Thanks again Simon for the helpful answers. I cut out some templates for the logo to make sure it fits properly, now that I have the design finalized I'll get it printed and ready to go. I should have it done sometime this weekend, I'll post an update when I'm done!
I have a question that may be an easy one, but I'm unsure on the next step. As I was sanding the body and holding it up to the light I started noticing these small pits in the wood. Looking at it from every other angle you can't see them unless holding it directly up at the light. Is that something I need to grain fill, or would the oil coat fill that in as it settles? Thanks in advance!
The oil will eventually fill them if you are sanding back after every few coats, but you'll use a hell of a lot of oil. I don't know the properties of the Crimson oil, but with tru oil I have tried putting a drip of oil on low spots to build them up higher than the surface so they'll get sanded back later. But because the drops are thick they'll take several times longer than normal to cure properly so you must wait and wait before sanding them back. Days with tru oil. But there are far better people than me to advise on finishes.
Build #1, failed solid body 6 string using neck from a scrapped acoustic (45+ odd years ago as a teenager!)
Build #2, ugly parlour semi with scratch built body and ex Peavey neck
Build #3, Appalachian Dulcimer from EMS kit
Build #4, pre-owned PB ESB-4
Build #5, Lockdown Mandolin
Build #6, Sixty six body for Squier
Build #7, Mini Midi Bass
You'll have more chance 'filling' the low spots if you use TruOil thinned with turps,as its surface tension will be less. Unless the finish is really watery, surface tension will let the finish follow the contours of the surface, so all the pits and ridges are duplicated in the finish. You are never going to get a really smooth finish using TruOil alone, You will have to put enough layers on so that you can sand the finish back flat to take off all the finish down level with the bottom of the pits in the TruOil.
1. Wood surface with pores
2. Initial layers of finish follow the wood surface
3. More layers of finish still follow the wood surface but is now thick enough to sand flat.
4. Finish sanded back flat still leaving a good protective layer of finish on the wood.
A lot of people apply later coats of thinned TruOil using a fine grit Wet and Dry paper, so that they sand and fill at the same time.
Crimson Oil won't be that different to TruOil in make-up (it must use either boiled linseed oil or tung oil and both can be turps-thinned) and the way it goes on.
Thank you both so much for the helpful answers! I will work on the project with the information provided above and see how it goes. This is my first kit with an oil only finish, so I just want to make sure I'm doing right the first time.
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