Thanks mate. Funny enough, I'm NOT happy with the burst. It's just not turning out like I saw it in my mind's eye.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrNomis_44
Plenty more coats to go on. It still might happen...
Printable View
Thanks mate. Funny enough, I'm NOT happy with the burst. It's just not turning out like I saw it in my mind's eye.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrNomis_44
Plenty more coats to go on. It still might happen...
At what point do I start using the 0000 steel wool?
Between stain coats?
When you think you want to start glossing it up, i use it, well 0000 pads between each caot where i feel rouch patches with my finger tips, i then rub it down with some naptha then 600 again the another coat, until i am done then i buff it out with 0000 then i switch to my finishing compounds.
Hey Muzza, DB usually says if you are trying to get more depth in the colour skip the steel wool stages to later like before clear coats, so I'd just keep applying stain coats.
Ahh yes i didnt read it properly, i use 0000 between stain coats if i need to rub out a slight bit of rough, other than than i just wipe over with a slightly damp rag between coats to take away the excess stain and pop the fibres up a little.
I might interject here, as I can see some advice been given that might not suit this build.
DingoTone finish is oil based ... since oil & water have never been known to mix, wiping with a damp rag could possibly have a detrimental effect on the finish.
The above advice is true with Water or Alcohol based dyes & stains..... but not with oil based ones.
Ask DingoTone directly, if he doesn't post without reading the previous posts
Actually, I am glad this topic came up.
Today I 1000 grit wet sanded back a body done in MKII and the results are good.
Photo really doesnt do it justice, the finish is glossier than it appears here.... Ipad not the best for glamour shots :p
When fully cured it should take a nice shine.
Of course the body will need to sit over night to make sure all the water has evaporated before I apply the last final coat.
When this coat cures, I will leave it for at least 21 days before I do the final cut and polish.
looks good DB so that was the jazz bass hanging, has that had 2 coats of clear mark II aleady ?
must be beer oclock mate !
I'm really struggling getting this burst right. I've lost count on how many times I've sanded it all back and started again. I'll soon have to just accept what I've got before I run out of veneer. I'm almost out of Nullabor Ochre, so I've really only got one more shot at it.
The black band is too wide and it's a bit wonky. I keep sanding it back, and it keeps coming back at that width. I'm not having so much difficulty with my second PRS build. This one seems to screw me over every chance it gets.
Attachment 9563
At least I've finally got the neck as black as I wanted it. The back of the guitar body is this black too.
Attachment 9564
These just arrived this morning. I reckon I won't be needing them for at least a few weeks at the rate I'm going...
Attachment 9917
You'd be surprised. Those 1500 through to 4000 are handy for wet sanding as you are getting near then end of doing top coats. Much easier on the finish than 0000 steel wool.
I fix one f*&% up, and another one taunts me. The veneer I bought for the headstock turned out just terrible. The flame all but disappeared and the real grain, which is remarkably coarse, took all the stain.
I've ordered another couple of sheets of veneer, hoping that this piece was just an anomaly.
Attachment 9992
Could using sanding sealer have prevented this?
No suggestions??? C'mon guys, help me out here.
I got some replacement veneer, (from the same supplier... for the LAST TIME!) but it looks like I'm going to have the same problem. The stain soaks into the cracks in the grain and the 'flame' all but disappears.
Here is a small section of the replacement veneer doing the same thing. You can just make out the 'flame', but the grain dominates.
Attachment 10120
I got some of this 'sanding sealer' when I bought my first kit and I've never even opened it.
Attachment 10121
Do you think using some of this would help? It says on the label that it is 'Non Grain Filling'. (I was told that it's shellac based, if that means anything)
I don't know what to try next...
Well that sucks.. Not had that happen with flamed veneer...
I wonder if giving it a grain fill with some neutral timbermate would help???
The sanding sealer would most likely act as a barrier that would prevent the stain taking but then again, without experimenting I am only making a semi edumacated guess...
BTW, I actually like that burst. It is nice and moody and I reckon it suits the PRS shape.
I wonder if you can pre-saturate the veneer with something non-staining and then apply your stain so only the flame is highlighted. If I was using colortone stains mixed with alcohol/metho I'd try wetting the veneer with just metho first, getting it really soaked, and then rub in the stain. Not sure if it would work, but may be worth a try on a scrap piece.
I'm interested in this also. I just stained the back of my ES-3 with the intention of sanding it back to bring out the grain in the basswood a bit but the open pores from the way the veneer was peeled seem to take up the stain and you don't really see the grain all that well. Sounds similar to the issues you're having. I have a tub of sanding sealer that I may try on the sides and face to see if that makes a difference.
Well, I've set up a 'testing station'.
I worked out how much and which parts of the veneer wasn't going to be used, cut them off with scissors and I've titebonded them to a piece of ply. Leave them to dry overnight and go to bed! [yawn...]
Tomorrow, I'll sand them smooth and try the sanding sealer on one piece and some natural wood filler on the other.
I'll get back to you with the results.
So here's my 'experiment'...
Not ready to apply the stain yet as I've decided to try as many options as possible with the material I have on hand.
As you can see, there's not a lot of material to work with - car keys included for size reference.
I've just got to sand back the filler tomorrow and apply some more sanding sealer to two of the sections.
Attachment 10208
Oh what a feeling......let me guess, keys are for a 2005 Camry or Avalon perhaps?
Hope the experiment also gives you that 'Oh what a feeling' too.
You got the year right, but nope, they're for a 100 series V8 Landcruiser - the Double Island Point Express!
Toyota keys of that era all looked pretty much the same before they migrated to central locking buttons in the key rather than on a fob.
I like having them separately. I can put the key in my boardshorts or wettie when I go for a surf. Can't do that with my missus' Subaru.
So true, poor design strategy for lifestyle vehicles where chance of keys getting wet or drowned is quite probable.
Here are the test results. Grain going up/down in all photos. I used FW 'Jarrah' proof tint stain as I'm almost out of DT stain coat.
On the samples with multiple coats, I sanded back with 400 between applications and after the final application.
First one; sanding sealer only. OK, but not ideal.
Attachment 10270
Left half, timbermate only. Right half, sanding sealer base with timbermate on top.
I reckon the timbermate sucks in too much stain and enhances the grain faults.
Attachment 10271
Timbermate base, sanding sealer on top. Better... but geez that timbermate sucks in the stain.
Attachment 10272
This one, the winner, has a base of sanding sealer, covered in thinned down natural timbermate, and another coat of sanding sealer on top.
Attachment 10273
In the following photo, I sanded everything back with 240 and applied some Nullarbor Ochre DT Intensifier, because I can't afford to waste a single drop of stain coat. The 'winning' sample is the one in the middle at the top.
Attachment 10274
Who did you order your veneer from? GuitarAust?Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
https://www.guitaraust.com.au/
I don't have anything I could post about GuitarAust that wouldn't be instantly remove by the moderators, or land me in court.
Really, Tweaks? I have been doing business with them since they started and never had any issues..
Be interested to hear your experience with them via PM.
I assure you it will stay between you and I.
Yep. That's them. I won't be buying any veneer from them again in the near or distant future.
UNLESS... this works.
I thought so when I saw the results you were getting.
I haven't bothered trying to use the veneer I received from them as I could pretty much see the same thing happening to me, just by looking at quality of the 4 pieces of striped maple veneer at $9.90 a piece I received, and that was months ago, way before you posted.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Seems we both have both made the same mistake.
The two pieces of quilted maple veneer I also purchased were better, but still way over priced.
Have a look at their prices for inlay material, let's take Aus Green Lipped Abalone shell for example.... $7 a piece.
https://www.guitaraust.com.au/headst...-greenlip.html
Where you can buy 1 Oz of the same [10-12 pieces] for around $12
http://orders.mopsupplies.com/c/1785...p-abalone.html
Thats bad news Muzza about the veneer. Nice experiment though
I still haven't worked up the courage to attempt the headstock veneer again.
BUT... I've had one minor breakthrough... I've been envious of all the people with bolt on necks (on their guitars...) being able to screw a lump of wood into the neck socket - enabling them to work on both sides of the guitar at the same time. I have come up with a solution for us poor set-neck cousins.
I shaped a bit of scrap aluminium into a box shape, screwed that to the lump of wood (neck substitute) and then screwed through the aluminium box's sides into the guitar body's neck socket sides and one at the pickup end.
Attachment 10502 Attachment 10503
Hey Muzza, bummer about the veneers. First I heard bad things about the supplier.
Love the set neck hanging method, very cool
Cheers Wokka
Yep, I think I will be slavishly copying that design Muzz
Muzza I had terrible problem with some beautiful maple veneer last week . Mould spots on the surface which only appeared the day after I glued it. I can only think as I had to dampen the veneer to make it more supple,so that I could clamp it to the headstock more easily. I guess the cooler nights and the extra moisture created the right environment for the mould, especially with baking paper on top to stop my caul gluing to veneer. I tried a variety of things to try and kill it the first being chlorine bleach as per recommended online, vinegar, and then hydrogen peroxide at 3%. Wether or not any one had the desired effect or it was combination of all three the bleach didn't lighten the veneer which was great. It looks to of sorted it out , I'll let you know more when I've sanded down properly ready for stain. By the way great build enjoyed watching it develop. Well done.
Best Wishes
Kimball
Well... No more putting it off. Time to have another crack at that headstock veneer.
I thought I had more F clamps than this. I really would've liked to have used at least another 4, but...
Attachment 10670
Turned out OK. I'll know for sure when I trim it flush, but I was 'enthusiastic' to see if the veneer would take the stain in a more acceptable way.
Not ideal, but light years ahead of the first attempt...
Attachment 10671 Attachment 10672
One never has enough clamps....
Nice hanger idea, simple but effective.
Bewdiful. I think that veneer has a good pattern Muzz
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!
F#%£€¥+{?!!!!!!
Attachment 10857 Attachment 10858
I was was trying to tweak the burst with what was meant to be the LAST intensifier coat. I dabbed a mix of Black Stump and Nullabor Ochre - it looked fantastic. 'LOOKED' (past tense) being the key word here...
what happened Muzza looks like you spilled the DT container ?
if it is still damp see if you can soak some up with a rag or paper towel, but very careful to try not smear it
What tha?
Not seen that happen before...