Haha, same here. Worst case scenario, it fails and I go back to standard paint colour. Time will tell!
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Haha, same here. Worst case scenario, it fails and I go back to standard paint colour. Time will tell!
Latest arrivals from Adam just rolled in this morning.
One new Strat Trem Bridge, and some Clear Dingotone Neck finish.
Pinstriping is on the way, but that's a couple of weeks away. I'm pretty sure that's everything taken care of for this build.
Come Thursday, I should have an idea of how this build is going to look!
Only three more sleeps then until Thursday.
Yep, and then it will be like Xmas!!Quote:
Originally Posted by wazkelly
Better get to be early for a good night's sleep on Wednesday haha.
Hmmm, what have I done??
The Jury is currently out!!
Got my paint finish on Thursday, but since I was distracted with the Headstock on my LP, I didn't get anything done on this build until tonight.
All masked up and looking pretty!
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psso7mmbnu.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvmm7czye.jpg
And now the big reveal!!
Dulux Duramax Granite Effects Paint....
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psggrx0jgw.jpg
To be honest, I have no idea how Dulux have made this product, but to have three or four different coloured paints coming out of the one spray can is insane!
It's messy, and it reminds me of that crazy string in the way it comes out of the can, or what it's like when you run out of gas in a spray can, and the paint just goes weirdy erratic.
This stuff seems like spray on stone!
Initially, it looked like I was flicking paint onto a canvas running my finger over the top of a paint laden toothbrush, but the layers started building, and it takes on a whole different effect.
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswy23t18j.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pspjjxyux0.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pshtl0vczo.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszt3whpnj.jpg
It's a very rough texture, and I'm thinking it will need a light sand to flatten it a bit before applying a clear coat.
So what's the verdict? What are your thoughts?
Should look insane. Will it have raised levels or eventually flatten out? Multiple thin top clear coats would also help flatten things out if that is what you are trying to achieve.
Here is a hollow body Ric in the gallery photos that has a splatter paint look about it and looks uber cool.
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=3007
Can't wait to see how yours turns out.
EDIT: Was posting before seeing the shots uploaded. Quite a bit of texture happening there and looks really interesting. Were you hoping for a smooth finish? I think if you try to sand it the finish may crumble off and probably best to spray some on a scrap test bit of timber and sand that first before attacking the guitar.
I spoke with a Dulux tech advisor, and he told me it was going to be a rough textile, but not like sandpaper, so I'm guessing with a couple more light coats it may fill in a little. I'll see how it cures over night, and see how it goes. It's not as dark as I would have liked, the lid of the can makes it look much darker, but I've now realised that the base colour of the lid is charcoal, hence the darker look. Perhaps I should have put down a darker base colour.
You can always grab another can of normal paint a shade closer to what you wanted and only lightly spray so as not to fully cover what you have already done but just add a bit more depth and contrast. Otherwise leave as is which looks pretty good to me and black PUP's, switch tip and control knobs will provide the contrast.
Hmmm, both good suggestions Waz.
I'll look at it with fresh eyes in the morning, maybe do mock build to see how it looks!
I've used that stuff on furniture and it's long lasting but a bit fragile in it's 'grain" you need some clear over it to strengthen it. it will be like sandpaper. I've never tried to sand it as I was after the rough finish. *( I did a series of book cases and cabinets that looked like sky scrapers)
Definitely needs several clear top coats to hold the textured bits from coming off over time. It should probably end up similar to the pebblecrete finish they do on swimming pools once you get several clear layers down.
Yeah, there will definitely be clear over the top. I'm just worried now about my plans for orange pinstriping. I don't think it's going to work on this finish.
nope, defiantly won't work with pin striping.
Doesn't need pin striping IMO as with that textured finish there is plenty going on visually already.
If you were really, really brave you could tape off an area that you wanted to paint on some pin stripes before laying down the clear top coats. To apply the colour a spray can might be best and maybe you could use one of those high viz orange ones they use for marking things out in the construction industry from the building or landscaping section at the big green shed or similar establishment. Because they are being used as a temporary marker bet they will be cheaper than high grade stuff.
Yeah, they would be no doubt. I think masking up some pinstripes is a good idea, but if the pinstriping I have coming wont stick, I reckon I will have the same problem with masking tape, and some bleed through too.
Perhaps an idea would be a variation on the splatter guitar you shared earlier, just with bright orange paint?!
I did a quick mock build this morning. Doesn't look too bad at this stage, but I have applied a second coat as well, and it has darkened up a bit more.
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmo2jo2ji.jpg
Before placing the bits in place, I gave the body a very light sand, and it knocked the high points off pretty well, and making it less prickly, and more like the pebblecrete you mentioned. Around the edges though, I removed it completely, so it is pretty fragile. The second coat filled everything in nicely, so you can;t even tell where I stuffed up.
Sounds good and the splatter effect might just work and you can find cheap acrylic stuff in Officeworks, Spotlight or any craft supplies store.
Again, as always, test on scrap before attacking the project guitar and also apply some clear top coat to see if it reacts with stuff used for splatter effect. If no reaction you should be good to go as I presume your spray cans are acrylic anyway?
EDIT: Just saw your mock build and love it just as it is. I reckon run with the minimalist approach here where less is more on this one.
Yeah, you might be right Waz. I'm not sure about the neck at the moment. The fretboard doesn't match really well. I didn't even consider it in the colour scheme.
The neck is actually giving me some problems at the moment. I've been sanding the back of the neck for the last day, and I don't seem to be getting anywhere, The original finish is gone in some areas, but in others it is being stubborn even when hit with 120grit sandpaper.
More elbow grease required.
Depends on what you want to do with the fret board as I reckon the rose wood goes well and much better than the alternative that could have been maple. If you apply some lemon oil or fret board wax as a sealer they will both darken the timber a bit but the only way to permanently make it darker is to apply black ink but that would also require a layer of something over the top to seal it in. More work and probably not worth the effort when you consider how many rose wood fret boards are out there.
With the back of the neck are you dry sanding? If so have you noticed whether the old finish is clogging up the grit paper? Wet sanding with 400 should strip it back in no time at all and remember to keep rinsing the paper in water with a small drop of dishwashing liquid to help remove any build up in the grit.
Yeah, I'll waive judgement on the neck until I get the body finished. I've got bit on today, so may not get back in the shed until Monday night.
I'll also give the wet sand a go, as I have only been dry sanding. Thanks for the help!
Latest update on this rebuild.
I don't think the photos show it as dark as it has gone. And also, the finish doesn't feel as harsh as it did after the first one.
This is three coats, and I don't think I have that much left in the can. I'll leave that for the headstock. I'll give it a week to harden up and then I'll hit it with some clear finish and see how it comes up.
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psgpraumm8.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd7rcy0qg.jpg
I don't have any photos of the neck yet, but I tried the wet/dry sanding like Waz suggested, and I think it certainly helped. I still have a bit of work to do with it before it will be ready for staining.
Looks great Zandit, just like a carved bit of granite.
On the neck just keep at it as eventually the wet sanding will strip it back to bare wood. If you think you are getting close try some 120 grit dry as that will help to open the grain up to take some stain or maybe sand up to 180 or 240 but no further.
Put on the last clear coat last night.
The finish is curing nicely, and I'll be able to clean up the body and start the electrics soon.
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pstgjcobuz.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psocyy9mfm.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps69xbnns2.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd0fgijg5.jpg
The shine is not as visible in these photos, but the roughness of the surface is still evident, and obviously not a perfectly flat surface.
Hopefully the black hardware will start highlighting the finish.
looks great Zandit, I missed the updates love that granite/stone effect
Cool! Love it.
it's coming up a lot better than I thought it would, can't wait to see it finished
Dude that is too cool!
Looking good buddy and once the black hardware is on it will come up great.
Dammit!! Alright geniuses, I need some guidance.
I peeled away the tape from the cavities last night, and unfortunately some of the finish on the actual body came away too.:mad:
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psalsamxio.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psirigd3yq.jpg
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszeqktger.jpg
If it was on the back, I wouldn't worry, as it would be under the cavities, and out of sight, but of course those edges came out near perfect, whereas these have lifted and peeled away slightly. I'm not worries about the humbucker cavity, I have a cover for that, but since there is no scratch plate, the slight issues around the single cavities and the neck are going to stand out.
I have some shavings of the finish that I kept after seeing it peel away, and I'm thinking of just using some PA glue to put some back on, what are the thoughts?
Another solution I have thought of is some marker pens I have in both black and silver. It may be enough to disguise it.
Those edges are always going to be vulnerable, especially as it looks like the paint isn't sticking that well. This tells me (in hindsight) that you really needed to have masked off to just slightly inside the cavities so that the paint goes over the edges a bit. It would help if those edges were slightly rounded as well as no paint really likes sticking to a sharp edge.
You could try the felt tips, though the ink might spread if you spray some more lacquer on top, due to the solvents in the lacquer. Personally, I'd get some black and white acrylic paint, mix up a number of different greys and stipple it on with a thin brush. The acrylic should be safe to lacquer over. But I would re-mask all the cavities so that the lacquer can run over the edges by a couple of mm to allow it to get a grip on both sides of each edge.
If all else fails, you could also use pickup rings for the single coils. e.g. https://www.allparts.com/pickup-rings If you did, I'd try and match the humbucker and single coil ring colours.
dammit Zandit, as Simon suggested I'd mask the cavities lower so there's no chance of ripping off finish on the top. Have you got any of the granite spray paint left you could hit the white areas with ?
Yeah, thanks guys. I still have some more paint left, but I was thinking of using it for the headstock. Having said that, the plan is not set in stone yet. I didn't go any further into the cavities because I thought the copper shielding wouldn't stick to it. And obviously around the neck pocket, I couldn't go over the edge because the neck wouldn't have fitted.
I'll check out those single covers you posted Simon, thanks for that.
Hi Zandit, if you haven't thrown away the tape you removed maybe you could pick some of the finish off and use super glue to attach that back on the body.
I know it is a really fiddly PIA type of job but where the offending tape joint lines were will be the bit of finish you need on the axe, not on the masking tape.
If taping up again maybe use a sharp blade or knife to cut the tape and define the edge when removing to prevent a similar thing happening again.
Another idea is to free hand spray lightly near areas that need a bit more coverage and not worry about taping up as you could easily scrape off or sand back any overspray in PUP cavities and neck pocket if required.
@ Zandit75 As some consolation, I ended up with some of the paint-finish coming away from the Gold Strat body when I peeled off all the green 3M tape from the neck pocket, so you're not the only one who's had that happen, I think that also happened with the HotRod Strat body too, although it is un-noticeable because the scratchplate covers it up around the neck pocket, I decided that I could live with it.
If you do spray into the neck pocket a bit with clear, it won't be the end of the world. I'd imagine the 3M spray is quite thick, but unless the neck is already a really tight fit, a layer of clear won't make much difference. And it's not like the neck is glued in, so you need to keep the wood clean.
Pickup installation assistance required!
I still need to shield the cavities and keeping in mind I don't have a pickguard, I'm trying to figure out how to install these damn pickups with all the springs.
I realised that I had just thrown all my discarded parts into a box, and hadn't separated or sorted anything out.
I scavenged through all my bits and pieces, and this is what I found.
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psif4datle.jpg
I've figured out which screws and springs to use for the single pups, but can someone please advise some tips on installing them
They obviously need to be installed like this
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...psh7yif3o7.jpg
However due to the awkward angle I need to slide the pickups in to get in the small cavity, I can't just place them like this.
If I place the springs in first, the second the pickups get anywhere near them, they magnetize immediately to the pups.
Could I place a small blob of superglue to hold them in place?
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse6pghgsa.jpg
Any assistance is appreciated!
Hi Zandit, a cheats way is to cut up some high density foam to place under the PUP so that it acts with a bit of a spring action and maybe then you don't need the traditional springs. That is what came with the Custom John Bensons that went in the EX-5 and no springs were used at all.
Alternatively place the PUP where you think it should sit and check out whether there is enough room to squeeze a spring down into the correct location after you have done this next step. That is to screw both screws in a little bit to help create a thread in the timber, then remove one and then see if you can slightly raise that side and squeeze the spring in from the side. If so you can then line the screw up from on top and start screwing it down, then repeat on the other side. Only downside is a lot of the single coil PUP's have threaded base plates for the mounting screws to pass through and that increases the degree of difficulty by a few notches.
For the Humbucker in the Bridge position there will be springs that go under the mounting ring and above the bent metal side brackets and reckon the dirtier black screws on the bottom RHS of top shot will be the ones to use. The smaller screws near the copper tape look like the ones to screw down the Humbucker Mounting ring to the top of the body.
For the snail tape shielding, it can be a quite a fiddly job, especially in tight or cramped spots. Suggest checking to see how high above single coil PUP depths it sits as ideally you don't want to see much if any at all once final setup has been done. Personally I would measure out a length that would circumnavigate the inside of the first PUP cavity and cut that length. Would then peel back 25mm to 35mm of the backing paper and start in the middle and slowly attach it so that in a horizontal plane it sits just below the lip and excess is folded over onto the base/bottom of the cavity, then slowly work you way around until it overlaps back on itself. Maybe you might be lucky in that bottom of cavity could be fully covered but probably not so you have a couple of choices. Either cut out the correct shape in the snail tape and stick that down over the top of the bits folded over in the bottom corner edges or drop a piece if from the top and once smoothed out on the bottom fold the excess up the sides and smooth that down too. Some reckon you need to have solder joins but this method has worked just fine on all of mine with no dramas. Only trap is if the layers get too thick that it prevents free movement of the PUP or may cause things to short out. Obviously there is more room to move in the Humbucker cavity so not as tricky.
Hope this helps.