Reliced to the max without even trying. Almost looks like the top on a 300 year old stradavarius.
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Reliced to the max without even trying. Almost looks like the top on a 300 year old stradavarius.
A 'Muzzavarious'...?
You have gotta put that on the headstock now.
I put a coat of DT Black Stump intensifier (MKII) on both builds the previous Sunday night - 11 days ago.
They're both still tacky and I put a big smudge where I tested it. I thought it would've been dry by now and put a little more 'effort' into the 'test touch' than I should have.
Attachment 10505
I initially thought the delay in curing may be because the DT was reacting with the Feast Watson Proof Tint Black underneath, but... the DT Nullabor Ochre intensifier (MKI) was also applied over Feast Watson Proof Tint Jarrah at the same time, and that dried within 4 days.
It's been mainly dry here for the last few weeks, as far as I recall. Only a few scattered showers, but it's always a little humid here.
It's been so frustrating. I've had no good luck at all with the Black Stump, whereas the Nullabor Ochre has been fine.
I've put both bodies in the walk-in-wardrobe this morning with the dehumidifier to see if that would help. The RH in there is now under 50% and the temp is up to 28 deg.
They've been in there for a tad over 12 hours so far, and already feeling drier. Looks like they just needed to get out of the Queensland weather for a few hours.
Yeah humidity has been up there lately in SE Qld. I've noticed it as well. Wish I had a dehumidifier.
Well, some good news. I asked a question some time ago regarding masking the rosewood binding. Somebody suggested polishing it so any bleed through would be easy to remove.
I used my set of micro mesh pads for the first time, going through all the grits to 12000, and it looks pretty polished, hey? It's hard to believe that rosewood is just raw polished timber!
Attachment 10864
[Edit: it was Andy40's suggestion. Thanks mate!]
Always welcome Muzz, how bout I steal your ideas and you steal mine :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
Well, my second build's body has now overtaken my first one. I've finally started applying the finish to a guitar body.
WOO HOOOO!
I also just glued the quilted maple veneer on the headstock of this build. Let's hope I don't have the same dramas as the crappy flame maple veneer on the other build!
good stuff Muzza, we will need to see some pics please when the HS veneer cures and clamps are off.
How did the veneer look raw with bit of wet cloth over it ?
I was supposed to put a wet rag on it???
Don't Flip! I'm sure He meant a quick wipe down with a damp rag or a rag dampened with mineral spirits. It reveals the grain flame and gives you an impression of what it would look like clear coated. there is no build requirement for covering with damp cloth..I believe...Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
If you want to mask something thin like that, and be safe in the knowledge that you won't get anything on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
Just go to your local art supply store and get some watercolour artist's, paint on latex mask.
As the name implies, you paint it on, do what you have to do, the when you want to remove it just rub it off with your finger
I've got some of that masking fluid Tweakster, but I find its too runny and thin to be effective.
I just used a higher quality masking tape bought at the big green shed.....it was yellow in colour and supposed to be ok for remaining on a job for a long period of time. Left no residue on either of the EX builds which meant the tape was on for at least 4 - 5 months covering the edge and top of the rosewood fret board. Mind you I did cut out a bit of that plasticky stuff the necks were packed in to cover the Fret Board and then brought the tape across from the dot marker edge....you what I mean.
I've bought that blue tape used by car detailer's as well, 3M 1mm 971 tape I think it's called.....rather expensive for what it is.
I used it to cover the binding of my ES-3 neck binding when dying the fret board black with Indian Ink
Muzz,
I am trying my hand at a dingotone burst from black stump to a "hybrid" colour i've made up on a scrap bit of pine. both colours look fine but it doesn't seem to be blending too well in the middle (stark contrast colours). do they blend better after more stain coats or is there a trick to it?
Mate... I really appreciate you coming to me for advice, but I'm not the right person to ask about anything regarding DingoTone. I've had so much trouble using it and tried so many different methods over such a seemingly long time, I don't remember what worked and what didn't anymore.
You could try making a 'blending shade' by combining the two colours into a third YOGOT tub.
Also, don't expect to get the finished burst effect in the first application. I think that's ONE area where I messed up.
Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with my DT experience. To be clear, I'm NOT saying DT isn't a great product. It just doesn't like me or my methods. And I HATE the waiting between coats. If you make a fluff-up, you've got to wait up to a week to fix it. It's intensely frustrating.
One little insight... I wanted a really 'BLACK' black on my builds and had to help the black stump along with Feast Watson Proof Tint black. I could've used 2 full bottles of black stump and still not got it as black as one single coat of FWPT.
Might be be worth putting a question up in the DingoTone section.
It would've been really helpful if there was a tutorial video on this topic when I started this (these) project(s) back at the end of January.
I've seen what you're capable of and I'm confident you'll end up doing an amazing job, and I'm quite chuffed that you thought I could be of help.
Good luck mate.
Well the quality of the quilted maple headstock veneer (from the sam supplier) was of substantially better quality.
Attachment 11350
I'm finally ready to start applying the finish coats on the neck. Already started on the body.
One thing bothering me. The fretboard feels quite rough. I haven't seen any builds where the fretboard needed sanding. Maybe I'm not looking at enough build threads.
How does one go about sanding the fretboard with the frets installed?
There's a couple of posts here showing how I normally do it, using slivers of a radius block, strips of pickguard plastic etc. Work with the grain, not across it, hence the need for smaller and smaller blocks and strips.
Is that the only way? I would've thought going across the grain initially would've knocked the high bits off with less effort?
Lol @ YOGOT.Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
Thanks Muzz, I thought your blend between BS and NO looked quite good.
BTW...in my tests on some pine, there was a massive difference between applying BS over timbermate compared to unsealed. the BS on unsealed pine went "blacker than black" immediately and held quite well, whereas the timbermated pine needs many more coats.
That being said the other stains i've used, coolangatta gold, outback sunset, karajini red and custom rosewood have no issue with timber treated with timbermate, but then again there colours are not as dark.
Anyways, I hope your build goes well. I enjoy reading it.
OK, I made a mistake choosing white binding. It's really... 'stark!' I should've gone with cream.
Any suggestions on how to 'age' the binding before I apply any more finish coats?
Sorry mate, I got no ideas as to how to make it go cream? Unless you put a little bit of DT stain in the finish coat and just apply a thin bit to the binding maybe?
Hmmm... I wonder if you can mix DT with Tru Oil?
DB's head will explode when he reads this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
Alrighty then....
As the cupboard under the stairs in the naughty warehouse is at capacity, looks like our old mate Muzza is banished to the garden shed out the back. Seee ya in about ten years Muzza :p
As for your rough fingerboard, you can use a Stanley knife blade as a cabinet scraper. Easy to get right up to the frets.
hey DB isn't there a clapped out old small caravan out the back where Ads has been living since he introduced Tru Oil to the PBG shop ?
the Garden shed sounds like a much better option than the overcrowded cupboard under the stairs !
Adam is residing in an old mini van right down the back corner behind a 12 foot high elecrified razor wire fence.... :p
haha good one DB, so sounds like it's going to take some serious amount of time for you to forgive Ads for putting TO on the PBG shop !
I need to be cut a little slack here regarding the Tru Oil.
I threw out the DT mk1, as directed, when I became a tester for mk2. Then I was told to throw out the mk2 because it was actually mk1. So I did what I was told, threw out the mk2/1 and waited, waited, waited (in vain) for the replacement DT mk2/2.
So, with this in mind, is DT intensifying coat compatible with the unmentionable oil?
hey Muzza do you mean mixing them and applying or waiting for the DT intensifier coat to cure then apply the TO ?
I've put TO over DT (when the DT has cured) no problem
I've put a few base coats of Blonde Shellac on my ES-3 build, and contrary to what others do [scraping it off ], I decided I liked the look of the shellac on the binding, rather than the stark white.Quote:
Originally Posted by Muzza
It gives it a aged look, without the green tinge usually associated with aged plastic.
Stew Mac give a video tutorial on how to match new with old binding using tinted shellac, basically the same thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waGq9EE71UY
The beauty of using shellac is, 1] you can tint it with alcohol soluble dyes 2] it's easy to apply 3] It's also easy to remove if you find you don't like it 4] It's easy to repair if you damage it, as shellac melts into itself.
No, mixing it before applying it.
I thought i might might try mixing some instant coffee with the oil. Trouble is, this is an instant coffee free zone.
Using it as a stain is a much better use than drinking it. (Mixing it with Tru Oil would make it taste better too...)
[edit] hey Tweaky, we were typing at the same time, I almost missed your comment.
I don't have shellac, but my sanding sealer is shellac based. I wonder if that would suffice? I don't want to buy any more 'products'.
You could use tea as well, as it's just the Tannin that you want from it.
You might want to use old [used] Tea, as I think using fresh might be too strong a tint.
Muzza maybe try an experiment mixing the TO with DT intensifying coat on some scrap wood. I got no idea if it will work.
I'm sure DB will let you know, I reckon there could be a reaction of the ingredients
Probably would work.
Shellac based sanding sealer is basically a thinner pre-made / dissolved version of what I'm using as a over all finish, it just doesn't have as much shellac in it.
That product was originally bought out by a company called Zisser, it's the same stuff people have been using for centuries, they started to called it sanding sealer so they could sell it, as people were changing to POLY based products back in the day.
Either way, it would be easy and safe to try, as it would just put a thin layer on top of the binding, if it's not the colour you want scrap it off again, or intensify it with more coats, you could tint it as well.
Hi Muzza, TO goes over DT once dry & cured quite well but never tried mixing it together. Don't think it would work as TO seems more oil based whilst DT seems more watery.
Did an experiment adding colours to TO and it did not like the water based additives as once all shook up the colour seemed to be just small suspended balls in an otherwise oily solution.
Here is an idea....a bit messy but it should do the trick, not cost too much and you may even already have the ingredients in your kitchen. Ever noticed how Indian Curries seem to leave a yellowish stain on things? Tumeric is the main culprit and comes in those cheap little packets in the herbs & spices section at the supermarket. You will need gloves as this stuff stains almost forever, well many days at least before coming off your hands and fingers.
My wife cooks with Tumeric all the time and it leaves stains on the stone kitchen bench tops all the time. Only way to get it off is to apply small amount of undiluted hand dishwashing liquid to the affected area and leave overnight and it simply wipes off next morning.
You could either sprinkle a bit in with a small amount of TO, shake that around for 30 seconds to blend and then apply to scrap bit of wood. If that works without coming out grainy or lumpy maybe try on a bit of scrap plastic of similar composition to the binding to see how it reacts/attaches.
Alternatively create a paste like mixture and spread it thinly on the scrap timber or plastic to see how it turns out. Once dried out (24 hours or more) simply wipe off the excess and allow to dry for another day or so and then lightly apply 1st coat of TO with a brush as ragging will drag the stain just laid down. TO does have a slight amber tint and when combined with Tumeric should give off an aged ivory appearance.
With a delicate stain coat that is followed by TO I have always done initial couple of coats lightly with a brush as the rag method does grab and drag the underlying stain and can create an awful mess. Once a couple of TO's are down and dried out best to revert to ragging otherwise the brush marks become really obvious and therefore require heavy wet sanding to remove.
Good luck buddy and hope you like some of these ideas.
Muzz, if you use TO, bear in mind that it:-
1. usually sits on top of the binding, and doesn't stain it; and
2. TO without any stain has a yellowing...or ambering effect on the binding as it dries;
3. The coats don't blend with each other (they sit on top) so the more coats, the more yellowing and it can be a bit finnicky to get an even coat (same colour) all the way around the binding.
4. if you don't like it, its relativley easy to sand off with a bit of elbow grease ;)
Thanks for all the input guys. I think I'm going to give the shellac method a crack. My wife is half Indian, born in Calcutta, so there's plenty of turmeric in the pantry. I might add a sprinkle of instant coffee to the mix as turmeric is pretty yellow.
I'll post the results soon(ish)