Hey mate! You could use gum turps.Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
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Hey mate! You could use gum turps.Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Thanks Bakersdozen will check it out. I’m paranoid that water will damage or lift the finish either around peg holes or on the front body around pickup and bridge cutouts.
It does say for oil based but I’m using acrylic...
It's easy to do. I've done it before on end grain and it's a pain in the butt to remedyQuote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Yeah I’m super stressed about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakersdozen
I guess another question would be do you have to wet sand at all? Does anyone dry sand with no load sandpaper (if so what and where did you get it) it does anyone skip and go straight to cut and polish?
OK, managed to finish the clear coat on the body today, so now time to let it cure enough before wet sanding. Will use the time to finish off designing my decal and getting the headstock sorted.
For the wet sanding, was thinking of starting off with 1200 and then 2000, does that seem reasonable? I had a run on the back on the very last spray but other than that the body has come up really well.
Then the old Meguiars to cut and polish.
I've used Micro Mesh pads for my wet polishing and they have worked a treat. Always use water as it acts as a lubricant. But you better fix the run first.
With the run won’t it be fixed as part of the wet sanding process as the run is the clear coat acrylic?Quote:
Originally Posted by ILRGuitars
Block the run out first, then smooth the rest.Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Got you, yep. I’ll let the body cure for a couple of weeks then block sand the runs then sand all over.Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankenWashie
Hopefully I get the headstock and decal done while I’m waiting for the body. Plan to order some Tru Oil as well so I can do the neck. After that. Slowly, slowly..... :-)
Just a quick question, for the wait time around curing i was wondering if there is a difference for wet sanding and the cut and polish?
My understanding is that the acrylic will be 20 to 30 days to cure and you shouldn't assemble before that time.
I did my final clear coat on the body 2 weeks ago and it doesn't smell much at all now, so wondering if i can wet sand this weekend and then wait 2 weeks to cut and polish and assemble? (going to wet sand with 800 lightly, then on to 1200, 1500 and 2000).
I'm doing the decal on the headstock this weekend so still have some work to do there, but wanted to work not he body in the meantime.
Thoughts?
I’d give it three weeks at least, you want to be absolutely sure all the coats are cured
properly.
Thanks FW, very eager but i know that patience will make a huge difference. Luckily i have the headstock to work on as i have trouble just sitting idle waiting...maybe i need another kit to overlap and keep me busy! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankenWashie
Finally happy with my headstock logo design, so printed it on Waterslide Inkjet Paper, sprayed for waterproofing and after a few failed test runs i managed to apply. Very happy with the result, so now time to let it dry and start the process of adding more clear over the top followed by sanding to hopefully reduce the outline visibility.
Dude that’s hot! Really like that look bro, you’ve knocked that one out the park!Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Thanks FW, appreciate the feedback! Went through a lot of iterations but just wasn't quote 100% happy until i landed on this one. It turned out better than i expected so very happy.
Awesome design on that decal. Great work.
Thanks DM :)Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkMark
I have a quick question, i've been leaving the body clear coat dry for nearly 3 weeks now and working on the headstock but i'm still thinking i may not have enough clear on the body. So my question is, if you let the clear dry for a month then decide to add a few more coats, do you have to wait another month or because the coats are only a few extra and 'op top' you can wait just a couple of weeks? Just interested to know. I'm using acrylic clear in the form of an SCA spray can.
NEED HELP / ADVICE!
Whilst my headstock isn't ready yet, my body was ready for wet sanding! So i started the process very slowly given its my first time, and sanded the entire body with 800 grit. It worked really well. I left the edges as i was worried about the amount of clear coat that was on there.
Next i sanded the entire body with 1500 grit and again it worked well....EXCEPT for one tiny spot where i sanded through the clear, white and into the base!
I then did the entire body, including monkey grip and edges with 2000 grit but left the spot where i sanded through. At the end i had a really good result and its ready for a cut and polish, with the exception of that one tiny annoying spot!
I really don't want to start over as the rest of the body had no sand through issues and came up well, and i'm not sure how to best save this...i'm sure there is a way and just need some advice.
I've include sand through and general body pics.
Its looking tremendous mate, you should be proud. Going to look killer when all done! Where is the spot your talking about located on the guitar? I can't see it in the bigger pictures. Depending on where it is you could try a spot touch up. Mask around it, sand back and start the process again in just that one tiny area. Did you get down to bare wood or primer?
Thanks Bakersdozen...i really like how everyone here provides positive feedback and encouragement especially for those just starting out.
I've never really made anything since woodworking days in high school many, many years ago! hahaha
I've upload a new pick showing a red box around the sand through. It's showing the primer so not to the bare wood. Its right where the strap pin would go.
I'd mask around it as has been said already, then spray white and then some clear. After a couple of coats of clear. I'd widen up the unmasked area and add more clear, as you'll need to feather the finish in with the rest.
It is very easy to sand through around the edges - you don't realise how much extra pressure you can apply. So always best to give edges some extra coats.
If you are spraying nitro, then it will happily go on to a gloss surface. But any other finish probably needs a light sanding to give the new coats something to grip on to.
Thanks Simon. I was hoping I could tape off and touch up so good to get that advice. I’m actually using acrylic clear so will rough up a little to get it to stick. I was in a panic but feel a little better now.
Acrylic blends really easily so you won't have to worry about roughing it much. As long as you are spraying like onto like it'll be fine. Try to avoid spraying right up to the taped edge, as you can create lines and bumps, try and blend to where you have taped. Then when its nice and hard you can cut it back. I'll often tape up the hard edges when polishing and cutting and leave them till last. They usually end up getting buffed pretty well inadvertently, so good idea to protect them while you are getting the flat bits nice and shiny.
Thanks Sonic, just starting now so will take all these tips and see how I go. Luckily it’s a small area so hopefully easy to rectify. Hard to blend using spray can though. Learning a lot from this build.
I'll say. i.e. Cabot's Exterior gloss and SCA acrylic clear gloss do not get on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain
Another first-hand cautionary tale.
cheers, Mark.
Use height and or distance to featherQuote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Luckily i'm using just SCA products so should all be good. Will try the heigh and distance trick and see how i go. I guess it gives me time to finish last few coats of clear on the headstock while i'm waiting for tru oil order to arrive.
I need to do some small tidy up on headstock edge where I took off the tape and wondering what the best approach is. Should I just take to it with a fine grit sandpaper to remove any paint overhang or is there a better way?
Also is there any need to tape up the front of the headstock when applying the tru oil on the back and neck? I was going to tape edge of fretboard but wasn’t sure if I shoul do anything else.
Show us a picture if you can.Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Depends on your application technique. Some do, some don't. Have a practice on scrap first to see how it goes on (especially around edges) and you might find you don't have to. I'm always paranoid about leaving a hard edge on the finish when taping up.Quote:
Originally Posted by a_novice
Here are a couple of pics, its just where the tape was removed...most of the top side edge is really clean but the bottom didn't turn out as neat.
I'd try either some steel wool or a white (super fine) scouring pad. I found white scouring pads at a cleaning supplies shop. Great for knocking things down like flakey paint and bumps in truoil without leaving scratches.
I've got some 0000 steel wool at hand so maybe i'll give that a go.
A strong magnet wrapped in a paper towel or rag can help clean up rougue particles of steel wool.
That's a neat trick.
ok, managed to to polish up the body with a first pass of meguiars ultimate compound, and the shine is definitely there. However i do notice swirl marks when it catches the light at the right angle...i thought the polishing process would remove any swirl marks?
Maybe i'm not apply correctly, too much compound, or maybe not enough pressure (as doing this by hand) etc....any ideas??
i've added pics of what i used as well as pic of the swirls.
You shouldn't be using any pressure, you need to let the polish/pad do the work. Without a buffer it's pretty arm breaking but you just have to persevere.
Did you cut it back with anything else before the Meguiars? You normally have to work up through a few grades of polish to achieve a really glassy finish. So cutting compound, then cut and polish, then a finishing polish and swirl remover.
I didn’t cut back with anything beforehand. I’m assuming then the ultimate compound isn’t a cutting compound then?? Any suggestions what I should be using? Given I’m doing this by hand is there a possible issue with going through the clear using all those products?
Is it ok to go back to another product now that I’ve been over it already ?
Which one is Meguires ultimate? A finishing compound??Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain