Dans Skatocaster

[DanMade]

Here is the build diary for my ST-1 kit dubbed The Skatocaster.

It will be finished in Wudtone Dark Amber with gold highlight's, Gloss. The neck in Vintage Amber.
Black pick guard and back plate, chrome hardware
It will probably cop a few wiring mod's aswell.

After an inspection the body looks very clean, no wormholes or filled holes to be seen. I'm quite happy with the quality of the body. The neck pocket has a fair bit of play,almost a good 2 mm. More than I would like. But I think I can live with it.
The neck is clean, but there is 3 small filled holes along the fretboard, but they are filled cleanly and won't be to noticeable. Again, I can live with it.

Overall it is in pretty good shape for a kit at this price level.

[DanMade]

Here are some photo's with the body wet down to see the grain. It has a natural GT stripe down the middle where the boards have been joined. Looks kinda cool I think. I might try to highlight it to make it a feature, perhaps just by apllying more gold highlights in the finish to that area.

[DanMade]

Here are some headstock designs I came up with. Still undecided.
I am leaning more towards those on the left.

[AJ]

I like the design . bottom row, 3 rd one

[keloooe]

I agree with AJ there, it allows for many different decal designs!

[DanMade]

After some sanding, I did some more sanding. Then I sanded it some more, and when I thought I was done. I sanded it some more.

I was pretty sure I had all the sanding marks out. I wet it down to check for any scratchy spots, before the final rub down and it all looked sweet.
So I gave it its first base coat. The colour looks great. But there was a few spots that showed some light cross sanding marks. A few spots around the cutaways and on the arm rest carve. All on the end grain where the heavy machine sanding was done.

They are only subtle, but I still know they are there. I haven't used wudtone before so ill wait and see how this first base coat cures. I'll get some photos up in the morning with some sunlight.
The Wud tone is supposed to have some sort of filling properties so it might fill out and blend in. The scratchy parts aren't horizontal across the grain, just slightly off angle to the gain.

The Wud tone was easy enough to apply and get an even coat. But the basswood was pretty thirsty. And like every one says, wow that basswood is some fluffy stuff.

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from DanMade on July 18, 2013, 18:13
After some sanding, I did some more sanding. Then I sanded it some more, and when I thought I was done. I sanded it some more.

...and in his man cave unashamedly DB wept a silent tear.


Danmade, the Basswood is fluffy. The trick is to wet the wood before the final sand so that the fluffy fibres stand up just long enough to be cut down with the final sand. Although the Wudtone has wonderful filling properties as it cures, it simply fills the scratches. The reason that the scratches highlight is more to do with the way the stain responds to the scratch. unfortunately by the time you are finished those scratches will be beautifully protected but they will still be there....

[DanMade]

Yeah I did wet it down before the final sand, aswell as inbetween the grades to check my progress. It's only a few spots on the edges no bigger than a five cent piece and along the edge of the arm rest carve where the face grain meets the end grain. I'll have a fresh look at it in the morning and decide weather it's worth sanding back.

If I do sand it back, could I just sand out the problem spots. Or will it end up patchy if I don't sand the whole body back.

[Gavin1393]

If its that small i'd probably not bother....

[DanMade]

I'm probably just being over particular. On inspection this morning, it is not as bad as it first looked. The marks in the cutaways have all but vanished.

In still a bit iffy on the arm carve. I think it just looks worse because the colour soaked in more on the end grain. I think it will be ok after a few more coats ant the colour evens out.