3rd build: AIB-1Q

[Simon Barden]

I did it to my first ES-1 build. Looking back, it looks like I also used P180.

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...l=1#post160155

You just don't want to use too concentrated a stain, enough to provide some darkness, but not enough so that you need to sand too much off to expose some unstained wood. You've got maybe a 0.6mm thick veneer, so can really only sand 0.1mm off before things start getting risky.

I started sanding a flame maple top on a Telecaster body that I'd bought off eBay that had been stained pretty much solid black. I thought it was 3mm maple cap (as it had black binding and it just looked like a solid top), so sanded without thought until I started to get some pale wood showing. Unfortunately the pale wood was the body underneath the thin veneer, and in an attempt to sand away the solid black, I'd gone right through. So the veneer got sanded off and I just stained the alder body.

How the flame/quilt looks after trying to 'pop' the grain is all down to the depth and quality of the flame/quilt in the veneer. Dozy had a superb bit of quilt on his guitar. A good bit of flame/quilt will look good even without 'popping' it with a darker colour. But I've had 'flame' maple with hardly any flame in it, and even that was patchy.

[Drashkum]

I did it to my first ES-1 build. Looking back, it looks like I also used P180.

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...l=1#post160155

You just don't want to use too concentrated a stain, enough to provide some darkness, but not enough so that you need to sand too much off to expose some unstained wood. You've got maybe a 0.6mm thick veneer, so can really only sand 0.1mm off before things start getting risky.

I started sanding a flame maple top on a Telecaster body that I'd bought off eBay that had been stained pretty much solid black. I thought it was 3mm maple cap (as it had black binding and it just looked like a solid top), so sanded without thought until I started to get some pale wood showing. Unfortunately the pale wood was the body underneath the thin veneer, and in an attempt to sand away the solid black, I'd gone right through. So the veneer got sanded off and I just stained the alder body.

How the flame/quilt looks after trying to 'pop' the grain is all down to the depth and quality of the flame/quilt in the veneer. Dozy had a superb bit of quilt on his guitar. A good bit of flame/quilt will look good even without 'popping' it with a darker colour. But I've had 'flame' maple with hardly any flame in it, and even that was patchy.

After reading through many threads I arrived at these take home points for base black stain on a thin veneer.
1. I must dilute the black before applying. The black must be just enough to stain the open end grain and not the closed face grain ( 1 part dye to 5 parts alcohol in my case which i have found out by staining scrap. It may differ with people)
2. Just apply 1 thin single pass /coat so that it doesn't soak in too much. Wring the cloth and remove the excess stain before applying
3. Applying a damp rag before base staining a black would fill the pores so that black doesnt penetrate too much?
4. Take off the excess black using acetone or Denatured alcohol first.
4. No pre sanding. Sanding with 320 or 400 is better on a sponge than a wooden block so as to drag sand the raised grain rather than sanding 0.1mm of veneer although People Have had success with 180grit too...


Is this ok @Simon Barden. Should i go this way?


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