A TB-4 Build whilst a BG-46 dries.

[ozzbike]

As the title says...the things you can achieve when the need for labour and income is not all encompassing....time running out though.

Anyway....today I sanded at 240 grit all over the body to remove the timbermate....and cleaned up the neck as well.

Then the fluffies got a fair workout. Two times over with the damp cloth and left to dry and then lightly sanded to 320 grit.

I then made up some fresh sanding sealer...shellac...and gave the body and the neck two light coats with an hour to dry in between.

That is it for today....depending on work....oh hang on....staining tomorrow.

The piccies are about 3 mins after the last coat of shellac....so little colour differences.

I am liking this kit. It has some wonderful end grain and the shape gives you more figure on the leading and trailling edges.

Cover me in honey and toss me to the women in comfortable shoes. (Robin Williams reference.)

[wokkaboy]

looking good Ozz. What stain colour will it be ?

[wazkelly]

Hey Woks, I reckon it looks like he will be doing a nudee natural finish.

[ozzbike]

Wrong all round guys.

Thunderbird orange with black headstock and dark brown edge trim on the body. 😎

(However the all natural finish was very appealing.)

[ozzbike]

Note to self....regardless of how I feel....or what I read on the net....stop sanding at 240 grit.....water based stain at 240 grit...no more.

Brain fart moment and I went to 320 grit....super smooth and the stain just slid around.

Even after two coats of sanding sealer it still made tide marks....gathered in globs....I worked it and worked it.....two coats with an hour in between.

Nah.....time to sand. I shall practice the long taught art of SAN-DING. Taught with great aplomb by Sensei D.B. of the W.A. Dojo of luthiery.

Phaark. !!!!!!!

[Simon Barden]

I would have put the sanding sealer on after the stain. I can't help but feel that any sealer going on first is going to inhibit absorption. I hope the re-sanding does the trick though.

[ozzbike]

I would have put the sanding sealer on after the stain. I can't help but feel that any sealer going on first is going to inhibit absorption. I hope the re-sanding does the trick though.

That was the idea....to ensure an even absorption of the stain....especially end grain. Two light coats of it are highly recommended when using stain/dye as opposed to paint.

The spray sealers.....like some of the vinyl sealers are designed to go over colour finishes prior to using a clear coat.

[wazkelly]

Amazing how Basswood doesn't need much sanding.

Just wiped down my MMB4 with a damp cloth tonight and straight out of the box there super smooth shiny areas already. Nothing that some 80 & 120 can't sort out.

Colour looks, err, umm, very orange in those shots Ozzie. Is it that loud in the flesh?

[ozzbike]

Amazing how Basswood doesn't need much sanding.

Just wiped down my MMB4 with a damp cloth tonight and straight out of the box there super smooth shiny areas already. Nothing that some 80 & 120 can't sort out.

Colour looks, err, umm, very orange in those shots Ozzie. Is it that loud in the flesh?

Yeah is an amazing wood.

Ha ha ha....very orange....gonna darken to something like this...I hope. 😎

[ozzbike]

My plan for the colours of this build have changed over time.

I am using mixes made from the U-Beaut range of water based timber dyes.

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/dye.html

The ORANGE...yes Wazza it is loud... ... is made from mixing orange and yellow.

I covered the whole body with this to provide a base colour for the rest to float over.....bad words....but I hope you guys get the image.

I have left the majority of the raised section in the middle of the front of the body with the orange colour.

Then I used a mix of the Orange and Cedar colours around the outside and basically over the wings of the body.

Then finally a stripe/wipe/burst of the pure Cedar around the outside to complete the burst.

The two photos were taken straight after I had rubbed the dyes in...still wet.

I will do some more coats to deepen the colour and to even out and feather the edges of where the colours meet.

The ORANGE will peek through the darker colours and I hope it makes a good effect. I can't wait to see what Tru Oil does to the colours and the grain.

P.S. Much much much easier to work with the dyes at 240 grit sanded body....just saying to myself....duh.