Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Benjamin wrote:

I have been using Watco clear gloss lacquer and powdered charcoal as a pigment to work on my flutes.  I was wondering if anyone had used this lacquer?  I find that at times it is too thick,  I have tried thinning it down, but every time I go to apply an additional coat of the thinned down lacquer, the thinner in the new coat lifts up the previous coat and I get an uneven and gloppy mess. 

Recalling Ken LaCosse's video where he applies urushi to the bore.  The consistency looks similar to oil based paint.  Being in art school, I have an abundance of oil paint and was wondering if that could be a good substitute?  A couple of questions came up though.  Would the linseed oil in the paint soak into the bamboo at all/ too much to affect playability? Would I want to give the bore a finishing coat of lacquer after I apply the paint?

I have tried doing hocchiku, jinashi, and ji-ari making and each has their challenges.  Part of me wants to just forget about lacquer and stick to the au natural style to make things simpler and for me to find my own approach to the construction and recessive methods.  The other part of me loves the finish of the high gloss lacquer, and I like the aesthetic. I am familiar with the practice of applying multiple layers of lacquer for fine tuning, but in my experience, even 2 or 3 coats of thinned down lacquer drastically changes the pitch.  I just dont know what to do.  Lord knows that an apprenticeship would be an amazing experience.

Ben

Ben,

I haven't used those particular finishes. I think Monty uses a synthetic lacquer blend with good results if you're looking for a glossy smooth finish. You could check with him about that.

A good way to check about the finishes you're talking about (and I mean this in the most supportive way) is to try them and see what happens! Then report back to us!

Something to think about is that for jinashi shakuhachi, a thin wash coat or two is usually sufficient to prevent mold as well as give the tone a little boost. The roughness of the natural bore helps give the tone its complexity which some players like. Depending on what tone you prefer, it may or may not be beneficial to go for a many layered glossy finish.

One way to go is to put function before form and let each flute dictate the degree of bore finish. What is the best sound direction for this particular piece?

Enough rambling. Good luck!

Ken

Ben, You may want to try pure Tung oil. The kind you can eat off of. Wood workers use it on salad bowls. Just use a long rod/dowel with a small piece of cloth wrapped on an end and work it through the bore.

Cashew has a horrible smell (to me) that doesn't seem to go away.

Best, Perry