[Clay Vernon]

So I'm building this decoupaged guitar for a charity event.

There are many places where the paper is overlapping. In some places it is overlapping three times.

Here is a pic of a seam with sealer medium drying.

So my question is: how do I get a even, clear finish on this without sanding out the paper color on those edges?

 

[Steve Neul]

Well first what is the finish? Is it a type of acrylic clear? If the finish isn't a type of finish that will remain clear then you may ruin the decoupage by applying enough finish to do what you want. The reason I ask what the finish it is if for example you are using an oil based polyurethane by the time you get the finish level it is likely to be pretty yellow.

To level the finish you have to put enough finish over the prints that you can sand between coats with worrying about sanding through. At first you sand very very little until you get about 6 mils of finish on. 6 mils is about double the thickness of a lawn and leaf trashbag. You also need to make sure you give ample of drying time with each coat. Depending on the finish you could trap solvents in the lower coats with may take months to cure so you might restrict the finish to one coat per day, longer if the weather is cold or damp.

 

[Clay Vernon]

Thanks Steve,

The decoupage medium is Mod Podge, if that's what you are asking. It is a water based medium.

I already know that oil based poly is out due to yellowing.

Is water based brush-on poly a good option?

 

[cabinetman]

You could save yourself quite a bit of time by using a pour on two part epoxy, used for bar tops. One pour may be all you need. There would likely be no sanding or polishing needed.

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[Steve Neul]

Thanks Steve,

The decoupage medium is Mod Podge, if that's what you are asking. It is a water based medium.

I already know that oil based poly is out due to yellowing.

Is water based brush-on poly a good option?

Sure you could use a water based poly. Just let each coat dry really good or use the pour on epoxy like cabinetman suggested. With any non-catalyzed finish if you put too much on too fast it is likely to crack when it fully cures.

 

[Clay Vernon]

You could save yourself quite a bit of time by using a pour on two part epoxy, used for bar tops. One pour may be all you need. There would likely be no sanding or polishing needed.



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The only issue I see with that is the 3 dimensional nature of the piece.

What would you suggest for that?

Would I need to build a mold for it? Or would the epoxy fall off the edges evenly and be able to be sanded to refinement?​