A family matter.

[ozzbike]

I had a visit from the end user this weekend. I made her stand and play my Artist TC 59 and it was way too heavy for her.

So I have the Iceman under construction she likes it....and it is very light.

She also loved he hollow body Tele that is nearly finished. Not so keen on the big P90’s.

She is my grand daughter and we get on really well. She looked at the body of my FREE five string jazz bass...and the Iceman...and in one quick step found the issue with all my bursts finishes.

Not fixing the colours in place. I love the effect Tru Oil has on the figure in wood...but I forget that it grabs stains/dyes and moves them around....a lot.

Today we stained with water based stains an old pine chopping board....I cut it in half. She did one...I did the other. Mine had the better figure and grain...but the deeper/darker colour just took over and was pushed around over everything else when I put Tru oil on.

Hers was nearly flat with grain, but had a beautiful three colour burst that was stable and fixed by just spraying poly straight over the stain after it had dried.

I have a multi part question to you all:-

How do I grab and show the chatoyance of the grain and figure of the wood the way Tru Oil does, and keep the stains or dyes fixed in the places I have applied them? Can I spray Tru Oil? Can I get the same grain grabbing effect of Tru Oil through a spray sanding sealer like the Mohawk one from Australia Luthier Supplies and Guitar Australia? Will shellac spray on and act as a sanding sealer so I then can rub Tru Oil on to grab the grain? I want to lock up the colours without touching them....brushing would still move them around.

Because whilst my grand daughter did well with her burst....her grain was terribly flat. I still don’t find poly anything other than a liquid plastic bag....it just wraps around the wood.

I have spent a lot on cans of the cabots spray poly....and saw that the big green shed has it in 4 litre cans. I figure you can thin it with turps and I have a spray compressor etc. I love the robust nature and great finish I am getting from the poly over the Tru Oil. it just lights up like a piece of wood dipped in sparkling epoxy.

My idea is spray Tru oil to get the wood alive. The spray the poly to weatherproof and life proof the finish...both satin and gloss.

Much interest will be taken of any ideas.

P.S. No Tru Oil on this blue build...wonder if poly will also go green?

[DarkMark]

Advice from Wazkelly on application of tru oil over my ES/5V burst. I would add to slightly overlap the brush strokes to avoid a drying edge, and to paint in the direction of the grain. Work from light to dark. Keep the brush strokes light...practice also wouldn’t hurt.


From build #2 through to current # 6 I have brushed on initial 2 coats of Tru Oil before switching to rag application method.

It is quite simple, just pour a small amount in small container, load the brush up with plenty and lightly paint the surface with a 1" to no bigger than 2" brush, in same manner as you would on a door, wall, or any other surface. You will notice on first coat application that the timber is very thirsty and need to resist going back over where you have just applied finish too many times as it can end up disturbing the stain.

Give it least 24 hours and then brush the 2nd coat on which shouldn't need as much delicate care due to a proper thick 1st coat also acting as the sealer.

Cheers, Waz

[ozzbike]

Advice from Wazkelly on application of tru oil over my ES/5V burst. I would add to slightly overlap the brush strokes to avoid a drying edge, and to paint in the direction of the grain. Work from light to dark. Keep the brush strokes light...practice also wouldn’t hurt.


From build #2 through to current # 6 I have brushed on initial 2 coats of Tru Oil before switching to rag application method.

It is quite simple, just pour a small amount in small container, load the brush up with plenty and lightly paint the surface with a 1" to no bigger than 2" brush, in same manner as you would on a door, wall, or any other surface. You will notice on first coat application that the timber is very thirsty and need to resist going back over where you have just applied finish too many times as it can end up disturbing the stain.

Give it least 24 hours and then brush the 2nd coat on which shouldn't need as much delicate care due to a proper thick 1st coat also acting as the sealer.

Cheers, Waz

Thank you Mark and Waz.

If the iceman was not a veneer I would be tempted to sand back....but it is...and I will endure.

[wazkelly]

Absolutely swear by brushing 1st & 2nd coats, even on a natural finish as it goes on quicker and thicker from the get go.

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[ozzbike]

Absolutely swear by brushing 1st & 2nd coats, even on a natural finish as it goes on quicker and thicker from the get go.

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Thanks mate.

I cannot believe that the obvious nature of the Tru Oil spreading the colour has escaped me for so long. I feel like such an idiot.

Well...at least there will be no issue on this build. No Tru Oil.

[ozzbike]

Absolutely swear by brushing 1st & 2nd coats, even on a natural finish as it goes on quicker and thicker from the get go.

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Waz,

Do you just use a normal house painting trim style paint brush from the "BGS"?

Do they clean up with turps? How many coats with this method do you do?

Why I ask? I have ordered an Ash P Bass kit and I want to try the red/orange/yellow style of burst on the kit and the headstock front face.

[dozymuppet]

That's a great tip. I can see that improving my own future Tru-oil endeavours.

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[ozzbike]

Wow...and wow again.

I have to say that the supplier of these Tele kits has done a really good job. It is a two piece Ash body. Every hole is pre-drilled...makes it hard to do my normal recessed Tele jack socket, but that is fine.

The neck to body fit is amazing.

I really like the grain and figure on the body. The flame on the neck and fingerboard.....without any metho, water etc...just by eye...is pretty cool too.

As Molly would say..."Do yourselves a favour."

Make a DT-L tele.

[ozzbike]

I have to say these necks are amazing. It was sanded very fine and was a good shape to start with.....I cut the headstock to a 90's style T shape from a template.

The neck has had 80 grit, 120 grit, 180 grit.....1 x coat of cedar Timbermate.....dry....sanded off with 240 grit. Damp down with a cloth and water...light sand with 320 grit...did this 3 times. Sanded (dry) to 400 grit.

(First photo of the neck with no flash...the others are with flash.)

1 x coat of Feast Watson Golden Teak stain.

1 x thick coat of Tru -Oil....dry about 15 mins in the pics.

The body...well the Navy Blue has a lot of purple in it. The Blue is nice colour...but the winner is the turquoise...it is amazing.

Sanded through to 400 grit with 2 coats of timbermate at 180 and 240....then damp wiped at 320 x 3 times....then a light sand to 400.

One coat of the Blue across the front and the Navy around the edge, the sides and the complete back.

Let dry for about 1 hour. Started sanding at 400 grit...nothing....ended up sanding 240 grit, 360 girt and then 400 grit.

Then one heavy coat of the Turquoise in the middle....feathered the Navy and the Turquoise together around the edges. It is a narrow edge.....but if I try to spread the Navy it goes very purple and gets a sort of reflective finish to it.

Three oiled/glue/greasy marks on the front. The back had about five glue marks...plastic bristles brush and goof off fixed them easily. But the front ones have stayed. I am more inclined to think they are in the wood.

I will let both dry until tomorrow now and see how things are.

[ozzbike]

Front and Back.....and one last neck shot. (No flash)