YOU SAND AND SAND and finally you think your instrument is perfectly ready for the finish-but alas- with the first application of finish you see a few areas where the glue you used is still on the instrument surface preventing the finish from doing it's work. The only thing to do is more sanding until the glue is totally gone.
Now there is a better way. Luthiers Merchantile Inc. ( LMI) has upgraded their luthiers glue with a substance that glows under ultra-violet light. You simply buy an ultra-violet light bulb at the hardware store. I examined two of the tenors today and found a few spots that would have resisted the finish and made it look bad. A black light bulb in a reflector fixture will reveal those irritating little omissions.
Now you can sand them clean before applying the finish.
Now there is a better way. Luthiers Merchantile Inc. ( LMI) has upgraded their luthiers glue with a substance that glows under ultra-violet light. You simply buy an ultra-violet light bulb at the hardware store. I examined two of the tenors today and found a few spots that would have resisted the finish and made it look bad. A black light bulb in a reflector fixture will reveal those irritating little omissions.
Now you can sand them clean before applying the finish.
See that light blue spot along the lower binding. That is a thin coating of glue that my initial sanding failed to remove. It would have been evident in a bad way once the finish was applied. Now discovered by the ultra-violet light, I can easily sand it off. Now that is a great solution to an old problem. Thanks L.M.I. for a great idea.
