2nd Build: SSCM-1E

[Digby]

Hey all

I just took delivery of the SSCM-1E kit. After my first build (a TL-1 with my 14-yo son) I thought I'd step up the challenge just a little with this build. I'm going for a danish oil finish rather than painting this time around.

I've started sanding the body with 120 grit and noticed a couple of potential hurdles. I'm hoping I can get some help from people here.

1. The binding on the body near the neck cut-out is standing a little higher (1mm) than the wood on the body. What's the best way to make the binding level with the wood? Sanding? A sharp knife? (I'd like to show a photo but for some reason I'm finding it a challenge to upload a photo to this forum from my computer - any tips on that too?)

2. There are a number of glue marks around the binding. I've heard that using Goof Off is the best way to remove these. Is that correct or is there another good way to remove the glue marks?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

[McCreed]

1. The binding on the body near the neck cut-out is standing a little higher (1mm) than the wood on the body. What's the best way to make the binding level with the wood?

I find scraping better than sanding for binding. It can be done with lots of different types of blades ranging from a single edge razor to a hobby knife or a Stanley knife blade. You want a good sharp edge regardless of which you choose. Mini cabinet scrapers are great for this, but not everyone has a set.

2. There are a number of glue marks around the binding. I've heard that using Goof Off is the best way to remove these. Is that correct or is there another good way to remove the glue marks?

Goof Off or 100% Acetone is good for glue removal, but you need to be careful around the binding because the acetone will melt the plastic. For the glue spots [on the wood] the acetone/goof off and a small brass-bristled brush is a good combination.

As for posting photos, you may have to resize them to a maximum size of 1500 x 1500 pixels, or post them via an external hosting site.
If you're a Windows user, you can easily resize pics with MS Paint or MS Photo-something-or-other. That's about as technical as I can with that subject...

[Simon Barden]

Note that Goof-Off contains a lot of acetone, so you need to be careful of it too around binding. Mask off the binding where possible.

Model-making flash removal tools make good mini binding scrapers. I bought one of these following a recommendation on here. Basically a small scraper with a convenient handle.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/produc...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Digby]

Thanks @McCreed and @Simon Barden. Useful tips. @McCreed I'm a Mac user - I'm sure there's a way :-)