Simon B's ES-3 build

[Simon Barden]

The clear is actually really hard and a lot more resistant to the thinners than the coloured lacquers. The stain I used was a water based one from a luthier supplier, so I don't see it being particularly reactive with the lacquer.

I'm getting there with the lacquer removal. Generally sanding most of it now.

I'll look up 'shrink back', Phrozin, and see if I can find anything that makes sense to me.

If it had all happened after I'd put the guitar together, I wouldn't have minded so much, but it would have been impossible to clear coat and flatten without an excessive thickness of clear coat on it.

[Guvna19]

Hi Simon, hope like everyone else you get the result your after. Given all the great input you give to others im sure you can.

just a theory, but i wonder the nitro has 'stress cracked'? its something that apparently happens to nitro lacquer as the timber adjusts to temp and humidity under the coating. here is a reference from one of my companies data sheets-

{Note: Care should be taken not to apply excessive builds in one application, otherwise surface
defects may occur.
Warning: Excessive builds on timber can lead to stress-cracking as the timber adjusts to its new
conditions of temperature and moisture content. The recommended maximum total build is 150
microns (dry film) for the total system. }

cleaning as you have been with thinner could help and more thin coats may also 'melt' the successive coatings to an improved result.

I'll ask the chemists at work and show pics to get their thoughts

best of luck

regards
guv

[Simon Barden]

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the finish before I started sanding. But it was more a ridged puckering than cracking. I did have one nitro-finished guitar that I left in an unheated house for a week - a week the temperature dropped severely - and came back to find the whole surface had cracked/crazed all over, requiring a complete refinish.

I think it must be down to sitting right next to a radiator that did it. It was fine for the first three months or so, then I had to tidy up and it got put into a less than ideal location.

[Simon Barden]

There once was an ugly duckling...



Getting there. Weather isn't conducive to working outside at the moment. Heavy rain all morning and/or very strong winds. Occasional sunny periods but then rain again.

I'm off on holiday next week, so I won't start any repainting until I come back. But I should finish getting it stripped down before I go.

[Kick]

Oh my.... It looks as if it has been used to light up the bonfire! I see tears coming down...

[Drummerdude]

Oh my goodness... well I am sure you will remember this build for a long time and you are better than me because I probably would have chalked that one up to a learning experience and gave up, but you will make it shine I'm sure.. have fun on holiday..

[OliSam]

Oh my.... It looks as if it has been used to light up the bonfire! I see tears coming down...

yeah Simon...ive got tears reading through this thread and finally seeing your last picture.
mate, there is always the solid colour option. dont quit. as all of the other dudes have noted before me - youre one of our most knowledgeable dudes here.

and a holiday will probably help clear your head and give you the space you need to attack it when you get back.

[Fretworn]

What a shame you don't want a relic-ed guitar (understandably). It looks like a 50 year old guitar that has been through the wars.

[Simon Barden]

This time I will mask the binding, and I'll have more than enough time to get the spraying done and finished. Onwards and upwards!

[Simon Barden]

Well, we had funny weather this week, so I didn't get that much more paint off, so still a little bit to do when I'm back from holiday, but then it should be full steam ahead on the re-re-spray.

I'm off early tomorrow (Saturday) morning for a weeks sailing on the Norfolk Broads - a connected series of rivers and man-made (through peat-digging in the iron-age) lakes in Norfolk. Weather is forecast to be reasonable (at least it shouldn't rain). Hiring one of these:



It's an all-wooden boat, originally built in the 1930s (though probably mostly replaced over time through wear and damage). No motor, just paraffin lamps for lighting, but it does have a gas stove. They sail like a dream, and it's far more like sailing a big, stable dinghy than a sea-going yacht. When there's no wind, or you need to manoeuvre in a tight space, you push yourself along with a long wooden pole called a 'quant'. Almost everywhere on the Broads, the water's not more than a few feet deep, though there are some parts that have been dredged deeper in the middle to allow small ocean-going ships to travel up to Norwich from Great Yarmouth. But we won't be going on that bit.

See you all again in about 8 days time and have fun. I know I will!