipment.
For open grain woods I fill the open pores a few square inches at a time with 5 minute epoxy which I then sand until the surface is flat. Missing this step will leave a poor finish because the lacquer will sink into the pores and look very amateurish.
Maple, Poplar and other closed grain woods don't need this step.
Remember that the slower to build them the slower they fall apart.
I spray several light coats. sanding lightly between coats. When I have what I feel is the right number of coats (From 5 to 8 thin coats is normal) I sand down until the orange peal is all gone and the surface flat and smooth. No bare wood showing.
Start with a 320 grit and then 400, 600, 1,000 grit wet and dry with water and use a flat eraser as a sanding block. Use wet and dry sand paper using water with dishwashing soap in it as a lubricant.
Let the finish sit like that for a couple of weeks until it settles. Then two final thin light coats. Let that wait a day or two and sand again with only 600 and 1,000 wet and dry sand paper using water with a little dishwashing soap in it as a lubricant.
After the sanding go to the buffing with soft cotton wheels until the finish looks like glass.
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th;
http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
These woods and lacquer jobs are absolutely NUTS! 