Sanding query & colours in the colourless finish.

Hi Everyone; Newb here. Appreciate your patience.

I'm putting together the JB-4 as my first kit and having a ball.
Sanded the body to 400 grit, used an air compressor to clean away remaining dust, then used a damp cloth.
Now the surface feels rough, like I never sanded at all ? Is there a preferred method for cleaning before finishing ?
Just felt like a brush won't cut it ? Should I sand again and avoid the damp cloth ?

I got the colourless dingotone kit, but scouring the build diaries, I really like the some of the deeper natural tones people are getting. If I apply multiple stain and intensifying coats from the colourless kit, am I still likely to get deeper tones each time or does the colourless kit do just what it says ?

Thanks Guys
-Rob

Hi Rob, sounds like a Basswood body as the fibres do stand up after a damp wipe down and suggest another light rub all over with the level of grit you finished on to sort this out then use the compressor again to get rid of any traces of dust.

Never used colourless but reckon it is as the name says. If looking for deeper tones would that be within DT range of colours or something else. Maybe a picture of what you are trying to achieve may assist someone in pointing you in a particular direction.

Rob, the damp cloth brings up the fibres of the wood and then attack it with the 400 once again to knock it all off and make it super smooth!

Rob +1 for what the other guys have said - the fuzz is perfectly normal as Keloooe has said - hit it again and you'll get something super smooth...

Colourless will darken the wood - very slightly - check out the early posts in my JBA4-M thread (link should be below) - darkened it slightly so I changed tack and colour to something darker and more solid.

hey rob, post up a pic of what you are trying to achieve and someone can point you in the right direction

Cheers Guys !
Will sand things over again tonight and apply the first colourless coat. Brendan; your JBA4-M is fairly close to what i'm after so will stick with the colourless kit and let you guys know how I get on with build diary once i'm done. Happy Days.

-Rob

Sure Rob - great that you liked it - bear in mind I went colourless early on and have changed to an older stain that I had. Only reason I changed was the different reaction of the pieces of ash to the colourless stain - given that they all started off different shades originally - it just made the difference slightly starker. If you're going on basswood that is fairly consistent colour, the outcome will be slightly lighter (ash is a darker wood) and possibly more in towards the yellow end of the spectrum. It shouldn't have the issues I had.

I have an ash wood body too, sanded again last night and applied the first coat of the colourless kit. I'm really happy with the result, if the intensifying coat adds a little more depth it'll be right where I want it. Will apply the first coat to the neck tonight, I have a maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Should I avoid all contact with the rosewood with the colourless kit ? Is there any finish / process you guys would recommend for a rosewood fretboard ? Removing / replacing frets is a bit advanced for me at this point. Are there finishes I can apply with frets ?

Dude that looks sweet, coming up very nice.

Hi Rob, that natural ash is looking excellent, I forgot how good ash looks in natural colour.
Don't put any neck clear coats on the rosewood fingerboard, give it a rub with some super fine steel wool (from headstock to heel with the grain) and get some Dingowax, Dr Axe Wax or some natural oils like lemon or orange oil and rag that on.
All the maple on the neck apply the neck coats

Rosewood is quite an oily timber so just a light application of Dingowax or Dr Ducks axe wax is all it needs.
If you want a nice smooth fretboard you can use a Stanley knife blade as a cabinet scraper.