Build #12 - IB-7 Rebuild

Built this for my son a while back but I think I screwed up with the combination of colour/clear finishes and it just never cured properly. Was quite soft and marked way too easily. Plus, the colour was just nothing like what I was going for. So, I figured this was a good candidate for a complete strip back and rebuild. Since I took it right back to bare timber, I figure it's essentially a new build, hence the #12.

The original colour was meant to be a chrome type finish along the same lines as Satch's Chrome Boy without the expense of chrome dipping. I knew it wouldn't be as good, but it looked good enough after the Duramax chrome spray. Only problem was that finger prints showed up way too easily and wouldn't rub off. So, I made the ill-fated decision to put on a clear coat to seal it in. That immediately destroyed the "chrome" finish and just sent it grey. Ended up just going with it because at that stage I realised I was never going to get the desired effect and I'd already thrown away enough cash on this paint.

So, we're now working towards an 80's type of colour. Still sticking with the Duramax but going for "Hot Lips" which is a bright red.

Here's what I started with...

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Pulling out all the hardware, you can see where all the paint just flaked away.

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Sanding was where it became evident the paint just hadn't cured. Hit it with the orbital and the paint was all gummy. Clogged up many sanding discs. I had to strip it back as best I could, let that paint sit exposed for a couple of days to dry and then strip it back more.

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After a week of sanding and more detailed sanding, I had it stripped back as much as I could. Couldn't get into the cavities and the only way I could see I was going to have any impact was with a chemical stripper which I really didn't want to use. So, I've left it as is and roughed up the surface a bit in the hope the new layers stick. Don't care about the pickup cavities and all the bits that will be hidden, but the Floyd cavity might be an issue. I'm just going to hope it isn't.

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This is where I left it for the past 10 months as I worked on a couple of AG kits. Didn't have the room to work on three at a time. Just finished one of the AG's so I've picked this up again. Fixed up a few little holes here and there and put three coats of undercoat on the body and headstock today, sanding between each coat.

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Looks like you had a major paint reaction but its looking good now. Ive had heaps of problems with different paints so now i always do test patches first.

Personally, I would avoid the Duramax like the plague. I tried it a few years ago on a tele and had a horrible interaction between the base coat and top coat (clear). It crinkled like buggery despite Dulux telling me they are absolutely compatible when I complained.

I also used it on an MDF desk top for my wife's home office set up (Hot Lips - she picked it) and it took forever to lose its tack and gas off, and it still rubs off on her elbows after 3-4 years.

Also, given that you had issues with it on your first round, should be reason enough not to go there again IMO.
The Duramax paints are enamel and I have had enough bad experiences using enamel on guitars, that I'll never use it again.
My advice would be an automotive acrylic lacquer, of which there a plenty available in rattle cans and in a broad range of colours. I'm sure you could find a nice bright red if that's what you're heart is set on.

Just my 2¢...

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Originally Posted by McCreed

Personally, I would avoid the Duramax like the plague. I tried it a few years ago on a tele and had a horrible interaction between the base coat and top coat (clear). It crinkled like buggery despite Dulux telling me they are absolutely compatible when I complained.

I also used it on an MDF desk top for my wife's home office set up (Hot Lips - she picked it) and it took forever to lose its tack and gas off, and it still rubs off on her elbows after 3-4 years.

Also, given that you had issues with it on your first round, should be reason enough not to go there again IMO.
The Duramax paints are enamel and I have had enough bad experiences using enamel on guitars, that I'll never use it again.
My advice would be an automotive acrylic lacquer, of which there a plenty available in rattle cans and in a broad range of colours. I'm sure you could find a nice bright red if that's what you're heart is set on.

Just my 2¢...

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Agreed, I have struggled mightily with Rustoleum and dulux, switched to SCA automotive paints and they’ve been far better.

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

Agreed, I have struggled mightily with Rustoleum and dulux, switched to SCA automotive paints and they’ve been far better.

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+1 for the quality of SCA paint. You won't regret it. They just perform very well.

While I'm waiting for my ST to dry off, thought I'd do a bit more on this. Looks like my wet sanding skills still leave a lot to be desired. Think I need to go back for more sanding and then polish again.

Speaking of wet sanding skills, I think I'm using too much water in the process, or I need to somehow protect drill holes better as this is not the first time I've had streaks of timber swelling underneath the colour because water gets in where it's not sealed while sanding. What's the best method here? I was thinking maybe a smear of vaseline or maybe some wax in the holes and around the unsealed edges but I don't know how effective that'll be.

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Originally Posted by Bakersdozen

+1 for the quality of SCA paint. You won't regret it. They just perform very well.

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I did my Franken-wannabe in SCA automotive paint. Never even bothered with clears or even sanding/polishing. Maybe when I fail again with this one, I'll strip it right back and go with the SCA paint.

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...or I need to somehow protect drill holes better as this is not the first time I've had streaks of timber swelling underneath the colour because water gets in where it's not sealed while sanding. What's the best method here?

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Bee's wax.

My method is scraping a small bit off the wax block with whatever tool is handy (teaspoon, paddle-pop stick etc) then pack the holes with my fingers. You don't need to fill the entire hole. Even just a few mil at the top is good enough.
I leave it slightly proud of the surface and then level them before wet sanding with something that won't scratch the finish (credit card or similar).
If there are small smears of wax from levelling the holes, I typically don't worry about it as it's not enough to clog the sand paper and will just sand away, but if it is significant enough to be of concern, I will wipe it off with naptha (shellite) on a clean bit of rag.

As for the swollen streaks in the grain, they will likely decrease as the timber dries out again, but usually don't go away completely. Unfortunately the only way I know to entirely get rid of them is a full level sand and refinish.

I've been lucky that the times it's happened to me (before I started plugging with bee's wax) the swelling has mostly been covered by a pickguard or bridge plate so I lived with it.

I find that with timber wet sanding is not needed, even to get a mirror finish. Use a grain filler and sand it smooth, going from 180-240-320 or so. Then primer, sand with 320/400ish. The key is to get the base for the final colour coat flat, and then go clear over the top without touching the colour coat at all.
It is the same with auto finishes, you get the colour coat right and then clear it. Use a 'tack rag' to remove lint before the clear and do it on a still day.
Once you have the clear coat on you can sand this coat with 400 grade, and clear over the top, it won't show (for timber stuff, for metal I'd use #1000-1500 and soapy water). Just don't cut through the lower clear coat into the colour
Usually basecoats are matte but as long as you get good adhesion it should not matter
BTW I used Hot Lips on my EVH frankenstein, and just bought another can for the Frankenbass (the red on the EVH Harley is Mercedes Jupiter, which is quite a lot darker)
I used the matte black and clear on the LP mentioned in the signature below, that was a few years ago now and no issues. The Rustoleum and Duramax have a good rep with me for timber

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Originally Posted by McCreed

Bee's wax.

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That's good to hear. I recently purchased some bee's wax purely for lubricating screws and I think there's more than I'll ever use in what's left of my days on this earth. I had a couple of these streaks on the headstock via the tuner holes and they mostly settled down within about 24 hours. Think I'll just let this sit for a week or so to dry out before I potentially seal those sections off with bees wax and prevent drying out as much as possible.
Most of the streaks will be hidden by switch plates, tuner washers and pickup mounts so I'm not overly concerned. Besides, it's my son's guitar so I don't have to look at it :-p And he didn't even notice it until I pointed it out.

Letting it sit and dry out would be good.

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I recently purchased some bee's wax purely for lubricating screws

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Yeah, the added bonus is when you're finished wet sanding, the screw holes are all waxed up for the screws!

Lovely day here, but I'm in isolation awaiting a negative test result. So, thought I'd finally get around to finishing this re-build for my son while enjoying a few beers in the process (needed to drown my sorrows after wet sanding through the clear coats on the headstock of my other build).

Anyway, did the wet sand and polish then hunted around for all the parts I put away 12 months ago when I started this. While putting all the parts back in place I discovered a missing string lock block in the Floyd. Checked the disassemble photos and it was there then. Couldn't find it anywhere so I ordered a set online and while I'm waiting for that, I "borrowed" one from a Warlock build that never gets played.

Re-soldering is less fun than a fresh build solder job. My solder sucker isn't particularly efficient but I eventually managed to create enough hole space in the lugs to run cable through.

Didn't have a spare 7-string set of strings lying around so I've relied on a tap test to make sure both pickups make some sort of noise. Was somewhat surprised when noise came out the amp, but the real test will be when this set of strings turns up.

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Got this thing strung up and plugged in. Every time I re-string a Floyd I like them less and less. Bridge pickup works fine, neck pickup was really quiet and when I tried raising the height it now produces nothing. Without pulling it apart, I checked the grounding of both pickups (continuity tester between pickup height screw and bridge) and both are fine, so I'm assuming it's an issue with the solder joint at the switch or the switch itself. Given this switch was de-soldered and resoldered I can see how there may be a dry joint, or I may have put too much heat into it when trying to remove solder from the lugs. I've taken the opportunity to order a short switchcraft switch so I'll wait for that before I bother trying to fix this.

Another issue that may son brought up that may be a non-issue. He pointed out that the D string sits higher than the rest. Because my eyesight is what you would expect of someone of my advancing years, I took photos and zoomed in. Can definitely see the saddle sits at an angle compared to the rest and sits higher. Looking at an older photo I took before stringing, there appears to be a shim under just that saddle but just looking at it, it looks like it's a permanent fixture rather than something removable. I'm thinking since it's the middle string of a 7-string that it's possibly be design to allow for the radius of the fretboard with the bridge being flat. Of course, this height difference reduces the closer you get to the nut and it's not really noticeable when playing. Wondering if it might be worth getting a set of shims and raising the A & G not quite as high and the E & B a bit less again or just live with it. Obviously, the more important thing to worry about at this point is getting sound from the neck pickup.

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I think some stupid comments from me. The closer I look at that first photo, it would appear the E and A saddles do sit a little higher than the B to allow for fretboard radius. Just looks more pronounced on the D so it just didn't look right.