PB-30 w/Tonerider upgrade - First PBG Kit Build!

[JohnH]

Ha ha ha ha ha

[FrankenWashie]

Goo goo g'joob!

[Route 58]

Ok, after 180p and 220 sanding, we’ve applied Outback Sunset stain, then nearly a week later done a first coat of intensifier.
Loving the colour, which I think will work well against the white scratchplate.
Here’s a few pics to show the progress so far:





These are flash photography shots:




Intensifying:







This is a flash photography shot:

[JohnH]

That colour is great!

[Route 58]

Agreed!

The only thing we’re not happy about is the way the stain is basically saturated at the end grain zones (e.g. cutaways, contour edges, etc.). The front, back and some areas of the sides are wonderfully coloured and detailed with the natural figuring of the basswood grains, but by contrast the other areas of the edges just look plain. The worst part of that, however is that the darkness of those areas draws your eye to them.

What, if any, is the best method at this stage to improve the saturated zones? Do we sand back to get to some of the lesser stained wood?

[Route 58]

I should clarify that when I say saturated I mean in terms of colour, not wetness.

Perhaps it’s better to say the problem areas look like just solid colour, not a tint/dye effect that the rest of the stain provides.

[Route 58]

No takers?

Fair enough. Well, we took a guess that it was probably ok to sand back the more solid/saturated areas, figuring that if you can sand back a stain for a burst then we should have a reasonable shot at being able to get it looking more like we hoped.

Turns out we were probably right (assuming it doesn’t go pear shaped in the coming weeks). The overall effect is much more pleasant at this stage. These photos are from last night after an hour and a half of careful, targeted sanding, then the second round of DT Outback Sunset intensifier:

Front side first:







Back side (after sides and front):

[Fretworn]

The colour is coming up real nice.

[Route 58]

Yeah, it’s looking beautiful, especially with the glossiness that’s there at the moment.

[Andy40]

Agreed!

The only thing we’re not happy about is the way the stain is basically saturated at the end grain zones (e.g. cutaways, contour edges, etc.). The front, back and some areas of the sides are wonderfully coloured and detailed with the natural figuring of the basswood grains, but by contrast the other areas of the edges just look plain. The worst part of that, however is that the darkness of those areas draws your eye to them.

What, if any, is the best method at this stage to improve the saturated zones? Do we sand back to get to some of the lesser stained wood?

Sorry Route. I try to get on the forum when i can.

Good to see you using Dingotone. if you run into problems and I'm not on the forum feel free to PM me.

All stains will soak up more on the end grain than on the sides and front (think of a clutch of straw as the end grain - it will always soak up more)

I usually run through about 4 stain coats of DT to get maximum stain, then 3 - 4 intensifying coats, then the same final coats.

I usually leave it about a week between each coat to let it fully cure before adding the next coat (as there are no chemical solvents) but It depends on the weather, sometimes only a few days if dry and hot, sometimes a week or more if its humid.

you may get some bumps when it starts to get saturated or when you put on intensifier, once its cured I just wet sand these back carefully with 1500 grit and reapply the next coat. - just helps keep the final coats as flat as......

Good luck mate, its looking good