Rabz ST-1 Inattentive Diary

[Rabbitz]

Hi Ho Fellow Hacks and Guru's,

What follows here will be an inattentive build diary of my attempt at a lime washed ST-1.

The proposal:
A basswood ST-1 that will have a lime-wash look, sort of a Mary Kaye finish (but not really).

Water-based walnut stain to pop the grain.

Water-based liming stain & varnish - an F&W product.

Clear water-based Cabothane to hold it all together and give it a hard (enough) finish.

Undecided whether it will have a going over with cutting compound. That will depend on what it looks like after the final poly coat.

It is an inattentive build diary as time to "share with the world" in a stalkbook fashion just isn't available, nor is it in my DNA.

So the first steps:
Neck & Headstock


Body after staining with walnut stain diluted by 10 or 15% with water:

[Rabbitz]

I should have said that the neck and headstock is simply hand-rubbed clear Cabothane.

This is in an effort to let the timber be the timber.

[stan]

that cabothane comes up well, looks good

[Rabbitz]

Ok so the stain is knocked back and it is rubbed down to 400 grit.

Next step will be a very thin clear coat, followed by three lime wash coats.

Wish me luck!

[pablopepper]

Is the clear coat before to grain fill? I would have thought the lime wash be more effective on to raw wood.

[Rabbitz]

Hi Pabs,

I will be using an F&W limewash & varnish combination.

The reason I decided on the clear coat is to seal the stain. While I was experimenting I found the limewash/varnish would soften and lift the stain onto the brush and rag. Which means it was all a bit messy. So I am trying to put a bit of a clear barrier between them.

Here are couple of shots after the clear coat:


Looking OK so far...

[Rabbitz]

Well I'm about four of my three hand rubbed coats of the Lime Wash / Varnish in. (Yes, you read that right).

Frankly it doesn't look much different to the photo's above.

I like the smoothness of the hand rubbed finish, but it'll take about ten or more coats due to the thinness of the coats.

I feel like I should do a couple of thick brush coats, but I know that will create a different load of work when it comes time to smooth it all out.

Any suggestions, other than "patience Grasshopper" or "shut up and keep applying"?

[wokkaboy]

Hi Rabbitz, sounds like thick coats will just be too uneven and cause too much sanding later, so as DB always says best apply several thin coats so patience will pay off

[Rabbitz]

Trouble is, I am sitting around at home with tonsillitis, so my patience is lacking and what is left is really being taxed!

Did a couple more sneaky coats today (Don't tell SWMBO) but it is frustrating.

[Rabbitz]

I think it is whitening up.

I think

About 7 liming coats.