GDay

[andrew.mayes]

Hi folks!

Long time lurker, first time poster! Just thought I'd drop a line to say hello and ask a few first questions about my first build - a Pitbull SV-1. I plan to start a build diary, but I generally lack commitment to such things so while I may well start and never...

Hats off to the Pitbull guys for putting together such a nice kit. Very much looking forward to getting it all together. Fingers crossed I can stand it and don't rush anything!

So, calling on the greater wisdom of the minds gathered here:

As I'm sanding and sanding and sanding, and as the advice goes once I'm done, sanding some more, I'm plotting how I'm going to go about applying the wudtone finish. My plan is to do both the body and neck in the same amaranthine finish (damn fine looking finish btw), with the neck top coat of course. My question here is how effective is masking tape in preventing wudtone from seeping through to the rosewood board? Or am I better off polishing up the rosewood so it is less porous? Alternatively, should I just do the headstock face in amaranthine and not tempt fate with the back of the neck as well? You thoughts here would be most appreciated!

Also, the fingerboard and it's accompanying inlay work seem to have some heavy gouges/scrapes across the grain, presumably where the inlay has been levelled and glue removed. Is there a super secret method of clearing this up without screwing up frets or the radius?

Thanks folks,

Andy

[keloooe]

Welcome to the forums Andy!

Using tape won't work, Wudtone soaks into the wood, therefore it will just run onto the rosewood! You can use a neck finishing kit if you like on the neck, and use the Amaranthine on the face, all depends on personal preference, although you want to use a neck top coat on it!

[andrew.mayes]

Hey mate. Thanks for the welcome!

Thats what I had figured. Much like masking off any other stain or similar finish. I have a neck top coat (might have to pick up a kit though), and no doubt there will be some amaranthine left over for the face.

Thanks for the input keloooe

[Gavin1393]

Hi Andrew
keloooe, aka Pest is our official welcoming committee and I see he has answered your question enthusiastically but regrettably incorrectly. I have used the Scotch Blue Painters tape (with edge lock) to great effect and success on all my builds (around 28) or so! Just be very careful to line up the tape with the fretboard because it is that good that if you are slightly out of alignment you will end up with a perfect line of bare wood and this can be frustrating to match up afterwards!

Gav

[Gavin1393]

Andrew, can you post some pictures of the gouges you speak of on the fretboard? DB and I will take a look and see if we can guide you.

[dingobass]

Hey Andrew,
You can get rid of those scratches by wrapping some sand paper around a six inch steel rule and carefully sand, following the radius.
Work your way up from 240 to 800grit then polish with fine steel wool.
You will end up with a super smooth fingerboard.

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from dingobass on July 28, 2013, 17:56
Hey Andrew,
You can get rid of those scratches by wrapping some sand paper around a six inch steel rule and carefully sand, following the radius.
Work your way up from 240 to 800grit then polish with fine steel wool.
You will end up with a super smooth fingerboard.

I see the "good" DB has put the "evil" DB to bed early, i felt sure you were going to advise ripping off the frets and turning Andrews project into the first forum fretless ST!

[Fretworn]

Welcome Andrew.

[Brendan]

Andrew - have used Wudtone Amber on my neck - using tape - none on the sides of the fretboard. Second is that the Rosewood is pretty dark so should hide some of the amaranthine if worst does happen...

BTW welcome along..

[andrew.mayes]

Wow! certainly a great community here! Thanks for all the input!

Thanks Gav and Brendan, I'll have a go at masking things off. As you say Brendan, rosewood should be pretty forgiving - I will have to be careful as maple is indeed not!

Being a bassist at heart Gav, I've done my fair share of 'speed bump' removal ala Jaco. Similarly, being a bassist I know I'll need said speed humps to keep all my chord playing in tune!

Dingobass and Gav - thanks, exemplar pics are attached. They are a pretty dodgy effort from my phone I'm sorry, but they're there!

Again, thanks for all the help folks!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/774ip-IMG_20130728_212723.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/0kbu2-IMG_20130728_212741.jpg

[rhay]

Hey Andy, welcome.

Looks like Gav and DB have covered off your Q's - as we'd expect, both a yoda level gurus.

I use the steel rule method for lots of little jobs, often using sticky-back sanding paper. The glue backed paper can be a bit pricey, however it allows you to make radius-matched sanding blocks and similarly funky doodads. Using it on a steel rule or aluminum block turns these devices into precision sanding machines.

Bluetape is great, however quality panel-beaters/spray painters masking tape (not $2 Shop stuff) should work too. The problems usually come when the tape lifts (which any tape can) and you don't replace it before applying the next coat.

"Wow! certainly a great community here! Thanks for all the input!" with you there - isn't it amazing! I'm fairly new to PB and the Forum, but it hooked me straight away.

[Gavin1393]

Hi Andrew

Give the "scratched" section a gentle rub with '0000' steel wool. If it doesn't solve the scratches issue, then proceed as DB suggested.

You can get rid of those scratches by wrapping some sand paper around a six inch steel rule and carefully sand, following the radius.
Work your way up from 240 to 800grit then polish with fine steel wool.
You will end up with a super smooth fingerboard.

For the smaller frets attach or wrap the sandpaper around a Popsicle stick as opposed to the steel rule.

This should sort it out for you.

[Tim]

Greetings Andrew to the wonderful world of PBG