AJ’s custom Stratocaster – day 9
As I was getting ready to apply the fifth coat of Tung oil this evening, I paid close attention to the feel of the finish. It was a little rougher than I liked so I decided to sand it down to give the next coat a good base to start from.
Fourth coat – rear
Fourth coat – front
Sanding the finish with 400 grit
I used 400 grit paper, paying special attention to the rougher areas and gently sanding the smoother areas as well. When I was done, I carefully wiped down the entire guitar and touched up any spots that I had missed.
Applying coat number five
The body was left with an extremely cloudy sheen, but it was made of very fine scratches that filled in completely with the fifth coat. When it dries, you will not see any of them, but it will be much smoother. I intend to apply just one more coat of Tung oil when this one is dry tomorrow. If coat number five looks good, I may even hit it with the 400 grit paper again before I do the final coat. Hopefully the end result will be silky smooth with a high gloss.
Fifth coat applied
Midnight Woodworking 
Looking better and better. All effort you have put into this project represents a lot of love. Both for woodworking and the intended recipient. Thank you for letting us follow along