TL-1HA first build

[FrankenWashie]

This evening was back to sanding... again - this time to remove the excess grain filler. I hate sanding the sides - I just can't seem to keep it scratch free. This time I went up through the grits to P600 to try and descratch.

I got to the point where I was relatively happy (read bored of sanding) so I thought I'd see what would happen if I applied a little black stain to the sides.

Before I knew it, I'd done this:

I found this to be a really cathatic process. I've been watching a lot of Big D Guitars on YT for technique and inspiration. In my head I could hear his voice... "now I'm gonna come back with a little yellow"...

Aaanywaaay, I'm quite pleased with the result - it looks just how I'd imagined it. But I'm concious that adding the top coats will darken it a ton. So I think I should lighten the colour a little with wirewool perhaps? Is this the best thing to use?

I might just ligthen the centre as I really want the black to stay a deep black...

Oh yeah, that's the stuff mate. Nice burst job! Polite applause from the lab (essentially as all my burst attempts have been rubbish).

[McCreed]

So I think I should lighten the colour a little with wirewool perhaps? Is this the best thing to use?

Nooooooooooooooooo!!! (that's a slow motion "no" like you see in the movies )

Steel wool is the devil and has no place in guitar building (or general woodworking for that matter) IMO.
Synthetic sanding pads (3M brand or similar) are the way to go. I have railed and ranted about this in numerous threads and forums. They are available in a range of grits from a 0000 equivalent to very coarse. However I only use them for the the fine textures as traditional coarse sandpaper works perfectly well.

IIRC, Big D uses a RO sander for this which I also disagree with, but to each his own.

That's a nice looking burst too! Well done.

[wazkelly]

Gotta agree with Mcreed about use of steel wool on the body.
Looking good and w oiukd suggest a true clear for top coats, acrylic or poly, but not Tru Oil as that does add a slightly darker shade that can transform black into a dark brown shade.

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[Groovyman32]

... but not Tru Oil as that does add a slightly darker shade that can transform black into a dark brown shade.

Oh really? Thanks for the steer.

Can you recommend a product? I see Minwax used a lot in the US but that doesn’t seem to be widely available in the UK.

After a bit of scouting around it seems you can thin down regular poly varnish? Anyone tried that?


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[McCreed]

Looking good and w oiukd suggest a true clear for top coats, acrylic or poly, but not Tru Oil as that does add a slightly darker shade that can transform black into a dark brown shade.

Good point on using a "clear" clear Waz.

[McCreed]

After a bit of scouting around it seems you can thin down regular poly varnish? Anyone tried that?

Absolutely. This is a drum I have beaten to death here and elsewhere...
Wipe-on poly that you buy at a hardware or paint store is simply polyurethane that has been thinned, then marketed and sold at 3 times the price. I've been mixing my own home-brew wipe-on poly for years.

50/50 Polyurethane (oil based)/Mineral Turps and your laughing. I can never remember what they call call turps in the UK (white spirit maybe???) but hopefully you know what I mean. Turpentine.

[Groovyman32]

Absolutely. This is a drum I have beaten to death here and elsewhere...
50/50 Polyurethane (oil based)/Mineral Turps and your laughing. I can never remember what they call call turps in the UK (white spirit maybe???) but hopefully you know what I mean. Turpentine.

Great thanks - I'll give that a go.

Yeah, actually I've got a bit confused between turps, naptha, white spirit and mineral spirits. According to google real turps and white spirit are not the same:

Real turpentine is a natural product taken from a trees sap. White spirit is a distillate of paraffin oil. Turps substitute is a distillate of petroleum. White spirit is a far cleaner and better thinners than turps, and to the touch feels less oily.

So it seems that white spirit might be right thing for this? I just need something to thin down the poly?

[Groovyman32]

Test fit after the colour has dried...



The yellow needs lifting somehow. Hopefully sanding back will help. I might touch in the black around the neck and cutaway so the yellow doesn't poke through.

I also want to swap the scratch plate for a single ply - I'm not sure the white is doing a lot for the look.

[Trevor Davies]

Test fit after the colour has dried...



The yellow needs lifting somehow. Hopefully sanding back will help. I might touch in the black around the neck and cutaway so the yellow doesn't poke through.

I also want to swap the scratch plate for a single ply - I'm not sure the white is doing a lot for the look.

For the scratch plate - could you use a black permanent marker (or paint!) to cover the white plastic strip in the 3-ply.

[McCreed]

So it seems that white spirit might be right thing for this?

That is my understanding also. White Spirit (UK) = Mineral Turpentine (AUS). And yes, 50/50 (1:1) White Spirit/Polyurethane.

Looking at Big D's video, a bit sanding in the middle followed another hit of yellow dye should get you where you want.
I have not done a stain burst other than mucking around on scrap, so can only go by what I've seen on YT.

Yours is looking really good though! It's a shame that body requires such a prominent pickguard. It would be nice to show off more of your hard work there!