I used one of these cheap utility knives that you get in paint stores for around a dollar.
Attachment 45738
...I also used 3M vinyl tape over the binding so that all I really needed to do was clean up.
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I used one of these cheap utility knives that you get in paint stores for around a dollar.
Attachment 45738
...I also used 3M vinyl tape over the binding so that all I really needed to do was clean up.
Thanks Weirdbits and fender3x,
I will get some smaller blades and make a smaller (f-hole friendly) jig. I may also see if I can cut a vinyl sticker of the same size as the f-hole with my Cricut cutter as I would prefer to scrape it as least as possible. I tried shaping masking tape - but that was a big failure around the curved sections (that is all sections).
Trevor the stock holes are 10mm and if your using the vintage Kluson type machine head push in buttons are 8mm you can buy 10mm bushing for those there not hard to find especially if your in north America
Here
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/315676256086?
I use these utility knife set and the mini knife is mainly what I use if I haft to clean up the binding and I use 6mm fine line tape over it you shouldn't use masking Pape because it does a rubbish job, when your painting a body I will normally tape it up about 4 times to stop build up you can buy fine line tape at any paint supplierQuote:
Originally Posted by fender3x
Attachment 45747
Attachment 45748
In the past I have used some clear type of finish and painted the binding using a fine brush, being careful to just cover the binding, as it stops stain from entering cracks and then I use a Scotchbrite and sharp knife and clean off the finish and then apply the final finish over the top of the binding.
I mostly do it the Phrozin way, but I have seen others use the Dikkybee approach, particularly when there is cracking in the binding so that you get stain seepage. Both of mine with f-holes have solid color tops, so I didn't have to worry about stain seeping in. However I do end up doing a bit of scraping in tight curves and corners where the 3M tape tends to come up a bit.
I am really intrigued by the Cricut cutter. It seems to serve of uses. I scan a lot of my templates to PDF so that I can reproduce a paper template if I ever lose or damage the original. That said, it's a bit tricky to make a flat template directly from an archtop. You might have luck if you can find a match to a G-type template on-line. If you think you have one, I'd cut it out and match it to make sure before Cricut-printing. I have two ES-335 bass bodies that are identical in their basic shape and identical in their control layout and placement. However, the are different in where the pickup cavities were placed, and one has f-holes that are slightly larger than the other. Hopefully you'll get lucky!
If that fails you might be able to reproduce at least the outline of the "hole" part of the f-hole by taping a piece of paper to the top and taking a rubbing...which is how I got the dimensions for my ES-335 control layout ;-)
Thanks phrozin, Dickeybee, and fender3x for the suggestions.
I have some builds (TL-1TB and single cut) where I have added some clear (Tru-oil) to the top binding, then masked, then stained. That worked well. I feel I just need to be more careful with the f-hole as it will be harder to clean up any runs.
I have been neglecting this build a bit!
So, some small progress. I have read that some early (pre WWII) archtop acoustic guitars with f-holes had a pointed end to the fretboard - so I thought I would give it a go!
That looks awesome!
Nice wee flourish there Trev!Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
Oh, man, that does truly give it a hand made look ;-)
Thanks Mikie91au, Frankie and fender3x. A simple addition which is a little different!
Finally, I got around to:
Adding some 3M-471 tape to the binding.
Adding a coat of Ubeaut sanding sealer to the neck and body.
Lightly sanded everything with 600 g wet and dry.
Adding a coat of Feast Watson Teak Brown stain diluted to 50%.
I'm hoping that the sanding sealer may have stopped some of the stain leaching under the tape. Fingers crossed.
Today, I have given the body and neck 2 coats of Tru-oil.
After it was touch dry, I removed the 3M vinyl tape. I am very impressed with the results - hardly any stain crept under the tape.:o
Today I scraped the binding.
Not much was needed with the side binding - mainly getting the Tru-oil off - using the razorblade mounted on dowel.
The f-holes needed a lot of work (I should have used tape on them also:(). But they cleaned up well using box cutter blades which had been CA glued onto pop sticks. The 3 pop sticks had the blades glued at (very slightly) different scraping lengths. They still need a bit of tidying up.
I am impressed by your scraping method. I confess that I have been cheating on my archtop builds. I did solid colors on the tops, and painted over the vertical surface of the binding. I only scraped of the horizontal part of the F-hole, and even then only where the 3M tape did not catch everything.
I am glad I waited to see yours before attempting a translucent finish. I haven't seen the popcicle-stick-scraper approach used before. What a great idea! I have seen the split-dowel-razor-blade-scraper, but even the DIY versions on YouTube don't looks as well made as yours. I wonder if there'd be a market for such things?
It was a big relief that the pop-stick-scrapers idea worked. Big plus is that they easy to make and low cost. They were also easy and comfortable to use! And now I have no need to fear this part of the build!
The wipe-on-poly has had a few weeks to gas-off.
So today, I have taped up the binding using 3M tape. I also created an f-hole shape on the Cricut cutter, roughly trimmed by hand and then taped up the f-holes.
I have then sprayed a coat of clear water-based poly over the whole body and neck (which will hopefully fill any sections under the tapes), then sprayed a black burst around the front of the body.
Also tried some darker shading (not sure what this is called!) on the top, bottom and waist section on the sides of the body.
A tiny bit of black got under the vinyl tape during spraying - but I now love vinyl tape for masking.
The body and headstock have now been given 5 sprayed coats of water-based gloss poly and the back of the neck 5 coats of satin poly.
One lesson I did learn today - after getting dust falling onto the wet finish - is that the cavity needs to free of dust and binding shavings, otherwise the air pressure from the spray gun going into one f-hole will blow rubbish out the other f-hole!:mad: Live and learn.
Can't see the dusty bits from here. Still looks great! I would not have thought of that as a potential issue. That probably explains why I end up learning things the hard way so often.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
Thanks fender 3x.
Today I gave the body and neck a light sand with 1500g paper. Then gave everything a few sprayed coats of Cabots water-based satin polyurethane. Now I let it rest a bit more!
Today I have glued on the neck.
There was a small gap around the neck to body joint. So, I have sprayed the joint area with a few coats of finish.
Very classic look!
Assembled, strung up and string setup completed.
Tasty! Now that really looks like something you'll want to pick up and play! The attention to detail is great. Love the subtle burst--including on the headstock.
How are you liking it as an acoustic? Curious how it compares to your resonator...and of course to a flat-top?
Thanks fender3x.Quote:
Originally Posted by fender3x
Currently I'm only using electric strings (11 - 49s). It seems a bit duller (maybe) and a bit quieter compared to my flat-top acoustic, and quiet compared to the resonator! But I expected that (and wanted that). I really wanted the feel and playability of an electric. I like the smaller body size compared to my acoustic! I think I need a good playing session to try it out!
I have a hollow thinline, and it is a lot quieter than any regular acoustic I have had, but quite a bit louder than a solid electric. It's mostly retired now due to age-related-fragility.
I read that BB King started playing thinline hollow bodies because they were quiet enough to be heard in his hotel room without disturbing the other guests. Small sized could make it a nice travel guitar ;-)
...That said...there are some cool floating pickups around if you feel like channeling your inner Charlie Christian. It would certainly look the part ;-) Nice work!
It is definitely louder than a solid body, quieter than the resonator.Quote:
Originally Posted by fender3x
I like the idea of the thinline hollow body (and I have one of those kits in the shed!).
The Charlie Christian pickups look very nice - but I'm determined that this one stays without pickups. I'm actually going to start another of the FH-5 kits - maybe this one can have a pup :confused:
This is the start to FH acoustic part II. I was lucky enough to get hold of 2 of the FH-5V kits which had no neck pocket (the new batch of PBG's FH-5V have the neck pocket!). I have put in the neck pocket using the same technique as shown on posts 22 and 24 of this diary. I have acquired a gold tailpiece and gold Grover 135 tuners.
I'm still considering how I want it stained - probably Natural top (with a black burst) and dark (Jarrah) sides.
Today I did the fret work - levelled, crowned, polished. Filed the fret ends.
Also sanded the body and neck with 240 g paper. Taped up the body binding using 3M-471 vinyl tape and gave a coat of Ubeaut sanding sealer.
The fretboard did have a couple of chunks taken out near the 3rd and 9th fret inlay dots. I ended up adding a few drops of CA glue to the hole and then scraped the area flat using a razor blade as a scraper.
Added a coat of FW Jarrah stain to the sides and back of the body and the neck.
Color combinations should look really nice. Aside from the colors are you planning to do anything different with this one?
Not really - though I will make a floating pickguard for it and I will try some heavier strings.Quote:
Originally Posted by fender3x
I have now also given the neck and body two brushed on coats of Tru-oil. Now it is time for scraping the binding.
Looking good!
Thanks fender3x.
I did not do as well with the binding this time. Some stain has leeched under the tape and along some cracks in the binding. :mad: For future reference: I should have applied the sanding sealer directly to the body and binding (which may seal the fine cracks in the binding), taped it up, and applied more sanding sealer to body (which may seal the edges of the tape). Maybe I just fluked it the first time!
That 3M vinal tape is darned near miraculous...but also not quite miraculous. I think its probably just good luck if you don't get any capillary action somewhere. I think Simon used to use a small artist's paintbrush to paint the binding with topcoat or shellac. I'd be tempted to use the 3M tape over the wood to paint the binding. That is tentatively my plan for the one I have coming up.
Do you stain first then use sanding sealer or the other way round?
I used the shellac sanding sealer after taping the binding, then added the stain. Next time I will add sanding sealer to the body and binding, then tape the binding, then add another coat of the sanding sealer, then add the stain.Quote:
Originally Posted by fender3x
As for my plan now - either paint the binding or add a strip of white vinyl sticker over the binding before adding the final coats! I will experiment a bit.
Is that one of the U-beaut stains? I am impressed how dark you can get it over sanding sealer.