SGD-612 Lefty Build

[Metalligun]

Thanks for the tip Waz. The holes do seem deep so I'm only sanding them enough to not change the surface flatness visibly.
The widest blemish is about 2mm and is on the backside so the filler tip is an awesome one to try. Thanks again mate.

A deep emerald green with dark grain and join highlights, sealed in maybe a gloss finish is the plan Gav. I'm still torn between highlighting the grain and joins with a black application first or trial the green to see if that does the trick.
If the highlights turn out the way I want I may go a semi gloss to give it a working class look too.
When the dyes come in I'll do some samples and make up my mind then

[wazkelly]

Ebony timber mate would work in with the dark grain plans as a filler however Basswood has very little open grain for TM to penetrate and assist with grain popping. Black fountain pen ink may be the best bet but be prepared to buy quality stuff and wipe as much off immediately after application, and then next day wipe the remainder off with a slightly damp rag. You may need to do this a couple of times to make any impact and then lightly sand to knock down the furry timber fibres and expose some of the blonde timber underneath in preparation for the emerald green stain.

BIG TIP: Basswood staining = no higher than 180 grit sanding and even that can sometimes be too smooth as some of the top or bottom slab sides can be very shiny straight out of the box and once this happens it tends to repel any staining attempts or make things look like there are glue spots where none existed.

[Metalligun]

Thanks Waz. Geez, it will be a tricky colouring job then..
I've started on some 240 grit sanding so I guess it will be best to go back to 180 and redo the body. Should this approach be taken with the neck and headstock too?
I've ordered some Keda wood dye powder and was planning on mixing it with water to apply. If the basewood is possibly going to repel stain in areas, is alcohol or solvents going to be better as a mixer to help the colour take to the wood?

[corsair]

I used a green spirit based stain on a re-build I did a few years ago and it worked a treat! However, I veneered the repaired body with a lightly flamed maple veneer which was near on 1.5mm thick and took both the black and green stain beautifully...

The stain is a Feast and Watson and they no longer make it but I bought all of the coloured stain that the local shop had in stock; would you like to try it? PM your address if you'd like to have a crack with it...

[Andy40]

Hey Metalligun, just to let you know that i put ebony timbermate on mine to pop the grain. it worked out well. also as basswod is quite porous it soaks up the stain really well.

Lastly I noticed that the jack hole is not on the front. can you check that if the jack is plugged in its not hitting/shorting one of the pots. I found this to be a major issue, so before you finish up on the sanding you may want to consider plugging the exising jack hole and re drilling on the front of the body.

See my build diary and you'll understand.

[Metalligun]

@ Corsair - Thanks for the info and offer mate. I'm going to try the product I have first and see how I go but I'll keep your offer in mind. Cheers.

@ Andy - Thanks for the reminder. I checked out your build thread a few months back and know what you mean. I'll check it out tomorrow and report back. Thanks again mate!

[wazkelly]

Hi Metalligun, maple necks don't need much sanding as they already come pretty smooth in the box. Over sanding them makes it hard to take a stain too.

Due to the number of planks used and the cross grain variations some sections can polish up quickly with light to moderate sanding. It is when things get too shiny that the pores have very little chance of soaking up much colour. It is a bit of a trade off where if a dark colour is really important to you, best to take a safety first approach as you can always get things as shiny as glass afterwards. It just takes a bit longer and lots more clear top coats too but worth it in the end.

[Metalligun]

Some great news Andy. Looks like the plug location has been moved quite nicely between pots

[Andy40]

Thats great news, fantastic

[andrewdosborne]

Welcome Metalligun somehow I’ve missed this thread. Great looking kit - You’re gonna love sanding at the end of it (its worth all the effort)!


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