sanding the box

[paul]

should i sand or leave the box natural? if i sand it i don't want to scuff away the printing on the box.
if so should all sides of the box be sanded, and with what type of sandpaper?
also what should be put on the box, a clear coat, lacquer, stain, etc.?

[steve (Roots)]

I leave it natural and use fornsby lemon wax and rub it in 2 or 3 coats. Gives it a shine and a little protection. Also smells good too.

[Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates]

Depends on the box, the decoration on the box, the type of finish you want, and what you're going for. I put at least 3 coats of MinWax clear gloss Poly on it, but I might move to Shellac. The guys above put nothing other than some polish. Works great I'm sure.

From what I see, most of us don't sand the boxes per se as it might disturb the printing/decoration -- some being ink or paint, some being paper. Of course, you can do what you want ;-) . If you plan to paint or apply a picture to the outside, you could forgo the sanding or sand if the box has an embossed texture.

Take some time and look at the PHOTO section.

[Roger Martin]

Most boxes dont get anything special done by me.
However because I've noticed a distinct love of RED boxes by customers lately, I've started sanding and then painting some boxes Banner Red.
Some also get a red neck to match.
I'm not sure why the public seems to go for red boxes as they do, but as long as they do I will have RED boxes LOL
A lot of the painted boxes are boxes that I build from scratch using door skin ,as its easy to use and yet strong when its finished.These boxes I usually build all in one piece with no lid that opens.
I sand them 1st by laying each side on the table sander using a fine belt to get started,then switch to hand sanding for a few minutes.Then I spray a white prime on and let it dry. Sand to knock down the raised grain and put on the color.
I dont usually do anything to printed boxes other then touch up loose corners etc.
Because I build anywhere from 6 to 10 1 stringers a week usually, I cant afford to spend much time on any 1 piece.
Right now I'm trying to get 6 pieces in stock each week of 1 stringers that doesnt leave much time for the fretless 3 stringers I try to build each week. So I have to limit it to 2 or 3 a week.
The fretless 3 stringers go for anywhere from $50 to $70 per piece and the public at this point in the summer doesnt seem to mind spending that much.Almost all these boxes get nothing done to them other then a quick touchup here and there.

[Ben]

I think I have one possible answer for the red boxes. When I first saw a CBG I immediately thought of the Gretsch Bo Diddley because of the rectangular shape. Just a possible answer.

Roger Martin said:

Most boxes dont get anything special done by me.
However because I've noticed a distinct love of RED boxes by customers lately, I've started sanding and then painting some boxes Banner Red.
Some also get a red neck to match.
I'm not sure why the public seems to go for red boxes as they do, but as long as they do I will have RED boxes LOL
A lot of the painted boxes are boxes that I build from scratch using door skin ,as its easy to use and yet strong when its finished.These boxes I usually build all in one piece with no lid that opens.
I sand them 1st by laying each side on the table sander using a fine belt to get started,then switch to hand sanding for a few minutes.Then I spray a white prime on and let it dry. Sand to knock down the raised grain and put on the color.
I dont usually do anything to printed boxes other then touch up loose corners etc.
Because I build anywhere from 6 to 10 1 stringers a week usually, I cant afford to spend much time on any 1 piece.
Right now I'm trying to get 6 pieces in stock each week of 1 stringers that doesnt leave much time for the fretless 3 stringers I try to build each week. So I have to limit it to 2 or 3 a week.
The fretless 3 stringers go for anywhere from $50 to $70 per piece and the public at this point in the summer doesnt seem to mind spending that much.Almost all these boxes get nothing done to them other then a quick touchup here and there.