H's TL-1Q, first build.

[wokkaboy]

Hi H, seems like a familiar look with the DT final coats. Give the body a light rub with super fine steel wool and try and knock off any high points. It's a bit hard to see with the reflection if the marks are pores or high points.
I don't think you have applied it too thin. Sometimes tiny pieces of the cloth you are using stick to the coat or tiny particles stick to it when curing. You will always get a smoother finish when you grain fill prior.

[UpperCaseH]

I think some are high and some are low. I spent 15 minutes mucking around with lights and windows and camera angles trying to get a good shot of what's actually going on, but that photo was the best I could do.

I'll get onto the steel wool this afternoon.

[wazkelly]

Mate, hope you haven't done the steel wool yet as if not fully cured you may end up in a world of hurt.

Experienced this with DT on my first & second builds and reckon it was due to underneath coat still being a bit green plus subsequent coat being smidge too thick plus rubbed on rather than lightly wiped across the surface. There is a difference in how the stuff is applied where it seems towards the end a very delicate touch is required to bring it home without the dramas.

[UpperCaseH]

I did the steel wool about 4 hours ago. I think it came up fine.

The final-final coat is on now and looks OK. The slight streaking I couldn't get to show up on photos looks like it's gone, the little pits/pores are still visible but not too badly, and the whole thing's very shiny compared to what it was.

[Andy40]

Looks like it's my day to ask a million questions!

This is the second final coat after a week and a bit of curing time. I don't even know what the marks are. They're more present around the edges, not so much towards the center of the guitar, and none on the back and sides, they're confined to the quilted maple top.

Did I put the final coats on too thin? Or did I not prep well enough? Either way, is there something I can do about these marks? I guess a grain fill at the start would have taken care of them?

Also, should I give it a light steel wool between final coats? I didn't between 1 and 2 and the marks became obvious on the second coat.

Hi H,

Over all it looks like you've done a bang up job with the finals in this shot. The small bumps are rather normal in DT intensifier coats and final coats and just need to be smoothed out before each subsequent coat. (I don't use steel wool just in case it hasn't fully cured - otherwise the fibres can get stuck) I lightly wet sand in the direction of the grain with either 1200 grit or 2000 grit just enough to smooth the bumps out (if this is not done the bumps will just be added to with the next final coat and become a bigger problem later).

Streaking is either caused by too much DT final coat (in which case it needs to be sanded out) or too little - which can just be added to with subsequent coats.

I see you've now done the final-final coat. I'm sure you'll make that decision once you see how it dries. Then you can again smooth out any bumps and wait the 21 days for it to fully cure before polishing.

[stan]

home straight now, it will look great

[UpperCaseH]

It's been drying for a week and a half now, and I think I'm gonna have to do something about these marks.



They're only really around the edges, and there are less on the back and nearly none on the sides, but I'm pretty sure I want to get rid of them. There were similar marks on the headstock, and I sanded very lightly with 400 and reapplied the final coat and it looked much better, so I reckon I might try the same thing here, unless of course someone's got a better idea.


In the meantime, while I'm waiting for things to ship, arrive, or dry, I've been fiddling around with DIY effects and re-learning some of the electronics knowledge I've forgotten since high school.

I put together the Ember Drive overdrive from DIYguitarpedals.com.au, swapping out the first and last capacitors in the circuit for hihger value ones in an effort to get more bass output. It sounds OK, just waiting to get the project box and switch I ordered and I reckon I'll be pretty happy with it.

[wazkelly]

G'day mate, time to wet sand very carefully starting with nothing under 1200 to smooth out those irregularities.

[Andy40]

G'day mate, time to wet sand very carefully starting with nothing under 1200 to smooth out those irregularities.

H,

I would have to agree with Waz.

I usually find that those bumps can be cured by sanding lightly with 2000 grit in between each DT final coat. The bumps come up in the drying process when the weather isn't perfect or if the DT final coat is a bit thick in places.

Please, please be careful not to sand through to the stain coats, it can be fixed, just takes a while, its just very easy to sand through, thats why i use 2000 grit and check regularly.

You can choose to lightly them with 2000 grit and add another DT final coat (or subsequent coats) till you get the right thickness of layers to sand it all flat, then wait 21 days, then start your polishing process.

Good luck

[UpperCaseH]

Thanks guys. Took your advice, and carefully wet sanded with 2000 over the worst areas. That brought them down smooth after a while, so I wet sanded the whole thing at 2000 and now it feels perfectly smooth. The bumps and lumps are now visible as matte spots in an otherwise semi shiny area, but I can't feel them at all. Can't get the difference to show up in a photo, but it's definitely there.

At this point, do I do another final coat over the top, or do I just wait another 2-3 weeks then polish? If I do another final and get more bumps, what then? Sorry for the continuing questions, but it just seems like it'd be a continuous cycle of final coat > dries bumpy > wet sand > final coat > dries bumpy > repeat.