Finish Chemistry

Putting a nice finish on an instrument often takes as long as all of the preceding steps combined. But, at least for the moment, I'm determined to defy the nice finish conventions of the high-gloss ideal and experiment until I get a satisfactory lower-gloss, non-grain filled finish that is still protective and attractive. It may be a pipe dream, but if there's any possible hope of putting function before vanity and immense amounts of time, this is how it will happen. Currently my recipe, though highly classified, includes dyed shellac and paste wax.