First Build - TL-1A

[MrEddy]

Hi everyone,

So my Christmas present arrived a few weeks early and everything is looking good. A few minor dings, and a rather unfortunately located knot. Looking forward to the build, I'm sure I'll learn a huge amount.

Only just looked through everything and the first observation is that the neck is an incredibly tight fit. I don't suppose that's too big of an issue as long as everything lines up properly.

Still undecided about what to do with finish. Have to come to some sort of conclusion soon, but I'll get to the test build first, and keep running around in circles trying to decide.

[Sonic Mountain]

Welcome aboard.

Definitely worth letting the kit settle for a couple of days after transport. Different temperatures and humidity along the way can make the wood swell and contract. Once it stabilizes the neck pocket might loosen a little. A firm fit is good though.

[JohnH]

Welcome! Look forward to seeing what you do with it

[MrEddy]

Thanks, I'll be patient for a few days.

One quick question. My original plan was to stain this (using dingotone), but I've been reading that staining Alder can result in a blotchy or uneven finish if you don't prep it properly. Any recommendation on what I should be using for that step?

[ozzbike]

Thanks, I'll be patient for a few days.

One quick question. My original plan was to stain this (using dingotone), but I've been reading that staining Alder can result in a blotchy or uneven finish if you don't prep it properly. Any recommendation on what I should be using for that step?

Get your sanding done first mate.

Me:-

Start with 80 grit, then 120 grit, then 180 grit.....now use a mist or atomised water...or alcohol and look for marks and scratches...sand them out with the 180. Retest and retest until all the swirls, scratches and marks are gone.

Regardless of body timber I use a filler....my choice is timber mate...currently I use the cedar/blackwood colour the most. The consistency is a must here....reduce the amount of water hitting the body. This will help stop veneers lifting, holes fluffing and body segments from splitting from each other along glue lines.

I try for a custard like consistency. I put a couple teaspoons of timber mate in a small glass bowl....dribble water in and mix it around...adding a small amount of water as I go.

I then apply across the body, with a 25mm or so synthetic paint brush, then up the body and then hang overnight. I then sand at 240 grit until the body is super smooth.

Now...the bit before the stain. The end grain and the high and low sections of front and back grain are like straws and will soak up the stain you apply. So...to help you need to add something at this stage that can even out the absorption rates across the body, otherwise you will get bare unstained bits and deep dark bits.

I mix my own shellac using shellac flakes and methylated spirits. I mix it by weight/volume...e.g. 250gm flakes to 250ml metho.

I then use a section of cotton T shirt material and wipe on three coats of the shellac...allowing about 30 mins between coats.

I then let the body dry overnight. The next day it will have a few furry bits on it....and I very very lightly knock these down with either 240 grit or 320 grit.

That is it for sanding on the body without stain/sealer/finish.

Dingo Tone is heavily effected by humidity...do not rush it. If you do it too quick it will bubble or form like little lumps and not dry. Dingo tone does not like penetrating fine sanded bodies......I would suggest not going past 240grit if you are going to use Dingo tone.

I use a lot of the alcohol based stains called proof tint from Feast Watson. The final sealer/clear coat is up to you and the desired feel you want.

There are oils, waxes, tru oil, polyurethane and paint.

Read some threads in the finishing section.....there are some smart people here. Enjoy the Tele.

[MrEddy]

Thanks a lot ozzbike. That's a lot of very useful information. And yes, I'm reading every thread I can find. There's almost too much information on this forum. I need an assistant to help me sort through it all.

But test fit first.

Sounds like I'll be enjoying many hours of fun sanding time soon enough.

[ozzbike]

........I mix my own shellac using shellac flakes and methylated spirits. I mix it by weight/volume...e.g. 250gm flakes to 250ml metho.

I then use a section of cotton T shirt material and wipe on three coats of the shellac...allowing about 30 mins between coats.

I then let the body dry overnight. The next day it will have a few furry bits on it....and I very very lightly knock these down with either 240 grit or 320 grit.

That is it for sanding on the body without stain/sealer/finish.

OOPs. Wrong ratio there. 250gms Shellac to 1 litre of Methylated Spirits. E.g. I recently made some more......50g of Shellac to 200 mil of metho. It looks chunky but it will dissolve in about 36hrs and be a nice honey to amber colour depending on whether you use Blonde de-waxed flakes or not.

Sorry.

[MrEddy]

Ok. That makes sense, matches the ratio listed on the feast watson website.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[McCreed]

With just a tiny bit of rounding up of the metric equivalents, the conversion for the standard "1 pound cut" of shellac works out to 12 grams of shellac flake per 100 mils of methylated spirits.

A 2 pound cut would be 24 grams to 100 mils, and so on.

50g/200ml is roughly a 2 pound cut. I use the 1 pound cut for most general applications. Shellac is good stuff...

[MrEddy]

Ok. Fun day test fitting and measuring.

First observation - the tonerider bridge pickup doesn't fit. From what I've read here that's not unusual. So I'll need to make a bit of room. Looks like it'll only be a mm or so on the sides.

Neck seems to fit nice and snug, although there's maybe 1-2mm of room at the end which I could recover if I sanded out the edges a bit. Given the scale length question, is that something I need to worry about? (see photo)

Pickguard doesn't fit the neck properly. It's a bit too narrow. I'll have to file that out a bit. I'm looking at a few alternative options there, but for the moment opening that up a bit will help.

Bridge position seems out if my measurements are correct. Looks to me like the scale length is a little bit too long although I think it's close. Interested in your thoughts given the measurement in the photo.

Neck itself with strings installed looks ok. That was a bit of a rush job - probably have to do that part again. Still, doesn't look like the strings are too close to the edge on either side.