The Cure Time Principle: The Secret to a Better Guitar Finish and a Better Life

What if you could make some subtle changes that would not only improve your guitar finish but also make your entire creative process more enjoyable? Over the years, I’ve discovered that the concept of “Cure Time” is one of the most important lessons in both guitar making and in life. Today, I want to share with you how respecting Cure Time has transformed my craftsmanship and helped me find more joy in the process.

In this post, we’ll explore what Cure Time is, why it’s essential for guitar finishing, how it can be applied to improve craftsmanship, and how this simple principle can have far-reaching effects beyond the workshop.

Cure Time is the amount of time that a material, like a guitar finish, needs to reach its optimal state. In the context of guitar finishing, it means allowing a coat of finish to rest and harden fully before moving on to the next step.

For example, when you spray a coat of finish on your guitar, you have to let it cure—this allows the solvents to evaporate, the finish to harden, and the surface to be ready for sanding or the next layer.

It’s easy to overlook Cure Time, especially when you’re excited to see the final product or when you’re working under pressure. But rushing this process often leads to a soft, underdeveloped finish that doesn’t stand the test of time.

I’ve learned the hard way that respecting Cure Time not only yields better results but makes the entire process much more enjoyable.

One of the clearest examples of Cure Time in action is during French polishing. When I first began French polishing, I was so eager to get the finish just right that I often rushed through the process. I learned quickly that skipping Cure Time led to finishes that felt sticky, were difficult to work with, and ultimately didn’t look as good. French polishing is a very tactile process—you can feel when the finish isn’t ready.

It’s about giving each layer time to breathe.

I remember gluing the scarf joint on a neck for my very first steel-string guitar. The bottle of glue said to clamp it for one hour, so after exactly one hour, I unclamped it. I was so excited to see progress that I immediately started planing the headstock surface flat.

The joint opened up right in front of me because I hadn’t given the glue enough time to cure properly.

That experience taught me the importance of patience, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Another example is seasoning tone wood. Just as finishes need time to cure, tone woods need time to season. Giving wood the proper time to rest and for its internal moisture content to stabilize makes all the difference in the sound quality of the finished instrument.

The resins inside the wood need time to crystallize, giving the wood that beautiful aged tone that we all strive for.

When it comes to craftsmanship, I’m always looking for what I call “the elegant solution.” This means finding the simplest, most effective method that not only yields the best results but is also enjoyable.

Integrating Cure Time into my workflow has been one of those elegant solutions. Instead of spending entire weeks doing nothing but French polishing, I now approach it differently.

I wake up an hour early, make myself a coffee, and spend the first hour of my day French polishing—one coat per day, five days a week. This might sound slow, but it allows each coat to fully cure before I add the next. It’s become a meditative practice for me, and I genuinely look forward to it.

I’m not rushing, I’m enjoying the process, and my results have never been better.

This concept of Cure Time doesn’t just apply to guitar making. It’s a principle that can be incredibly powerful in other areas of life. Ernest Hemingway used a similar technique, known as the Hemingway Bridge. He would end his writing sessions knowing exactly what he wanted to write next, and then he’d stop. This allowed his subconscious mind to continue working on the story while he was away, so when he returned, he knew exactly how to pick up where he left off.

There’s a part of our brain called the Default Mode Network, which becomes active when we’re not consciously focused on a task. It’s responsible for those “aha” moments that come when you’re not actively thinking about a problem. By giving ourselves time to rest—just like we give our guitar finishes time to cure—we allow our minds to work in the background, often leading to deeper insights and more creative solutions.

Think about muscle recovery after a workout. If you push your body without giving it time to rest, you risk injury and burnout. But if you give your muscles the rest they need, they grow stronger.

The same principle applies to our creative endeavors: Rest is just as important as effort.

There was a time early in my career when I had just finished an archtop guitar after a long 14-hour day. I was tired but excited, and I called my wife to come see the finished piece. As I picked up the bridge to show her, it slipped out of my hand and hit the spruce top, leaving a dent.

I was devastated.

I immediately went into panic mode, thinking the entire guitar was ruined.

Thankfully, my wife was there to help calm me down. I took a step back and gave myself some emotional Cure Time. The next morning, I was able to calmly assess the situation, steam out the dent, and make it right. If I had tried to fix it in the heat of the moment, I probably would have made it worse. Giving myself that space made all the difference.

It’s okay to take a step back when things go wrong. Sometimes we need to give ourselves time to process emotions, especially when setbacks happen. I often use what I call “productive procrastination” to give myself that space—I might clean the workshop or make a coffee, something productive but not directly related to the task at hand. It helps me approach the problem with a clearer mind.

Cure Time isn’t just about finishes and glue joints—it’s a mindset. It’s about creating the space needed to let things develop naturally, whether that’s a guitar finish, a creative idea, or even our own emotional state. When we give ourselves and our work the time to rest and fully develop, we see better results, feel less stressed, and find more joy in what we do.

Creating the right environment for Cure Time is also essential. In my workshop, I’ve created a dedicated curing cabinet where my guitars can rest in the right conditions.

In our lives, we need to create environments that support our own growth—whether that’s a peaceful workspace, a supportive community, or simply the right mindset.

The Cure Time principle has taught me that patience and giving things space to develop is often the key to success—not just in lutherie, but in life.

When we stop rushing, we allow the best version of our work (and ourselves) to come through.

I encourage you to experiment with giving yourself more time in your craft and in your life.
See what changes, and share your experiences.

You might be surprised at how much better everything turns out!

If you’d like to dive deeper into French polishing or learn more about creating an elegant workflow in your guitar making, check out my course on The Art of French Polishing, or read my article on the Hemingway Bridge technique. And don’t forget to join my weekly newsletter for more insights on guitar making, craftsmanship, and creative fulfillment.