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Thread: Strat au naturale (ST-1L) - First build, WIP

  1. #31
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    Thanks Gav.

    I put a fresh coat of Tru-Oil on tonight; the gloss and grain patterns prior to cutting back with steel wool have returned - without the unwanted surface lumps and bumps. It's not the final coat - but I'm relieved that I haven't gone backwards. :-)

    I missed the most important part of your post: /<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/wet-sand.
    My brother told me not to wet-sand - so clearly that was wrong... :P

    I tried P1200 grit wet&dry with methylated spirits, and it worked a treat! No dust, no clogged sandpaper (& scratches), and a lot less effort. (But don't skimp on the metho, and don't use cork sanding blocks.)

    I sanded back "all" of the Tru-Oil to remove as many surface defects as possible. There were some shiny Tru-Oil patches left behind deep in the grain, but the fluffy basswood fibres didn't return. I think that's why people suggest only sanding to approx. P400 grit; until you get the first "sealing" coat on, you're just fighting the fibres.

    I'm still working on the finish. I think I'll need a fresh bottle of Tru-Oil for the finish coat(s), but I'm learning by trial and error - and not in a hurry.

  2. #32
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    I thinned the Tru-Oil with mineral turps; Vive la différence! Easier to apply, but a longer "tacky" period.

    Fibres/dust are the killer; you can knock them back with P2000 grit, but ultimately you need one final, perfect coat. (I'm still working on that one...)

  3. #33
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    Renamed again.

    "Stratovarius" implied a perfect, violin finish. Yeah, nah... 8O
    (Stained basswood might look great - but it's not for me.)

    "Strat au naturale" is closer to the truth: a warts and all "clear" Tru-Oil finish.



  4. #34
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    Teeth gritting time...

    I cut out the headstock with the coping saw tonight.

    The fine-toothed blade may have been better suited to metalwork, but it cut close to the line without ever feeling out-of-control. It wasn't quite as square as I'd like (I was too focused on the cutting line), but I had a few mm of buffer built in after scaling it up to the larger headstock.

    Overall, I'm pleased with the result - no snapped blades, and not too much to remove to finish it off. 8-)

    8-)

  5. #35
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    Good work, its a tricky shape to get right, but you've got it.

    Gonna have to try thinning tru oil with turps.
    'As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.'

  6. #36
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    P.S. When cutting out the head shape, I could detect a whiff of "mould". It might have been resins etc. in the wood (there were a couple of friction "scorched" spots), but could it be mildly spalted maple? (I don't mind, but it might explain some of the interesting grain patterns and streaks.)

  7. #37
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    Quote from pablopepper on September 22, 2014, 21:16
    Good work, its a tricky shape to get right, but you've got it.
    Thanks!

    Gonna have to try thinning tru oil with turps.
    Only if your Tru-Oil isn't "fresh", and all else fails.
    I tried it out of desperation; it seems to have worked - but I have no idea what effect the turps (and metho) have had on the wood.

  8. #38
    Mentor jarrod's Avatar
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    It evaporates so none

  9. #39
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    /<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from jarrod on September 22, 2014, 22:10
    It evaporates so none
    :-) That's good to know. No obvious issues here with a basswood body.

    The Dingotone videos suggest it might be a problem with laminated finishes:
    http://www.pitbullguitars.com/dingotone/

  10. #40
    Mentor jarrod's Avatar
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    Due to the fact that the laminate is only half a millimeter thick i would suspect but you would be dam unlucky for it to lift the glue. But I would listen to DB

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