wow Arzi thats looks sweet as. So by the looks that red flame won't be covered
I just went back and saw the control cover and pup surrounds look fantastic well done
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wow Arzi thats looks sweet as. So by the looks that red flame won't be covered
I just went back and saw the control cover and pup surrounds look fantastic well done
Thanks Wokka!
A lot of work to be done and learning as I go. Next time will do something differently.
Yes I'm gonna leave that flaming on there. First I thought that I would sand some of the black areas to be more gray but then I saw how the flaming sucked the black color and decided to go as black as possible. Still when light hits the top it reflects shades of gray - I think this will become stronger when I add more TO layers. Maybe I should change the guitar's name to Fifty shades of grey... ;)
The scratchplates still have the protective plastic on them so they are actually darker than in the pictures.
Also at fist I was gonna use more red on the center but if the staining went sideways it would have been a lot of work to go over the whole top again sanding all of the color off.
Maybe the layer will be thick enough in a couple of weeks for polishing. No need to rush at this point.
Arzi
with no grain filler it will take quite a few layers of TO to get a flat surface, but you can do it
Hi Stan
When I first started I got my mind set for 20-50 layers - everything in between so I'm ready for it. I knew that it would not be easy. Next time I'll be wiser. But as you all know it's hard when you can't move to the next stage in the build. The good part is that I can do this at home if necessary and don't need to use any power tools.
Tomorrow we'll be heading back home for a week and then back to the kid's grandparents. Propably won't be able to finish this build this month but putting the pieces in place can be done at home or at work in the future. After the TO job the rest will be quicker.
Arzi
Arzi colour looks awesome. One way to increase your TO filling is to alternate the wipe direction.I always used to wipe the one way along the grain, but recently have been alternating between with and across using heavier coats on the across and also "wooling" across the grain to level the TO a bit quicker.
Hi Tony
Thanks for the tip about wiping across the grain. Thought about that at some point and it might just do the trick. Will try that. The last time I wooled I did it across the grain. Took 2 layers to fill the scratches made but it's logical not to wipe the poors clean by going with the grain all the time. In stead the oil should fill the gaps and stay there and this could be done by wiping across once in a while at least in the beginning.
Arzi
Arzi, It may not help now but after watching a few guys on youtube doing gunstocks with tru oil, the first few coats I have been doing with my fingers and rubbing circularly until it start getting really tacky and then putting a little more on the fingers and continue rubbing until drying. Once dry I give a quick rub back with 0000 and then do again. Seems to be working especially with maple caps which always have divots and cutting tears.
Looking awesome Arzi! The red highlights look sweet as
Thanks guys for tips and nice words. Tried to make TO tackier with my fingers and then wiping across the grain with a rubber spackle tool (what's it called again...). Spooked a bit when it got tacky - tried this after maybe the fifth coat. Wooled and continued with the grain. Should have done it in the first place a couple of times. Well - you live and you learn... :)
Arzi
Hi
A bit of an update...
I have put on 20 coats of TO on the top and it's not levelling out the way I want to. There seems to be a lot of crap ( dust particles, tiny pieces of thread etc) on the surface that have been stuck between the layers. I don't know how clean the rags should have been for I've used pieces of old sheets and T-shirts that I did not see any lints or similar on but anyway...
I decided to try wet sanding with TO tomorrow using 1000grit or 1200 grit paper. Doing this carefully just to see if I can at least get the crap away from the surface to level it a bit. If it works, I'll put a couple of coats on and then continue oiling the sides and back - this time with the helpful tips from Tony and other members. I'll let the top dry for a week and then maybe try wet sanding it with soapy water and 2000 grit if I have the courage to do it.
Or would it be better to lay more coats before wet sanding with water? I saw a video on youtube where a guy wet sanded with 800 and TO after 10 coats and then applied 10 more and continued with water and 1200 + 2000 grit. Then moved to final polishing with 3M products. This was to achieve a high gloss level surface on ash body. I have no previous experience on what kind of sanding 10 coats or 20 coats can take before going thru and doing damage.
Damn this is frustrating and exciting at the same time...
try a fine sand just to get rid of the crap on the top surface...
Hi Stan
Just finished a quick 5 minute sanding with 800 and TO. Great results. Leveled significantly and got the crap out. Did not go thru on any place and now for the first time I saw how much more TO and wet sanding I have left ( quite a bit). I'll do a few more coats and then repeat with 1200 grit and TO. This should give me a decent surface for the final wet sanding with 2000 grit after it has dried about a week or so.
Arzi
sounds good Arzi, glad it's working out
Sand and oil...
This is what it's all about. After the first sanding with TO and 800 I put on a few coats and did TO sanding with 1200. After that another few coats and another TO sand with 1200. Now I did a few coats again and letting the top cure for a week. Then it's wet sanding with water and 2000grit.
Because I was too rough on the flaming with low grit paper in the beginning, I managed to dig deeper in to the wood and now I have to fill those areas with TO and everyone who has done this knows it's a slow process...
At least now I can start on the sides and back with more knowleage. First I have to get rid of some TO that I managed to spill on few spots on the sides. Saw a video about a razor blade with tape to remove high spots on the oil. Might use that or just put on layers and then sand it level. Now I'm gonna do the slurry a few times first and then TO sanding before putting on the thin coats.
Will put up pics when I get something to show.
Oily hello to everyone...
So, i've now put on 7 generous coats of TO on the sides and back. Learning new things about flaming - it sucks... oil I mean! I put one coat on couple of weeks back and now that I started a slurry coat, I did not have time to slurry before the oil went in to the wood. Poured 3-4 times more oil on and it all just vanished in to the wood. Now it starts to buil up but I had some doubts at first. Gonna put on 3 more coats, then let it cure for 24 hours before sanding with TO and 1200 grit for the first levelling.
But another question popped in my mind about grounding the individual bridges. I read that if you have active pups or a preamp on you would not have to ground all or none of the bridges. Now that they are passive, I have to ground one and link every piece together. I didn't think about this before starting the finish so - how have you done this if you have done it? The wire would show between the bridges even though they are only about 2mm apart. Should I put the wire going between screws or just under one to the other - will it conduct when they are painted black?
I was thinking about finding a thin black covered wire, stripping so that the black cover would stay just in between the bridges and then gently tap the wire down into the finished surface covering it with a drop of TO maybe?... I don't know...
Any advise would be welcome :)
As long as the 4 strings are connected electrically somewhere it will be fine. If you are using string without silk at the headstock end then maybe you could wire the machine heads together?
Painting wire black won't be a problem at all as long as the part that is contacting the bridge isn't painted.
Another option would be a layer of conductive paint between the saddles, then put black over that paint between the saddles.
Hi Moody
Thanks for the info. Spent 5 hours in a car yesterday with the family and the got P.A.S.S syndrome ( puke and s**t syndrome) from a bad food at a buffer... So I had a s****y day and night. Maybe I'll get back to the project today.
Had another thought. Put a brass nut on the bass. While it is not the most conductive metal it will definitely be good enough for grounding the strings.
That's all well and good, brass nuts are great, but how are you going to ground the nut?
Hi Moody, what is the grounding issue ? You just need to run an earth wire that makes clean contact with the bottom of the bridge to the control cavity and solder that to the back of a volume pot. If you copper shield the control cavity you won't need to run earth wires to the other pots.
Installing a brass nut will have no effect on earthing the electrics but will sound and play better
I think Moody is suggesting the nut as an alternative to grounding each bridge part as Arzi is using individual saddles for each string.
ah ok Pablo I wasn't aware of the bridge setup.
As long as an earth wire makes contact with one of the bridge saddles it should earth fine. Hopefully one of the bridge saddle mounts are over the hole so the earth wire is hidden, otherwise might have to drill another earth wire hole to the control cavity.
Now I understand using a brass nut will complete the circuit so all 4 strings will earth the electrics. Never had this situation on the forum so I'd just see how one saddle earth goes
It might work. Good opportunity to use a brass nut, but I'd be worried about the low conductivity issue. Personally, I'd be drilling some new holes and grounding each separate saddle.
Hi
Nice to see this I.B - issue is something new. Thing is:
Need to ground each bridge - gonna do this by some kind of wiring between bridges. As said I need to close the circuit somehow.
Not gonna wire the tuning pegs. Don't see how I would make this.
Not gonna use a brass nut - still trying to decide using the stock nut or bone nut (have one 42mm x 6mm x 9mm bone nut that just needs a bit of filing to fit).
One of the bridges is located right on top of the wire hole and I'm not too comfortable with the idea of drilling more holes when I've finished the surface. Spent weeks on the TO at that point. Still - some kind of decision has to be made.
2 more days with the oil on the sides, back and neck and then I can finish the top. A week from now I'll finish the sides, back and the neck. Maybe I'll post those pics that I promised ages ago...
fair enough Arzi, maybe you could connect the bridges with a black bare wire couple of strands should be enough if they are available.
I can understand why you don't want to drill holes into an almost finished body.
Look forward to the pics, must look pretty shiny now !
Copper tape (or other conductive tape, like carbon etc) may be an option. Or, perhaps a flat braid wire to give a good connection without crushing to deeply into the finish.
Carbon tape - never thought of that. I wonder if I get it anywhere near here.. Would be flat and if had the carbon look - almost invisible. Never seen one before.
So here are the pics I promised a while ago. Still the quality is poor because for some reason I have to reduce these to under 100kb.
Anyway, the shot of the flaming was taken before the first TO wet sanding. I thought it would be nice to see this up close.
Then for comparison pics of the neck from a far and up close so you can really see the grains and color. From a distance and poor lighting it seems almost black.
On the back of the body there is quite a bit of flaming too. Didn´t flip on the top because the back is still in progress with the TO.
And more pics to show
Through the string that is attached to the ground at the bridge. The issue isn't that a ground can't get to the bridge, just that it can't get to all the bridge.Quote:
Originally Posted by pablopepper
Not an issue, the amount of current is very low and the bulk of a nut along with a pretty decent contact area with the string would make up for being less conductive. It's the whole more current through thicker pipe analogy.Quote:
Originally Posted by pablopepper
So,
Here it is at last... Got it polished with wet sanding 2000 grit and soap water. Then polishing with AutoGlym Paint renovator and Wax. Should have gone to higher grits but I´m running out of time and I need to get the neck in place this week. Maybe will polish more later.
Pics with hardware. Still thinking if the Black pearl is the right choice for scratchplates. Pics are darker than the real color - more gray-ish is the truth on the top.
Still - with this being my second build and first time TO practice - I´m pretty pleased with the results. :)
Still have to keep pics under 200kb. At least not under 100kb like before...Attachment 4190Attachment 4191Attachment 4192
looking nice and shiny Arzi, no wonder you are happy with the results - looks great !
Phwoar! That is stunning! Off the wall, but amazing none the less. I really like what's going on here.
Amazing! Love the red patches Arzi, I'd be plenty chuffed about this body so far!
amazing job Arzi, looks great. The black pearloid scratch plates look just right
Thanks guys! Amazing stuff that TO. Will use it again for the next build. Maybe not gonna aim for mirror finish again because of the amount of work but you never know.
It' great to be able to take the next step with this one and start putting the pieces together.
nice one Arzi,
luckily you live far enough away from the Naughty room otherwise DB would throw you in for a while with those comments
Yeah. Gotta make it with what you have. :)