First build - TL-1TH

[jugglindan]

Got the fretboard lightly sanded (I wasn't sure how light, so I just gently smoothed it a little with 320 along the grain). Then taped up with electrical tape as per Sonic's suggestion followed by careful application of thin CA using folded squares of printer paper.

Here it is after sanding, tack cloth, and taping:


And after CA application:


The application isn't as patchy as it looks here. As it dried further the appearance evened out a lot. I will let it sit for at least 24 hours before gently sanding back.

For others who might need to use this process as well, here are some more observations:

• The electrical tape worked well. No CA seemed to leak under, and it removed cleanly once the CA was touch dry.
• To apply, I folded strips of printer paper and then applied a bit of CA to the paper. Then the paper is used to apply to the fretboard. The sharp folded edge of the paper was perfect for pushing liquid CA up to the edges of the frets, and for smoothing out the application.
• At first, the paper soaked up most of the CA, but after a few applications it got a good coating and applied more smoothly
• latex gloves are essential. By the end my right hand glove was glued to the CA bottle.
• The electrical tape did lift some small fibres on the maple. It's a good thing I hadn't finished sanding the neck yet.
• Sanding the fretboard trashed the polish on the frets. In hindsight, this is best done before the frets. And given the electrical tape's effect on the maple, this process is probably a good idea right at the start before doing anything else to the neck.

[jugglindan]

In other news, I have official permission to get another kit once I complete this one

[Bakersdozen]

In other news, I have official permission to get another kit once I complete this one

Awesome news! Gotta love that above board feeling

[jugglindan]

Awesome news! Gotta love that above board feeling

Sure do! While I might be able to hide an electronic component or two (they all look the same to some people), hiding an entire new guitar is a little harder.

[McCreed]

Good work, DC!

When I saw the first pic, I thought "Huh, I don't remember him doing a gloss red neck!"
Then a few minutes later I realised it was the electrical tape! D'oh!!!

It kinda would have been cool though.

Good tips in the post-CA post (?). I haven't had to do the CA trick with on engineered rosewood, so it's good to know if/when I do.

re: the electrical tape and tear-out on the maple -
I little trick I use (even with low-tack painters tape) is, I lightly stick it to another surface (such a pant leg or nylon cutting board) before sticking it to the guitar surface. It still has enough adhesion to do the job, but will minimise sticking too much and lifting wood. I think this would also be applicable to the electrical tape adhesive.

[jugglindan]

A gloss red neck would be funny, but may be more appropriate for a banjo.

Thanks for the detacking tip. In this case the tear-out is fairly minor, but it's good to learn ways to reduce the risk.

And now I am trying to decide what the next guitar should be. Maybe I could build a bass? I have thought about learning, and my amp has a bass channel. OTOH, I am intrigued by the DMS-1 or something in the SG family.

[McCreed]

And now I am trying to decide what the next guitar should be. Maybe I could build a bass? I have thought about learning...

Hah! And so it begins (and never ends).

If you decide on a bass, I'd suggest a short scale model (even though choices are limited) especially if you're transitioning from guitar and just learning.

Maybe "real" bass players will advise otherwise, but with my extremely rudimentary bass skills, I find my short scale SX P Bass feels much easier to play than a full scale. I do have small hands though.

Of course I've not set out to be a bass player, it's merely a tool to record song demos with basic bass lines.

btw, I recorded a demo last weekend and did the bass track... my fingers are still sore!!!
I have a new found respect for those buggers that can actually play a guitar with what is essentially 4 lengths of fencing wire on it!

[jugglindan]

OK, I have scrapped and lightly sanded the CA from the fretboard. Still need to polish the frets again, will do that later today. I am slightly unhappy with the colour variations, mostly caused by relative difficulty of sanding evenly right up next to the frets. I can see now why this job would be much easier with frets removed. However, the variations are only really obvious in full sun, and with a bit of imagination they look a bit like wear from playing. And on the up side, I now have a silky smooth fretboard that has a lot more surface integrity than before. I think this will improve the durability and play-ability.

Also, I noticed that the colour variations diminished a lot just by burnishing the fretboard with my fingertips. So maybe a light lemon oil will be useful later on, although I am unsure how that will react with the CA treated board. Maybe it will just sit on top too much.

[jugglindan]

Oh, and I haven't finished cleaning up the edges near the nut yet either.

[Sonic Mountain]

The CA will polish up to a nice burnished finish and should even out considerably. You shouldn't need to oil afterward, but it wouldn't hurt anything. Once dry CA is very unreactive, which I guess is why it's used so much in repair work. You can actually get it to full gloss if you want. Pool cues are usually finished in CA using a lathe and then buffed.

Just a tip re the paper application, I've found its better to put the CA directly on the job and then use the paper to spread it around, almost like a palette knife. Seems like it went well for you which is great, takes a bit of practice not to make a huge mess with that stuff.