Yes - fret board is done too - I applied a really light coat to start with.
Yes - fret board is done too - I applied a really light coat to start with.
That's good. I read about people not clear coating maple fretboards and just waxing it or something... it worries me every time.
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
34 coats... and it's going... okay - the back is looking better than the top. I had a couple of "dirty" coats on the top that I've not been able to recover from. In certain lights you can see runs where I've clearly put it on too thickly. I've lightly sanded every five or so coats with either P800 or a synthetic sanding pad. The pad seems to scuff it up removing any debris whilst the P800 is better at removing the runs.
I'm hoping the runs are going to be hard to see after the final buff and polish. If not then the headstock my say "built in 2021" on the front and "refinished in 2022" on the back.
I should get to 50 coats before the weekend - how long should I leave it before finish sanding and buffing? Is there any reason to wet sand? Or can I go dry? I'm concerned about swelling...
I've also been looking at Menzerna buffing compounds to use with my RO sander.
Meanwhile in necksville - I've put four coats of truoil over the whole neck. And so far, I'm pleased with the outcome. It feels smooth and it has a nice colour to it. Next I'll add the decals and build up the oil a little more on the headstock to add a bit more a sheen.
Last edited by Groovyman32; 23-03-2021 at 05:00 AM.
Hey Groovyman.
re: runs - I thought I posted this in your thread, but it was a another members recent thread. Anyway, check out post #31 HERE.
I describe a couple of methods for dealing with drips/runs etc you may find useful.
With poly, I give it a minimum of 10 days, 14+ if you can stand it.I should get to 50 coats before the weekend - how long should I leave it before finish sanding and buffing? Is there any reason to wet sand? Or can I go dry? I'm concerned about swelling...
The old school way of checking the level of cure, is by putting your nose right up to the timber and giving a sniff. If you can smell any solvent, it not's fully gassed off. However IME, 10-14 days has been fine with poly, and 3-4 weeks (or more!) with lacquer. With either, longer is always better.
Wet sanding will be required if your going for a high gloss finish. Dry sanding is only going make it look quasi-satin.
The way to think about the difference is, wet sanding has a greater polishing effect and dry is creating micro-scratches.
The whole wet sand before drilling holes or after is a subject for debate that has been knocked around here a lot. There are reasonable arguments on both sides, so it comes down to personal preference. Some times you don't get a choice if the body has pre-drilled holes, it just has to be dealt with. Since your build has some but not all holes drilled you can get the whole experience and compare!
I tend to be in the drill before camp, but that aside, what I would suggest in your case, is leave your pickguard holes etc undrilled until after you've levelled and polished. Hand-applied poly is generally more forgiving to a drill bit than lacquers IMO.
Now for the existing holes and cavities:
(after last coat and before wet sanding)
1) Plug any existing holes with a small amount of bee's wax (you don't need to jam pack the entire depth, just enough to "cap" the hole).
2) Apply a few coats of shellac (or wipe-on poly) to the inside of the cavities. Just enough to seal & waterproof the walls & floor. This also provides a better surface for shielding tape to adhere to IMO (if you're planning to do that).
An added benefit to the bee's wax is it works as a lubricant for the screws when you turn them in. Any excess wax that may smear on the finish while filling the holes or after turning in a screw can be safely wiped off with a small amount of naptha on a rag.
Hope this helps...
Last edited by McCreed; 23-03-2021 at 08:08 AM.
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Thanks Mc - that's really helpful. I'll have another go at the imperfections. They're not drippy so much, more patches where it seems like the finish moved or sagged as it hardened. Either that or missed an area and I have a "curb" between layers. It's quite hard to get a good picture of the effect. If you look straight on you can't see it. It's only visible if you look at a shallow angle.
Thanks for the tips on protecting against swelling - I got some bee's wax for applying to screws but I didn't know I can also use it to cap the holes. The only holes I have are for the ferrules and the neck screws. Polying the body cavities hadn't occurred to me - seems obvious! I assume I don't touch the neck pocket?
But I'm really pleased with the finish on the neck - it feels lovely this morning now that the TO has dried off a bit more.
Oh and congrats Mc on reaching 2K posts! I'm ready to bow down to our new Overlord
Ha! I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out!Oh and congrats Mc on reaching 2K posts! I'm ready to bow down to our new Overlord
It's amazing what can be accomplished spruiking a heap of BS can get you!
It's up to you whether you do the neck pocket. Personally I would because you'll only be applying enough to seal it, not building up like you would on the exterior areas. It won't be enough to effect the fit of the heel.Polying the body cavities hadn't occurred to me - seems obvious! I assume I don't touch the neck pocket?
I'm of the mind that the more timber that is sealed, the less it may be effected by moisture. Environmental or otherwise. This is one of the reasons guitar builders apply finish to necks. Protection.
When I spray a body, I allow the paint to go into the cavities, and I shellac the neck pocket before spraying as well since my spraying jig is fixed into the pocket with very little paint getting into it, so I seal it. That's just me though.
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Ah okay - Ive been trying really hard to leave the neck pocket well alone. But what you suggest makes sense.
Here’s an example of the finish defect. As you can it’s quite hard to capture in a photo but it’s definitely there. I’m wondering if it has something to do with my mix going stale?
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It could be from a batch thickening up if it's been mixed for a while, or may be just too much applied at once. Hard to say for sure.Here’s an example of the finish defect. As you can it’s quite hard to capture in a photo but it’s definitely there. I’m wondering if it has something to do with my mix going stale?
However that is the kind of defect that the strip sanding technique I mentioned is perfect for.
If you use a nice thin strip, you can work just the edges of that mark. It shouldn't take much, maybe just a couple of pulls. If you try to remove the whole mark by block sanding, you can end up creating a low spot.
Decal looks great!
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Cool thanks - I’ll give it a go in the morning. Maybe mix a new batch too.
What about air temps? It’s barely above 10DegC these days and I’m doing four coats a day with 3-4 hrs between - I wonder if the cool air means I should be leaving it longer between coats.
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