keeping the top clean

[Richard Warr]

Once I’ve closed the box, I struggle to keep the sitka top clean.  Sanding dust from the sides etc easily gets on it and doesn’t come off easily.  Is this just part of the process or is there something I should be doing - aside from being more careful!

[C Green]

Seal it with a wash coat of shellac. 

Chris Green. 

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 4, 2025, at 10:44 AM, Richard Warr <rsw...@gmail.com> wrote:



Once I’ve closed the box, I struggle to keep the sitka top clean.  Sanding dust from the sides etc easily gets on it and doesn’t come off easily.  Is this just part of the process or is there something I should be doing - aside from being more careful!

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[Paul McEvoy]

Lately I'm trying to keep finishing sanding to the last thing I do for most parts.  I don't want to finish sand the top or sides until everything is pretty much done so I'm not doing it more than once.  

Paul McEvoy
207-699-9526

On Mon, Aug 4, 2025, 10:44 Richard Warr <rsw...@gmail.com> wrote:

Once I’ve closed the box, I struggle to keep the sitka top clean.  Sanding dust from the sides etc easily gets on it and doesn’t come off easily.  Is this just part of the process or is there something I should be doing - aside from being more careful!

[JohnParchem]

I bought a roll (lifetime supply) of 5 mil mylar, I cut out a slightly small top profile and use painters tape to seal the top. So I do three things.

Seal with shellac, like Paul I finish sand late in the process but still this seals the top and makes it safer for the tape. I will sand all of this off. Finally I tape on the mylar (mostly to protect against inadvertent dents)

[Dick Fulco]

I also give the top a coating of shellac and later on in the proces I tape a thin (0,5 mm) polycarbonaat on the top. Slightly smaller then the top. Same as John, only I use polycarbonaat because it’s available.(leftover from the corona period, was intended as screens)

Met vriendelijke groet, Dick

Op ma 4 aug 2025 om 17:56 schreef JohnParchem <johnp...@hotmail.com>

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[Doug Shaker]

I also do a shellac wash coat, when I remember to do so.  Usually my memory is, er, refreshed by some

something contaminating the beautiful sanded top and my needing to break out some 320 grit sandpaper

to clean the top.  THEN I put on the shellac wash coat.

I like the mylar protective coat, though I think that my roll of drawing paper from Blick art supplies would

probably work just as well. Hmmm.  

-Doug Shaker

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[Richard Warr]

OK this is very helpful. I was thinking that there had to be a better
solution. I will check out some mylar or other protective coat

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