TL adventures

[JohnH]

G'day John, just tried to send you a reply but your mailbox appears to be full.

Oh, yep. Try now - should be sorted, sorry.

[JohnH]

I totally forgot I'd ordered and received this kit! Just goes to show what a year it has been.

Keen to get started on it, but will finish my amp build first. Next year I'm hoping to get through all my unfinished builds, as the kids will both be at school, so my day off mid week will be all my own.

No real plans for this except that I'd like to try a spray finish. Otherwise I think I'll upgrade everything but I won't be doing anything too fancy.

[McCreed]

These are purely suggestions, but if you want to like teles even more than you do already,
do forearm and belly contours. Also try doing a reverse control plate. All these are now my personal must-haves for a tele.
I no longer like standard tele bodies and this has deterred me from buying any stock Fender or even Squier models now.

[JohnH]

Good thinking McCreed

[JohnH]

I reckon I have a very small window of opportunity to get some work done on this build, before work and commissions ramp up again for the year. Maybe a week or two, max.

So, while I had planned to do belly cuts and arm contours I think I'm going to keep this one as a solid block tele, and just get right in and sand and spray it. There will always be another!

About to go to Supercheap for some paints - thinking purple mica for this one.

I'll start thinking about upgrades too, but they can be piece by piece later in the year

[McCreed]

So, while I had planned to do belly cuts and arm contours I think I'm going to keep this one as a solid block tele, and just get right in and sand and spray it.

The contouring only takes about 15 minutes. (when done with a 4" angle grinder and 80 grit flap disc!) Then it's just tidying up with an ROS, final touches by hand.

There will always be another!

I like the they way you think... but I'd really encourage you to do the contours on this one. Purple Mica would love those curves and surface changes!

[JohnH]

Hmm, you have me tempted again lol

I'll need to buy a grinder, but that's not a huge hassle.

[edit] going to go to the BGS tonight, ha ha ha

[McCreed]

Hmm, you have me tempted again lol

I'll need to buy a grinder, but that's not a huge hassle.

If you do, just take a few minutes to have a play with some scrap wood to get a feel for how it takes material off. Once you get a handle on it, you actually be surprisingly precise with it.

[JohnH]

What kind of round over did you go for on yours McCreed? I was going to go round the whole thing with the router and a roundover bit, but curious to know what you found best with the body contouring

Also, I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe Sonic mentioned?) that with the SCA primer you don't need to grain fill. Anyone have any advice for finish level pre-priming? I was hoping I could get away with sanding it flat at 240 or 360 grit. I really hate grain filling, so if I can get away without it I'd be pretty happy

[McCreed]

I just caught your edit! Noice!

What kind of round over did you go for on yours McCreed? I was going to go round the whole thing with the router and a roundover bit, but curious to know what you found best with the body contouring.

The red tele in the photo gallery (and my non-PBG build) has a pretty minimal round over. I definitely didn't use a router or the grinder. It would have been by hand. Probably a file followed by sandpaper (maybe some ROS???). The forearm and belly contours are all I used the grinder on for sure though.

Also, I'm sure I read somewhere (maybe Sonic mentioned?) that with the SCA primer you don't need to grain fill.

If that's an ash body, I don't know I'd rely on primer filler or primer surfacer to adequately fill the grain. If it's basswood or alder, there's no need to grain fill anyway, so one of those products would be fine.

FWIW I have read here of people having issues with Timbermate shrinking under paint. I have not experienced this and have used it without issue, but I will stipulate that I have not used that combination on ash*. It that poses a concern, maybe a different grain filling product is worth investigating. If you're going solid colour, that opens up a range of possibilities, like even a builder's bog.

*I used Timbermate to grain fill on two different mahogany bodies and primed and finished with acrylic lacquer base & top coats.