RC-4 "The Cole"...

[Arzi]

Hi all!

I received my RC-4 kit a few days back and started the build today with sanding the body. Don't worry guys - you will get pictures when I get the chance to add them...

Sanded it with 180 and 240 grit for about 3 hours. The reason for huge anount of sanding was that a part of the body seemed to have a bit of unwanted saw marks (looked mostly like the surface of maple tops). Maybe caused by different quality planks glued on the body - maybe? Anyway - after I stuffed my lungs with saw dust and found out that I could not get these marks totally removed without thinning the whole bodyblank - I decided to let these marks stay for now, because I think they will add to my vision of "the cole" color theme.

Oh - about the color... I decided to go with black and red. Had a vision of doing it like this:

First a coat of black on the top. Then sanding it away fronm the center gradually and maybe adding a bit on the outlines for a little burst effect - still leaving some in the center to pop the grains. Then putting the red on the black. Same on the top of the headstock. The sides and back would be black - except maybe the part with of the back where the sawmarks are... there I just might use a bit of red on darker black to highlight the "unwanted". Din't know yet what will be the decision. The back of the neck would be black too.

The top coat would be made with Tru Oil. Multiple layers to achieve a high gloss surface and to protect the soft basswood as much as it would be possible with it - it' not laquer after all.

Other mods I had in mind were :

Doing the scratchplate in black pearl and also making a ring from the same material around the jazz pickup.Also the truss rod cover.

Switching black tuners but maybe keeping the chrome ferrules - or the othervway around, we'll see.

Modding the bridge with individual string bridges in black - or by simply changing the string saddles to black ones. Depending on the bridge hight needed - I have to try the mod parts when I receive them.

On my own behalf I have to tell that this is my second build so far and I have never used stains or Tru Oil or done a set in neck... So - I'll be needing alot of advice and my vision may be a bit ambitious but hey - practice makes a master...

So - if my plans sound like a disaster to happen - please do tell me and save me from myself. Or you can make bets on how things turn out - whatever gives you more pleasure.

Thanks for everyone in advance - for what I've read here so far you all cheer each other to great results and the guitars I've seen built here look awesome.

Arzi

[Arzi]

A few pics of the body after sanding. Not the best light but shows what I was talking about.

[GeneralKaos]

A fine start to a cool build!!

[Brendan]

Arzi - you've started in the right way - taking time and writing about what you're doing - if you're at all concerned about something you're thinking of doing, post about it, grab a beverage of choice and have a think. May be a couple of hours - many on the forum are on the other side of the world, but I'm sure that you'll get some support or recommendations otherwise. I was fortunate to do this before drilling the holes on my bass neck for my first build - ended up saving me a whole heap of pain.

[wokkaboy]

Hi Arzi, looking good and worth the time sanding will pay off. Basswood can have some strange grain, sure the lines aren't grain and not machine marks ? Pretty hard to see from the pics.
Colour theme sounds great !

[pablopepper]

Yeah, if you are talking about the markings below the neck pickup rout, that looks like flaming. A pity it will be hidden by the pickguard.

[Arzi]

Hi

Yes it looks like flaming and it's almost covered by the pickguard eventually. The surface was quite uneven on top of it and my mind was set on a consistent looking grain at first. Then I thought if you can't hide it - highlight it. Might just give it more personal look and I'm beginning to like the idea.

If I would use water based stains - anything particular I should know about basswood in the process? Wiping the surface with a wet cloth or similar before stain will help to get more even coloring I've read.

Will the 240grit be enough or optimal when applying the stain or should I sand with finer paper? I mean if I was to aim for a gloss finish with tru oil and get an even color with the stain?

With colors like these the grain filling is out of the question or is there a way to do it somehow? Might take a lot of TO otherwise or what do the experts think?

So many questions and so little time for the build for now. Two under three year old kids - summer holiday ended but in two weeks I will have almost two months of "father's turn" (leave from work with pay to take care of the kids) so then things will start to happen. One of the cool things in Finland..

Thanks

[pablopepper]

Wow, 'father's turn' sounds great. Jealous. Definitely consider grain filling. Timbermate is the recommended product around here.

[moody]

Hi

Yes it looks like flaming and it's almost covered by the pickguard eventually. The surface was quite uneven on top of it and my mind was set on a consistent looking grain at first. Then I thought if you can't hide it - highlight it. Might just give it more personal look and I'm beginning to like the idea.

If I would use water based stains - anything particular I should know about basswood in the process? Wiping the surface with a wet cloth or similar before stain will help to get more even coloring I've read.

Will the 240grit be enough or optimal when applying the stain or should I sand with finer paper? I mean if I was to aim for a gloss finish with tru oil and get an even color with the stain?

With colors like these the grain filling is out of the question or is there a way to do it somehow? Might take a lot of TO otherwise or what do the experts think?

So many questions and so little time for the build for now. Two under three year old kids - summer holiday ended but in two weeks I will have almost two months of "father's turn" (leave from work with pay to take care of the kids) so then things will start to happen. One of the cool things in Finland..

Thanks

I'm in the same position with the same kit. (two kids - 3.5 and 1.5) There is not a lot of time to do anything.

[Arzi]

Hi

A little update on the process.

Since I can't work with the project at home, I'm taking it to work. At this point I have to reveal that I work 24 hour shifts as a paramedic in the fire department. This gives me the opporrunity to work on this when there is not an emergency to run to.

So - more sanding... Sanded the sides on the body. This time again with 240 grit paper. Took about 4 hours to get a scratch free and almost baby butt-like surface. Wiped the surface with a wet cloth and afterwards found some small areas that still need a little work. Only a few minutes work though. Learned the lesson on what water even on small amounts does to the grain.

Now that I got so good results sanding the sides really smooth on 240 grit, I'm starting to wonder if I could get same kind of results on the rest of the body? Would I still need the grain filler? I went to two big hardware stores today to consult the personnel on grain fillers with stains etc - result was that I can't use the available products with stains (for sure). All I got was " it should work" or " I don't know"

So my options are to sand, stain and TO or order the timbermate and wait 4-6 weeks. Or use laquer instead of TO.

Have to think this through...