"Blue Heeler" Bondi Blue GR-SF1: Pt1 Aspirations, Procrastinations, and Consequences

[Honkenstein]

I've made two blue stain guitars now - 1 "violin style" bass pb, 1 not (my personal bari uke).

It is a very elusive color, tougher than any of the rest. http://amarkinstruments.com I'm very much a novice, but I can easily say when somebody says "I want blue" I say "that means paint, and I don't like to paint."

That is one "blue-tiful" bass! I like that whole array of 5. I and my wife both enjoyed your comment concerning women not kidding about "leopard". "D

Thanks for sharing.
Grant

PS - That green is a very appealing colour too!

[Honkenstein]

G'day Grant-Honkenstein (great name).


The galling thing about this branch of Woolies is that ...
...
busking is mentioned on their website as an attraction.


cheers, Mark.

How apt was that link, Mark!?! Loved it for hinting at the bully-ish nature displayed, and the fact that it was their advertising theme song two winters ago! Still, I hope you get some more gig time with them, to your advantage.

History about the name, "Honkenstein": Mum and dad told me that I made it up when I was 5 or 6 yo back in the early 70's. Dad band-sawed me a "Gumby" style character out of a half-inch(?) thick sheet of polyurethane at his workplace. I named it sometime after receipt. As far as we know it was an original name, made up by mine own childish self. However, I can't help but suspect that I was influenced by names or words I'd already encountered in my few talking years. If anyone, it would've been dad himself influencing.

Innyhoo, when I first started PC gaming back around Y2K, I was reminded of the name and have used it as my gaming nickname ever since. There are a number of "fake" (hehe) Honkensteins out there now.

[Honkenstein]

A Long Wait

Well, I actually managed to wait 4 days before adding the next intensifying coat! (pats self on back)

During this time, the left-over intensifier in the ramekin evaporated a little. The result was a thicker application/coat ... and significant darkening. I gave it a light 0000 steel woolling prior.

3rd coat significantly darker and only applied to top, neck, and head


Sides will remain as-is with 2 coats for a tonal contrast


The back still looks nice and dark from its 2 coats and will not get a 3rd, but note that the back looks so much darker from this angle than it does in image #21, so it's not a fair comparison really


Head and neck get a 3rd coat, and I like it, but the photo reveals that I accidentally wiped off the wood what was close to the nut ... and it seems I've put some unsightly blackened fingerprints on the fingerboard! Let's pretend it's extra-ebonising of the ... umm ... rosewood.


Question 1.: What's going to be a nice way to get rid of most of;

• the darkening of the binding and inside the f-holes?
• the smudges of intensifier on the glueing surfaces of the set neck?

Please advise, thanks, good sirs.

First Finishings

A furphy. Need to wait days before considering the finishing coats.

At last, you say: Pt7 A Longer Wait, Cain't Wait No Mo', First Finish

[wazkelly]

Removing stain from binding is a pain but personally i would use a stanley knife blade and gently scrape. Don't be tempted to use steel wool or sand paper as that risks cutting in to the finish beyond edge of binding.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Honkenstein]

Removing stain from binding is a pain but personally i would use a stanley knife blade and gently scrape. Don't be tempted to use steel wool or sand paper as that risks cutting in to the finish beyond edge of binding.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Thanks, Waz. Got a reply in before I finished editing! 8)

So use of solvents isn't recommended then, I gather?

[wazkelly]

Nah, Solvents could leach into the existing finish.

[Simon Barden]

Scraping the surface of the fretboard (with the grain) with a sharp Stanley knife (box cutter) blade or single sided razor blade may get some of the stain off. A good scrape never goes amiss on a rosewood or ebony board. Cleaning/rubbing with lemon oil may also help. Lemon oil will also darken the general appearance of the board. As Waz says, wait until the end and scrape the plastic binding clean then, so I'd wait to do the board at the same time.

[agus]

Beveled Oboe Reed Knife for binding scraping. It makes it fun, and won't slice the crap out of your fingers. You can wrap your fingers around the blade and it won't cut you, but sharp as F*** for scraping. I literally wrap my fingers around the blade, and use my thumb as a guide against the top of the surface (sorta like a router guide).

As always, the more you spend the better the blade, but like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Rigotti-Reed-...0669386&sr=8-4

[Honkenstein]

Beveled Oboe Reed Knife for binding scraping. It makes it fun, and won't slice the crap out of your fingers. You can wrap your fingers around the blade and it won't cut you, but sharp as F*** for scraping. I literally wrap my fingers around the blade, and use my thumb as a guide against the top of the surface (sorta like a router guide).

As always, the more you spend the better the blade, but like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Rigotti-Reed-...0669386&sr=8-4

Thanks, Waz, Simon, and Agus for the options. Much appreciated.

I actually don't mind the "smokey" look that the binding has now. I might try to clean some off, but I'm not particularly concerned. What worries me more is that gents such as your good selves will think ill of me for not going all-out on this, my first build. So, will bypass solvents, will try a little Stanley knife blade scrape. Will also bypass the reed resurfacing tool as a ... luxury item. :P

Because the intensifier went on somewhat thickly, I'll be giving a little wipe down tomorrow -- unless you think it should stay on now that it's there and seems pretty evenly applied?

Best regards
Grant

[agus]

Hey @honkenstein Simon helped me a lot a year ago and I am deeply grateful. My best advice would be DO IT. GO FOR IT. and then after it is done, and everybody looks at it and says "wow - that is AMAZING!"

I don't care **HOW** good it is, you'll still look at the ONE blemish somewhere that you didn't expect.

Something that was beat into me as a young musician when somebody said to me "wow great solo" after a show in college. I said "Eh, thanks, but I screwed up a lot, wasn't that good" and walked away.

The head of the music college overheard that, pinned me against the wall. He was smaller than me, furious, and my drill sergeant in a manner of speaking.

"GRIEBEL, I'll tell you this once, and you get it good. NEVER F***ING FADE A COMPLIMENT. It demeans the person that gave it to you and makes *them* feel stupid. Ask yourself, were they better or worse for you pointing out you were out of tune on bar 33? THEY DID NOT KNOW. Get better, sure, but never ever fade a compliment. EVER."

Since that day, decades ago, I have lived a life of NEVER FADE A COMPLIMENT about anything. Bread. Bacon. Cakes. Whatever. NEVER fade a compliment. You are gonna have a fine guitar I am sure.


My mistakes in git building are visible at www.amarkinstruments.com ... I try to get better every build. I guess it is like golf, just trying to beat the last game.