Build #10 & #11 - AG-1F x2

[m0j0]

Gonna be asking for plenty of help/tips for these builds.

Just ordered 2x AG-1F kits. Currently on backorder but supposed to be coming in this week. One of these I'm building for a friend but I got so excited about the prospect that I decided to build one for myself at the same time. Got a set of Tonerider AC4N for mine and two lots of Dingotone Uluru Red. This is the kind of look I'm going for, not sure how close I'll get - it's difficult to gauge what sort of colour I'll get from the images on the web site.

[m0j0]

My initial questions while I'm waiting.

1) I've never done a set neck before. With bolt-on necks, I've always done the entire finish as separate pieces and put together after the polishing process. However, with a set neck, I'm concerned about damage to the finish caused by the clamping regardless of how careful I am. Since I'm doing the entire neck and body in the same finish, my thought would be to get the neck set as one of the first steps and do all the prep/stain etc afterwards. This would give me a chance to clean up and clamping marks early in the process. Other than the obvious difficulty of having one big lump of guitar to handle while trying to stain and finish, are there any issues with this procedure? I'm thinking it would allow for a nice clean, almost transparent join.

2) With the Dingotone stain, can I finish that with some clear nitro? I'm thinking that to get anywhere near the shine of the above pic, I'm going to need a nice hard finish that can be buffed/polished. I'm working on the assumption that the Dingotone kits won't really allow for that, but I've never used it before so I have no idea what I'm talking about. Assuming I can nitro over the top, and also assuming it's the best option, do I still apply all three layers of the Dingo (stain/intensifying/final)? If there's a better option to what I'm thinking, please tell me now before I invest in the nitro.

3) Any newbie tips for the set neck? Things to check for? Common pitfalls to avoid? Being my first one, I'm nervous about stuffing it up.

[m0j0]

Oh, another question. I've only done one flame before and that was my first kit that I built for my son. I got it elsewhere before I discovered Pitbull so this may have been because of poor quality, but the issue I had was there seemed to be a clear film over pretty much the entire flame that wasn't obvious to my untrained eye and didn't allow for the stain to penetrate at all, so the first coat was a big waste and had to be cleaned off. Being my first kit, my over-eagerness to get it built led me to somewhat damage the flame top by going too far sanding off this clear finish.
So, to avoid making these mistakes again, I'm wondering if this is common. I've read other diaries here and often see mention of glue marks that need removing but never seen what I experienced.

[m0j0]

The more I read about nitro, the less inclined I am to finish with this. Any suggestions for how to finish this and get a bit of a glossy finish? Keep in mind that I'm limited to spray cans. I know that's not ideal but it's the best I can do.

[McCreed]

Hey m0j0.

I'll do my best to help where i can here...

Post #2, Question 1)
I've only done one set neck (PRS1-TS) and I opted to dye the body and neck separately, then set the neck after.
I applied dye to the neck with the exception of where the heel/tenon would be glued in the pocket/mortise (also left un-dyed).

I then applied a few coats of clear (Tru-Oil) just to stabilise the dye, again, leaving the same contact points bare.
Once I set the neck I just continued with many many more coats of Tru-Oil.
Because of now working a full length guitar, I alternated between doing the front and back. Front one day, back the next and so on.

Post #2, Question 2)
I have no experience with Dingotone.

Post #3
First, it's a good idea to wipe the top down with a rage dampened (not soaked) with metho. This will help to see if there are any glue spots or other substances on the veneer. If you see any, they can be removed with Goof-Off or 100% Acetone and a stiff plastic bristled brush.
Then do some light sanding of the veneer with a fine grit paper (P1000?) or, my personal preference, synthetic sanding pads - sometimes referred to as synthetic steel wool. Repeat with metho and make sure all the glue spots are gone.
Once all or any spots are gone, it should take the stain just fine. FWIW and TTBOMK, PBG kits don't have any sealer over the veneer, and the only issues I've seen/heard are glue spots.

Post #4
You have a number of options for top coating that can be applied by either aerosol or by hand (wipe-on).
I could be publicly stoned for this, but I'm not a fan of nitro. Whilst it has it's advantages with application, I don't want a finish that I have to worry about what it comes in contact with after it's on.
Anyway... finish types and methods are:
Polyurethane, in either rattle can or wipe-on form.
Acrylic lacquer, in rattle cans.
Tru-Oil, wipe-on.

The one I can't attest to, is how each of these finishes work with Dingotone. Particularly the DT finishing oil. I'm fairly confident any of the above top coats would be fine over the DT stain though. I'm sure someone with hands-on DT experience can confirm or refute this.

[m0j0]

Thanks McCreed. Very useful and informative advise. I've done a few kits with rattle can poly but they've always been over same brand solid colour finish. Also done a couple of Tru-Oil finishes but only ever on bare timber. I've got a large unopened bottle of TO from a previous project. My only concern with that is how much it will change the colour of the DT finish. That said, if the DT is lighter than I'm looking for, it might be a good option to darken it up a little.

Thanks for the advise on the veneer. I'm sure that will be invaluable advise - I'd be very surprised if I get two kits without glue spots.

[McCreed]

If you're doing a red based colour similar to the photo in your OP, I don't think you have much of an issue with Tru Oil.

This is my PRS1-TS which has kind of a cherry colour on the neck & back. It didn't really go noticeably darker IMO.

[m0j0]

Cool, that's good to hear. I like working with TO. It's easy to apply and I find it very forgiving of my amateurish ways.

[m0j0]

Happy days - shipment arrived today. Expecting two boxes and only one arrived. Delivery guy said it's a short shipment and I'll probably get the other box tomorrow, however the tracking now has the whole shipment with a status of delivered which is a little concerning (already logged a ticket with Aus Post).

[Sonic Mountain]

Aust post tracking is a joke, I'm sure it will be fine.