First Build TL-1

[phrozin]

Hi all,

Just ordered a TL-1 kit.
This will be my first build.

Question regarding finishing, my plan is to spray the body white and then get my daughter to do some artwork over the body (haven't told her this yet). If she uses acrylic paints, will this be fine to go over the white coat, then I can clear coat over the art for protection? Will I be able to get a gloss finish or will the different levels of finish where it's painted prevent this?

What type of paint is your daughter going to use, the acrylic paint your going to use is it Acrylic lacquer or water-based Acrylic artist paint they are not the same and they are not really compatible, the reducer in lacquer is pretty serious stuff I don't fancy your chances going over it with lacquer you will have issues of the water-based paint will only sit on top of your colour and not bite in which means you will get either the reducer in the lacquer lift it or react with the water paints, or both, lacquer is good stuff but in someways not very forgiving, I would suggest you try it 1st before you mess up your hard work or look into airbrush paint set may be better but their not cheap, i would go 1st a couple of coats of binder then prime then top colour then your artwork, I think i know what your trying to achieve may be a 2k clear may not react as bad as lacquer would and can be sourced easy enough in a rattle can but would need to let the lacquer dry for a week before you put a 2k over it or it will simply peel off in a sheet

[MackTown]

What type of paint is your daughter going to use, the acrylic paint your going to use is it Acrylic lacquer or water-based Acrylic artist paint they are not the same and they are not really compatible, the reducer in lacquer is pretty serious stuff I don't fancy your chances going over it with lacquer you will have issues of the water-based paint will only sit on top of your colour and not bite in which means you will get either the reducer in the lacquer lift it or react with the water paints, or both, lacquer is good stuff but in someways not very forgiving, I would suggest you try it 1st before you mess up your hard work or look into airbrush paint set may be better but their not cheap, i would go 1st a couple of coats of binder then prime then top colour then your artwork, I think i know what your trying to achieve may be a 2k clear may not react as bad as lacquer would and can be sourced easy enough in a rattle can but would need to let the lacquer dry for a week before you put a 2k over it or it will simply peel off in a sheet

Thanks for the response phrozin.

For the base coat I am going to use SCA rattle cans, Primer filler and then a white coat.

I haven't purchased anything to for the artwork side of things, but was looking at a paint pen style like this
Will I be able to scuff the surface with 240 or something like that to help the paint grip?
Final coat I was just looking at SCA rattle can clear version of the ones in the photo to provide a glossier finish and protection to the art.

[MackTown]

Headstock is shaped.

Plan is tru-oil finish for the headstock and neck. Are there any guides on here for the preparation work and applying (other than "apply it with a t-shirt" which is all I can find on youtube)?

Also what kind of treatment do I need to do to the fret board?

[Simon Barden]

As long as the neck is smooth and scratch-free, you just rub it on with a lint-free cloth. You don’t want cloth fibres sticking to the finish, so do make sure the cloth doesn’t shed. I’ve bought lint-free rags from Amazion for this purpose, though I have also used good quality old t-shirt rags. I cut a small square to use about 10-12 cm sides, as you’ll want to throw the rag away after a single use. But let it dry in the open air before putting it in a bin.

TruOil gives off heat as it dries, and if you have say a complete T-shirt soaked in it, and crumple it up and put it in a bin, it is possible for the heat to build up in the middle and set the TruOil on fire. Almost certainly not going to happen with a single small piece of cloth, but still best to let it dry spread-out before binning, just in case.

The standard option for the fretboard would be to cover that in TruOil as well. This can be anywhere from a couple of thin layers for minimal protection, to a thick coating if you want a Fender-style finish. You’ll apply it over the frets, which will then have to be cleaned off them later. If you plan to level the frets, then that process will remove the TO. I’ve also seen scrapers made using a 6” round-headed nail with a small notch filed in the head with a round needle file.

The smoother the TruOil goes on, the less sanding you’ll need to do. I found that the TruOil in the bottle thickened with age and exposure to air when left open, so you can thin it with turpentine if you feel that will help. Just add a small amount at a time until you feel it’s runny enough, but I wouldn’t go above 50:50. The thinner it is, the thinner the layer it leaves will be, so you’ll probably want to apply more layers.

As always, don’t sand the edges directly, as it’s very easy to sand through on the fingerboard edges. If you want to ‘roll’ the fingerboard edges so they are rounder and feel more like a played-in guitar, then do that before applying any finish (if you don’t want a relic look).

You can just sand the finish with up to P1200 or P2000 paper (or grey and white Scotchbrite pads) and forego the polishing if you want a less glossy-finish that doesn’t feel sticky to the fingers.

My limited experience of TruOil shows that it takes a considerable time to cure really hard, at least a month, so if you want a really glossy finish, you need to wait before final sanding and polishing.

Some people have just waxed the fingerboard as they aren’t keen on the feel of glossy boards. This provides reasonable protection against dirt and sweat, but you’ll need to re-apply occasionally.

You could go all EVH and leave the fingerboard unfinished, but you do leave the board more open to drying out and getting very dirty. Also remember that he didn’t use the cheapest of Chinese necks, but good quality Schecter ones, so were less likely to warp or twist with temp and humidity changes. I don’t know if he ever replaced the necks at all, but I do know he was forever swapping parts in and out, so I suspect the necks may have been changed over the years as they wore.

[MackTown]

So I've had my first attempt at the colour coat. The results weren't great. Presumably from poor technique and or setup. The finish has a lot of imperfections which you can see in the photos below. If I can sand this flat without going through to the primer layer can I avoid doing another colour coat, or will I need to respray regardless?

[Trevor Davies]

That does not look too bad!

Depending on the number of coats of the white, you may be able to sand back a bit without going through the primer. The edges are the easiest to go through.

Hopefully other painters will offer some good advice.