Workshop Journal Vol. 1 • Issue 7

Darin Shiflett
3 days ago
3 min read

ReSound'65 | Workshop Journal

Vol. 1 • Issue 7

Hurry Up And Wait

The workshop was full of bodies this week as another group of ReSound'65 guitars moved through preparation, fitting, sealing, and flocking.

Before the undersides can receive their finished surface, each body must first be fitted for its endplates. We do this by placing mock-up cast-aluminum endplates onto the body and carefully examining the fit. The endplates must make solid, even contact within the pockets milled by the CNC, without interference from the wood, laminate, or surrounding edges.

If we find a gap or high spot, the necessary adjustments are made before the flocking process begins. The corners and edges are hand-filed and sanded so everything fits perfectly, as no additional fabrication can be performed after the flocking is applied.

There is a particular order to building these instruments, and missing the proper moment to make an adjustment can create a much larger problem later.

Once the endplate fit meets specification, we perform a final inspection of the undercarriage. Any remaining holes, scrapes, cracks, or small imperfections are filled with wood filler. The surface is then sanded level in preparation for its final coat of sealer.

The finished mica or clear-coated surfaces are carefully masked with tape to protect them from sealer, paint, adhesive, and flocking fibers. Masking is slow, detailed work, but it is essential. Clean lines and protected edges ensure that the guitar will be beautiful from every angle when the work is complete—even in the places most people will rarely see.

Once the body is properly fitted, filled, sanded, sealed, and masked, we can proceed with flocking.

Many newer players may not be familiar with this process because most modern pedal steel guitar manufacturers finish the underside of their instruments using other methods. The ReSound'65, however, is a reissue of a mid-1960s instrument, and flocking is one of the traditional details we have chosen to preserve.

In simple terms, nylon flocking transforms an ordinary surface into a durable, velvety, suede-like finish. An adhesive is applied to the prepared surface, and millions of finely cut synthetic fibers are deposited into it, producing a dense and remarkably uniform texture.

The same basic process has been used to line jewelry boxes and tool drawers, reduce glare on automobile dashboards, and add lifelike texture to waterfowl decoys and scale models.

It also looks amazing beneath a pedal steel guitar!

As simple as the finished surface may appear, producing it correctly requires several carefully timed steps. The wood must first be properly prepared and sealed. The flocking adhesive must be applied evenly, with complete coverage in every corner and around every opening. The nylon fibers must then be distributed thoroughly while the adhesive is ready to receive them.

Sealer, adhesive, and flocking all have their own drying and curing requirements. Many of these stages involve 24-hour cycles, allowing each material enough time to form the strong, lasting bond we require. Moving too quickly can compromise adhesion, create uneven coverage, or introduce flaws that may not become visible until later.

Once the flocking has cured, every guitar is inspected for thin areas, surface flaws, or poor adhesion before endplates or any other assembly components are installed. If a problem is found, it must be corrected here before the guitar moves forward.

There is no shortcut for proper drying time. The materials do not care how full the production schedule is, how many parts are waiting, or how eager we are to reach the next stage. When the process calls for 24 hours, it gets 24 hours.

So, we prepare everything carefully, move quickly when the window is open—and then we **hurry up and wait.**

Of course, waiting for one process does not mean the workshop stops.

Metal preparation continues alongside the body work. Aluminum parts are constantly being sanded, polished, cleaned, and prepared so they will be ready when the newly flocked bodies have completed their curing cycles. By keeping these different areas of production moving together, assembly can begin as soon as every component is ready.

Next, we will return to the machines and begin transforming more raw aluminum into the precision parts that make a ReSound'65 both beautiful and unmistakable.

Stay tuned.

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