DJP's JB Bass Build

[DJP]

I've got greens, greys, a little black and some beautiful chestnut colours. To be honest it could be a really interesting finish - distressed / weathered... but it's not what I am after (and I'm not sure how consistently it would develop). I think the india ink might be the best route. Will have a go later next week - thanks for the tip about the timbermate. Can you just spray nitro straight on the inked wood after leaving it dry for a long enough time - or is any other prep needed. ?

[stan]

Should come up nicely, i like the timber on this one

[DJP]

Well I wanted black ... and I guess I got it in spades.
Used speedball indian ink. Applied with a folded up piece of cotton T-shirt.

Went on an absolute treat.

This is starting to look like it is going to work ....

[DJP]

Spray time ...

[Andy40]

Thats blacker than black.

I also like your courtyard. I'm slightly jealous now

[DJP]

Yep ... its black ! Shiny like coal .. very nice grain. I think I have spotted a very faint bloody hairline crack in the body which seems to have been invisible prior to finishing ... or just developed.
Oh well, I'm too far down the road to cry now ... it doesn't look major structural issue, is buried under 8 coats nitro and seems to be associated with the crack I spotted on the end that had been glued up - so it might actually be glued anyway...
Courtyard is nice but way too many leaves from surrounding trees.

[DJP]

I just thought. The hairline crack I found must have opened / become visible on the back of the body relatively recently ... I grain filled the guitar. I'm pretty sure I didn't see it when I sealed the guitar, and same after first coats nitro.
Ooooh WTF. There's 2 of them slightly offset (look like the cracks you get in wood when it dries out).
Clearly doesn't go right through though body - only seen on the back.

HOW WORRIED SHOULD I BE ?
They are full of nitro (I suspect one has been glued) and one can definitely be felt as a slight ridge - which might just be the nitro building up in/around it.(surface was flat as before).
I guess I just need to finish the nitro and see what happens.

[DJP]

Aha. Not so new. I can see them very faintly in earlier photos of the grain filled / stained surface. They have always been there and were grain filled. I'm beggining to think the hairline cracks/defects are just showing up much more under the nitro. One feels raised and ridge-like -but I think its just nitro building up. Maybe they will tone down a bit when I level the finish.

[Andyxlh]

That looks really nice, what wonderful wood grain. Let it settle down and see what happens with it.

[DJP]

Thanks Andy. I think it is going to be ok. It must have got some filler in it when I grain filled. So I think in some respects it is just a surface thing. It seems like the nitro is building ridges at the edges if the crack ... surface tension or something I guess. I sanded lightly, then found I exposed some wood at the edge of the crack. So I got the Speedball Indian ink out and a cotton bud and gave the crack a good few wipes to re-stain it, get the ink into it. Have now sprayed 8 more nitro coats over 2 nights, and it looks OK. Far less obvious. I guess a black filled crack on a shiny heavilly textured black guitar is always going to show up in a certain light, but it now looks part of the character of the guitar - i.e. it's not sticking out like the proverbial dogs whatsits. I've got to say - this Speedball indian ink is really nice to work with on Ash. It gives a finish like coal, with some grain shiny, other more porous grain a bit duller. And the smooth bits look great. Can't say I like working with nitro though ... will probably go back to Dingotone for next job..