Had this a while so soon to be starting it, it is going to be yellow of all colours with an antique yellow neck all finished in tru oil, my first attempt at this, is tru oil ok just to put onto the fret board direct? would like to keep that natural
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Had this a while so soon to be starting it, it is going to be yellow of all colours with an antique yellow neck all finished in tru oil, my first attempt at this, is tru oil ok just to put onto the fret board direct? would like to keep that natural
I've done the TO on the neck twice before. One time with two coats to seal in a darker stain on a rosewood fretboard which worked quite well. The other time many moons ago with about 10 coats on a Maple neck like you have, which came out less than impressive. A lot of work to afterwards clean the fret bars on both and I'm not too enthusiastic to the feel of the fretboard with a thick coating of many layers of TO on it. One or two very thin rubbed back coats is passable but with many coats it gets too grippy for a older heavy neck hander like me, so even when fully cured the bending strings thing becomes a finger tip skin tearing task.
Solid Yellow or stain Yellow?
TO on fret maple fret board is OK and suggest thinning it down to 50:50 with turps and doing about 5 or 6 coats. Once cured you can polish it off the frets quite easily. Have done 2 out of 6 builds with maple boards and used even more TO coats than that and both turned out great. The secret is in using diluted coats and almost wiping it dry as you apply finish, that way it doesn't build up too much thickness.
I used a bees wax product on my first build, but you don't get to bend strings too much on a 12 string. My second build was my son's guitar, we just stained the fretboard, and he shreds fine on it.
I wasn't too concerned about the finish of his guitar, as I knew he'd move on, but the 12 String I wanted to do right.
As per this Marcel... same stain 7 mins into the video.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l92a...s&pbjreload=10
Will do the 50/50 approach to try it Waz... no chance of me doing string bends as yet..got to learn how to play yet....
So guys, any innovative ideas on how to fill the gap?... its about 1mm, neck is going to be tru oil no stain, the body will be stained then tru oiled... filling before or after attaching the neck and before or after the stain?
I would find myself a thin piece of the same timber and fill it before glueing the neck and before the stain.
I'm hoping an off cut from the headstock is big enough ..if I can find it...and sand it thin enough, glue it in place then stain, before bolting the neck on otherwise a little trip to the local wood store tomorrow find if they have veneer there..
I've bought a couple of mixed marquetry veneer packs from eBay to provide wood for thin fills like that. You are unlikely to get a 100% match, even with the same type of wood, but you should get close enough. Just really clamp it tight when gluing, in order to get as thin a line of glue as possible.
Found a local hobby shop where I will go tomorrow who sell thin modellers strips of basswood cheap, and as the body is basswood, will cut and glue one to size, sand a little if needed, then stain before assembly of the guitar... perfect...
240 grit too smooth to stain basswood?... I had started it with 180, then the grandson turned up and got interested so let him have a go, he was enjoying it, so left him alone for a while in the garage..he's 17 btw... when i went back he has a perfect finish on the guitar back.... he had changed to a 240 grit he thought was better....
Probably a good idea to check neck, string, bridge alignment before doing any glueing as that shot looks like too much taken off on lower bout side of neck pocket. Sometimes layers of finish on neck heel will take up a bit of that gap too.Quote:
Originally Posted by chrissyinbkk
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Sorted..just about, managed to get a 1/32" thick piece of basswood for just over a quid... cut a little piece off, did a mock assembly, all fit good, scale length etc also fine... well pleased, glued in place now till tomorrow night then will finely sand it to suit the contour.
Good mod job.Quote:
Originally Posted by chrissyinbkk
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Very well done!
Oh what have I done... lol... this is going to be interesting when the tru oil goes over it
upside down guitar!! lol nice lemony colour
Nice bright yellow.
The TO will add a slight amber tinge which could dull things down a bit if that is what you are after.
This is the cheapest kit I have bought, I did it just to use up bits and pieces I had left over from upgrading on other kits, yet funnily enough this seems to be the one I have been happiest with so far, yeh the colour will dull down a bit. happy enough with that as it is a bit bright at the moment lol.
I've got 3 very light coats of tru oil on the neck, think i will do one or two more and let it harden a week then polish it back with the micro mesh pads before a final coat or two, the fret board will do a couple of 50/50 coats. The body I have already got the tru oil sealer to go on as I guess the basswood will soak up tru oil like there's no tomorrow if i don't put it on. Really looking forward to getting on with this one.
It's got to be the right colour as the 1 year old great grand daughter makes a bee line for it when she comes.... little angel already loves stroking one of the other guitars strings to make sounds, the smile when she does it makes it all worth while
So sweetQuote:
Originally Posted by chrissyinbkk
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That Basswood can drink more tru oil than I can neck Guinness!! Never put the filler sealer on just went straight for the tru oil... might end up getting another bottle methinks.. the neck has come up smooth as silk though with just 4 thin coats, well pleased.
This would be the best sig ever :oQuote:
Originally Posted by chrissyinbkk
Would I be correct in now doing a rub over with a micromesh pad soaked in water with a drop of washing up liquid in, then do 2 coats of 50/50 tru oil on the neck to finish it and the fretboard... I think the basswood body still needs a gallon lol.... will let that dry till the weekend before another coat
Neck is done... 4 coats oil..2 @ 50/50, smooth as silk... body had 6 coats.. rubbed over with a moistened micro mesh pad after 5... now for a few more.. Dingo wax on the neck after a week or so?
I really love that yellow, this is looking very cool Chrissy!
ill second that going to come out real nice im a bit of a yellow guitar fan
Can obviously see the 3 different planks though... the pickguard will cover a lot, but wish it was a one piece body lol....
about 10-12 coats on now, i think cant remember exactly lol... lovely shine already the pic doesn't do it justice
I used to wonder when you guys said you had spent a couple of hours polishing...... now I know.... put some dingo wax on and my arms are a falling off
Thought I was going to be almost there this afternoon... got the tuners on... fitted the pickguard, soldered the input jack, went and tested it on the amp with a screwdriver, well happy apart from the jack being a bit slack, took it out and the lug snapped.....