Headstock dyed, and a test to see how it will look together. I'm not proud of the dye and sanding, but it will look good once I do the black burst. I'll let the dye dry for a week before seal and finish.
Headstock dyed, and a test to see how it will look together. I'm not proud of the dye and sanding, but it will look good once I do the black burst. I'll let the dye dry for a week before seal and finish.
Last edited by Mathew; 17-08-2022 at 04:54 AM.
The gloss makes a huge difference. I think it probably takes a bit of trial to see how the colours work with different wood. It is easy to see why people who cut out their own bodies keep the offcuts to test out the finish on. It is a huge learning cure but that is what I am enjoying about my build.
That looks great!
#001 (LP-1S) [finished - co-runner up Nov 2018 GOTM]
#002 (WL-1)
#003 (MPL Megacaster - semi scratch build) [finished]
#004 (ST-1 JR - Arachnoid Superhero build) [finished]
#005 (LP jr)
#006 (TL-1A)
Junk shop acoustic refurbs (various)
'The TGS Special'
@Juz: Thanks for the words. I'm feeling much better about the finish knowing the clear coat will help. Yes, it's a huge learning curve, but so much fun!
@JohnH: Thanks for the compliment. It's appreciated!
I love that you stained the headstock. I wish I had done it to my build. I was worried about the different wood but the grain can still be seen there. I will definitely try this on a future build.
I appreciate the feedback, Juz. I used a little ebony timbermate on the face of the headstock to bring out the grain before dying to match the body. I'm really happy with how the headstock looks.
your dye looks patchy, off the top of my head is that an ash body or basswood? this is my 2c I wouldn't have used Timbermate if you're going to clear it with lacquer as it will swell and shrink back for months if your not getting good penetration you have sanded it with too finer grit paper on basswood I would only sand to120 grit and Ash 180 grit before dye as you will get better penetration with your dye, if your going the road you are with your stain and Timbermate you would be better if you use wipe on Polly or tru-oil you will just have problems with a lacquer trying to fill the grain for a smoother finish and if its Ash body you will need to seal it well after dyeing it for lacquer.Originally Posted by Mathew
Headstock dyed, and a test to see how it will look together. I'm not proud of the dye and sanding, but it will look good once I do the black burst. I'll let the dye dry for a week before seal and finish.
love the colour and nice grain if you do another guitar in the future you will need to go another way to prep if you want to go with lacquer, btw DO NOT sand every coat go 6-7 double header coats then lightly sand with 400 w&d then thin out you're clear to 2 to 1 if you are using rattle can just recoat it without sanding but leave it 20 mins between coats 🤘
@Phrozin: The body is Ash. I agree, the dye is patchy. I think your comment about sandpaper was spot on as my second attempt with dye (after sanding to 400 grit) seemed to sit on the surface rather than penetrate.
I do love the colour and grain, so I'll work with it. I'm doing all this by hand with Sandpaper on blocks, and am not really set up to (or confident in) stripping it back and starting again. I've ordered another guitar to do after this one, so I'll go another way with prep for my next project. I drew so many ideas from so many people for my current methodology (including from yourself) - I need to consider compatibility next time.
Thanks for the great and honest feedback. I really appreciate it.
yeh your sort of committed atm with this one if you need any advice you know how to contact me I do read the forums but rarely comment, with your next build try get a plan of what you want to achieve and you will soon get some nice gear, I do read the forums but i rarely comment
As Phrozin says, 400 grit is really too fine for sanding before staining. The wood surface needs to be a bit rougher to absorb the stain evenly. 180 grit is about as fine as I go if I'm staining. Sometimes you just need to try with a few more stain applications to help level things out. Saying that, your stain finish is only very slightly patchy IMO, and I've seen far worse stain jobs. Sometimes the wood itself has areas with cross-grain patterns in it that absorb the stain in a different way (sometimes more, sometimes less) than the surrounding areas and there's not much you can do about that.
You've also got an ash body and a maple neck, and with the same stain, ash and maple will end up very slightly different colours as the wood colours are that bit different.
So if I'm staining, I often lightly stain, and then use a tinted clear lacquer of the same colour to provide most of the finish before putting clear over that. That generally helps even things out, but it still can't counter some odd grain pattern in the wood that reflects light differently to the wood around it, making it look darker or lighter from some angles.
If you were a big manufacturer, you'd probably chose to paint wood like that with a solid colour, and only chose the best wood bodies for clear/translucent finishes. But when you've just got the one kit and you're set on finishing it a certain way, then you just have to make the best job of it you can and accept small imperfections.
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