Ben's RCA-4 Build

[Simon Barden]

Just don't leave it too long to scrape the binding. The longer the finish dries, the harder the finish is and the harder it is to scrape it off the binding.

As it said in the Gibson scraping video (which seems to have disappeared), the small group of women who (apparently) do all the scraping have been there years and are some of their highest paid employees, so whilst it may look easy when they do it, it takes skill and a lot of practice to do it quickly and accurately.

It's also easier to scrape off a couple of layers of still-soft nitrocellulose paint than 30 layers of hardened Tru-oil!

[BJMtz]

That's a good idea to scrape it off but I'm not sure if I will. I don't want there to be a line that you can see or feel. I like the look of the darkened binding, I just wish it matched with the pg and truss rod covers.

[Simon Barden]

Just consider that vintage instruments don't have the binding matching the pickguard or truss rod cover either. The binding will certainly be lacquered, which generally gets more amber as it ages, whilst the PG and TRC stay unlacquered so generally stay quite a similar colour to original. So just view it as that you've already got quite a vintage looking instrument.

[BJMtz]

Maybe? Depends on how rough the texture is.
I tend to get a couple of stain coats on to a point where it looks fairly good and even all over then start applying full stength Tru Oil. 1st coat done with a 1" paint brush to prevent dragging any of the stain around. If after 1st coat it still looks a bit dry and raw, 2nd coat done with brush again. Best to buy a couple of brushes as they don't clean up good enough after one use and should be thrown away.
After initial couple of coats it may look and feel a bit lumpy, scratchy, whatever, and suggest switching to rag and full strength TO until you have minimum of 6-8 coats and then do 1st wet sand with 1200 grit.
Alternatively you could start wet sand applying the TO from about coat # 6 by using small 2" square bits of 1200 wet & dry paper as the sands and smooths the finish back in on itself, acting like a filler to some extent. Whilst still wet i have reverted to using a rag as well to wipe over surface after the wet sand to help smooth things off.
Repeat with another 4-6 coats and do 1500 grit wet sand coat or just do 1500 proper wet sand.
To end up lookong like glass you may need to do this several times and switch up to 2000 grit W&D paper.
Above is what i have done latest ES1 build, and getting nearer the finish line it needs light 2000 wet sand every 2nd or 3rd coat to give some tooth as the surface gets to shiny & slippery for subsequent coats to grab onto.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,waz

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I'm getting close to doing the first level sand of the tru oil. I'll go with 1200 grit. Do I just use water for the wet sand? Should I also soak the paper for a day before sanding?

[wazkelly]

Just use water with a drop of dishwashing detergent.
No need to soak the sandpaper. Need to take it easy with 1200 as it can strip a lot off. Best to use a cork block, rinse every 2 or 3 passes, inspect area just sanded by wiping excess water off with a rag or cloth.
Main aim is smoothness as you will need to do this several times after the next 4 to 6 coats plus also stepping up to 1500 then eventually 2000 grit wet & dry paper.

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[Simon Barden]

Soaking makes the wet 'n' dry more pliable and follows the contours better. When I wet sand, I might not leave it in overnight beforehand, but I like to soak it for at least an hour before if possible.

[BJMtz]

So I think I'm done with the finish and ready for assembly. I sanded up to 1500, which isn't that far, but I still have a pretty glossy finish.

[Andyxlh]

That looks nice. You do still have those ash pore marks in the front, I have them on mine a little too. If u can live with them u are good to go,it certainly looks as if it has a good shine 😊

[BJMtz]

I had an unfortunate mishap while installing the bridge. When drilling the screw holes I used a smaller bit first and on the last hole it snapped off. How should I go about removing it and finishing drilling it out to the right size?

[Sonic Mountain]

Ouch. That's a bugger. How well is the hole covered by the bridge plate? You are probably going to have to dig some wood out around it and try to grab it and twist out with some needle nosed pliers. If you are careful it shouldn't be visible once the bridge is installed.