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I inlaid a "C" into the headstock of a Cordoba ukulele with a satin poly finish. I sprayed a coat of shellac before spraying black lacquer. Now I'd like to finish it off with a couple of clear coats. Is there a homebrew flattening recipe I can use to avoid getting satin lacquer or a flattening agent?

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I buy flatting agent but you could spray gloss and after it cures rub it with fine steel wool or 3-6K paper. it's not called "rubbed effect"for nothing

Thanks, Peter. I've considered using micromesh and just stopping at the appropriate place. I remember reading once about a common household item that could be used in a pinch. I've been checking my sources.

You may be thinking of corn starch.  I've never tried it, but I've seen it recommended as a flattening agent.

I've also heard of missing in a bit of talcum powder, but have never tried it. I wonder if other fine particulates might work, including the colloidal silica some of us use for thickening West System epoxy.

Thanks for the suggestions, Peter and Frank.I explored both corn starch and talcum power and there are quite a few people on the auto painting forums saying they've done it. They typically suggest an 8:1 paint to powder mixture.

I'm thinking I read this in "Adventures in Wood Finishing" by George Frank which, if you haven't read it, is a hoot. George apprenticed in Paris early in the 20th century back when wood finishers wore white lab jackets and knew the chemistry behind their concoctions. They made their own dyes and stains from scratch. Lots of info on French Polishing, as you might suspect. His story about fuming a oak bank lobby with ammonia to correct a mistake the night before the grand opening is quite a tale.

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