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

[Kick]

Wow, that is shiny! Looking good Oz!

[wokkaboy]

looking great Ozz. I usually wet sand with 1200 grit and if there is still any bumps then go to 800 grit on those areas. Then over those areas with 1200 grit. I wouldn't use 600 grit, I think that may leave tiny scratches

[wazkelly]

Hi buddy, I would start with 1500 wet using water with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid to soften the water. You might get away with 1200 but even 1500 strips off a lot. Presume you use a cork sanding block on the flat surfaces.

The shine on the round pointy bit of front lower horn is awesome as is the rest.

[Simon Barden]

Just remember that micromesh grits are different sizes to normal paper, 2400 micromesh is just on the finer side of P1500, so if using micromesh, don't use anything below 2400, or you will easily break through again.

[ozzbike]

I have been trialling some differing finishing methods of late on two builds:-

This one....obviousily and this other Big Girl over here.

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...t=6444&page=25

Today I did some wet sanding on this Downunder Bird build....trials and tribulations and much gnashing of teeth has ensued.

1. Wetsand with high quality 1200 grit wet and dry paper in warm water with a dribble or two of dish soap.....BLASTED straight through again. Grrr.

2. Wetsand with high quality...read expensive.....1500 grit wet and dry paper in the same water as above....BOOM straight through on the top this time.....nice.....NOT.

3. Sanding process on the BG 46 using 2400 Black coloured micromesh pad....ouch again....again....again.

4. Back to the Downunder Bird with the TAN 3200 micromesh pad in warm water with dish soap....ah huh...we have a winner. Nice smoothing....shiny parts disappearing without stripping of finish and stain. Amazingly this looks like a START point for me from now on.

Now....I have used the wet and dry paper wrapped around a cork sanding block.....wrapped around a white rubber pencil eraser....held very lightly with next to no downwards pressure under the finger tips of my hand.

The micromesh pads are foam backed so both were just used with minimal downwards pressure and moved lightly in wet circles.

I have hit the necks up on the BG-46 with some 240 grit as the stain would not even go into the wood at 2400/3200. The stain has been reapplied.

I am waiting for the body and neck of the TB-4 to dry and I will wipe it over with some stain as it is. If it does not take...then again a light sand with 240 grit and on with the stain.

My Summary:-

1. The BG-46 is being clearcoat finished with wipe on polyurethane as I did not have a good outcome using spray cans and cannot justify the cost of a spray gun etc at this point. I am using poly as I have found that Tru-Oil produces a very yellow finish....over my blue stain....GREEN. The poly...even though quite yellow itself does not interact as much with the stain as Tru Oil....still have blue colour on the body and necks.

2. The manner I wipe either finish on makes the final product so much easier to achieve. Don't slap it on.....or if it is the earlier coats...slap it on....but make sure it is wiped off...spread out....or finished with a wipe in the direction of the grain.

3. Every two or three coats on TRU OIL I am giving the surface a very light scratch with 0000 grade steel wool. Making sure I brush and blow of the surface all over after this....I even wipe it down with metho sometimes.....light hit with a clean fine bristle paint brush....compressed air would be good too.

4. Every 6 or 9 coats I will now do the progressively finer micromesh pad wet sanding.

5. The poly may just get many light coats...no steel wool as of yet.....may have to consider for future....and then start at 3200 micromesh when I get the finish I want.

6. I may have to revisit 240 grit on the BG-46 body as I have some lighter areas around the edges where the stain has not been reabsorbed into the wood.

More to come....but this seems to offer the best outcome for me....see if it works.

[wazkelly]

Wow, I know 1200 is quite savage and also very wary when using 1500 too. Sounds like the level of finish thickness couldn't take much wet sanding?

I only bought the Micro Mesh Guitar Kit set that starts at 4000 and on the Swampy Tele alternated between it and if not cutting enough reverted back to 2000 (can be bought at Autobarn and maybe Supercheap too).

On the current MMB-4 build it has had a couple of 1200 wet sanding sessions done after every 2nd coat and just did a 1500 session earlier tonight. Still plenty of finish and no bare timber which surprised me as the last few coats were a 50;50 blend with turps? Maybe the poly is softer than Tru Oil? Agree it would have added too much green tinge on the beast. Makes you wonder if rattle can white knight clear acrylic would be any better?

[ozzbike]

Waz....yeah I was surprised too. I had done 9 coats of poly and 6 coats of tru oil respectively.

Today after a restain where needed.... done yesterday....and the required sand to 240 grit.....first soak coat of Tru Oil reapplied.....wiped as much into it in the bare places and then wiped any excess off. Final strokes with the grain. I am liking the shine at the first coat.

[Kick]

I am liking it to Ozz!

[ozzbike]

I am liking it to Ozz!

Why thank you good sir. 😎

I have to say the kit itself is the best standard of finish of any PBG kit I have had so far. So much credit to Adam for sourcing such a great kit.

Really nice build....get yourselves one. 😎

[ozzbike]

Many things have been occurring...job hunting...still.

When you can't sleep and it is 0300 am what do you do? You get out of bed...do a fret levelling....neck to body fit and string your bass.

This "Thunderbird" style kit ( ) has been so much fun to build and was the best quality starting point of any PBG kit I have made so far. Well done to Ads for sourcing them...and well done to the factory for making some good stuff.

I do have a router...Aldi one....but I have not had any practice yet....so the control cavity turned out to be too tiny for four great big GOTOH pots......so I made a new wiring harness using all the original bits...even the green capacitor. (Oh...the kit had 2 x B capacitors and 1 x A capacitor...so I swapped one B out so I had 2 x A for the volumes and the single B for the Tone.)

The control cavity cover was cut, drilled and countersunk in mirror image....so no shiny side out....but it is against my tubby belly so who cares. Yes...fully shielded of course and so is the nice shiny front side of the control cavity cover that is now facing inwards.

The three point bridge is so hard to set the string height on. I have the neck now wedged with 2 x pieces of business card under the front of the neck lifting the headstock and lowering the strings down. Works and the string height is spot on.

The pickups come wired for splitting with red and black, silver and green wires in them. I soldered them in pairs and just used them as a single humbucker. Whilst not as thumping as active pickups these sound nice for chinese ones. I may chase some Seymour Duncan Soapbar Basslines I think.

Left to do is the fitting of PABLOPEPPERS great truss rod cover...thanks again.

And the printing and sticking of this Guitars Logo on the pickguard...."The Downunder Bird"....an Emu...slightly stylized of course.

Love making this one and need to drift back to the BG-46 and finish her off now.

Changed....control knobs to Bell type ones and nut to a graphite nut...input jack to switchcraft....jack socket to recessed Tele style one....sorry WAZKELLY I left it with the lip on the surface and did not recess it right in. Love the look though. I have straplock connectors to go on....black to match the other metal.