Greg's First Build - LP-1MQ #151

[GregLane]

Well after 24 hours the bubbles shrunk back almost flat but there was a little bit of drumming underneath each area. So after much discussion with DB and Adam it was decided to try a hot iron on the spots to try and stick them. With much trepidation, as the plastic edging was near the spots, I applied some heat and seemed get a bit of improvement. So stuff it - turned the heat up on the iron, got it nice and hot (like sticking veneer edging strips) and bingo it has worked and stayed there for 24 hours.

So now it's time to get back onto the project.

[FrankenWashie]

Good save Greg! Its really interesting to see what little issues pop up in the course of peoples builds and how they get around them.

[stan]

great work Greg, hope it stays that way

[GregLane]

Finally got started on my build today by doing the mock build. Everything was in the box and the suggested measurements all OK.

I haven't been doing nothing. I have been searching the web for weeks looking for advice on filling and colouring fragile quilted maple veneer. I have totally lost confidence in pressing the friendship by trying to do anything too fancy bearing in mind the apparent thin veneer and trying to ensure that it does not lift again. I thought at one stage I would kill two birds with one stone by filling the grain and highlight it with dark coloured Timbermate. But too much sanding methinks.

So I hope the dungeon attached to the naughty room has plenty of Bundy because I think I am going to be banished.

So here goes. I am going to:
1. Chicken out on grain filling the quilted veneer despite advice from Dingobass (Is that a Bundy?). I will take wazkelly's advice to Josh and try to wipe off as much as I can of the ColorTone (one Bundy) first two coats. If it does not work I don't think any damage will be done. I will be diluting the colour with methylated spirits, keeping away from water based. I am aiming at a dark red.

2. Finish is Tru-Oil. (another Bundy).

3. I am not going to stain the base or neck - just Tru-Oil. I will fill with mahogany Timbermate. ( Is that a Bundy?)

BUT I DO HAVE ONE ISSUE

On the photo below you will see a fine crack in the veneer circled. It is about 40mm long running close to a knot in the grain. It does not appear to be moving or shrinking. I expect that I can fill it with a little bit of maple (light) Timbermate.

Should it be glued? I would appreciate any advice.

[wazkelly]

Hi Greg, pretty hard to see how wide the crack is, even after zooming in to 300%. Presume it is no bigger than width of a fine human hair?

Suggested solution - touching it up before staining will be like having a permanent glue spot where stain may not penetrate, therefore I would leave it alone and proceed with stain coats. As you have stated you will be using TO for the top coat finish it can act as a grain filler if you apply the initial couple of coats quite thick. I have done all of my 4 builds with 1st & 2nd coats of TO brushed on as the 1st tends to get soaked up plenty in the thirsty timber and the 2nd gives you the base foundation to start ragging on the following fine layered coats.

Downside - base stain coats may accentuate the fine crack but hey, timber is a natural product and has grain shooting off in all different directions so hopefully this might not be so noticeable once all coloured up.

Experimental idea - get a hold of some 'natural' coloured timber mate and add some of the stain colour to a small slurry test batch and smear that into another scrap bit of timber with a crack in it. If it doesn't have a crack just create one or an indentation. Let it dry for at least 24 hours before lightly sanding back then apply your stains as you plan to do on the guitar and see what happens. If the repaired crack is not noticeable, way to go. If it is noticeable, how noticeable and is it worth the hassle?

Hope some of these crazy ideas give you some inspiration to help solve your problem.

[Dedman]

if it is really fine crack your clear cots will fill it

[GregLane]

Thanks for the quick replies. I like your idea waskelly and will give it a try. The crack is a bit wider than a hair but it looks like timber so I am not that worried about filling it somehow.
I am sure it will look ok. You have already given me more confidence that the TO will fill the grain.

Sorry about the photo, I was too lazy to go and unpack the kit again for another photo.

[wazkelly]

All good Greg, hope it works out well for you.

[GregLane]

How many ways to skin/kill a cat? A: Less then the ways to finish a guitar.

After much research on the forum and the web I finally decided how I would go about the LP-1MQ. Bearing in mind the issues with the bubbling veneer and all the great advice I have received, this is the plan.

The mahogany base as shown in the photos is filled with one coat (two may have been better) mahogany Timbermate and then TO. No colour.
The first two coats were rubbed in until starting to go sticky and then wiped off with the application pad. This left them a bit thicker. They were sanded with 400 grit between coats. The next 5 coats have been applied and wiped off with kitchen paper leaving a very fine film. The coats dry in 3 hours so I can do couple a day. Each coat is rubbed with 1200 Norton pad before the next one and wiped with a tack cloth. The grain is filling nicely with the TO. This is the stage I am at and the photos. 15 coats to go.

The bottom end of the base had a lot of machine marks that were not moving with manual sanding so I used my electric sander shown in the photo. Worked perfectly and all marks gone. I mention it because I have rarely seen comment about using electric sanders and wonder if I have broken a tabu.

I am going to finish the base and then do the top and neck at the same time.

The plan for the top is a dark wine red colortone dye. I have to invent/mix the colour yet (does anyone have any CT recipes?). No filling or sanding of the fragile veneer. I will try the wipe on/wipe off the dye method on the first two coats to try and pop the grain a bit more. I am confident now that the TO will fill the grain in the final 20 coats.

The neck I am not going to color just finish with TO. Well... I am a bit open to suggestion here as I could fill it with mahogany TM or even a light mahogany stain to match the body to give it a bit of colour. It wouldn't take much TM as there is little open grain in the maple neck. There is some nice colouring in the maple which is why I am tending to just TO. I will stain the topside of the headstock the same at the guitar top.

Well that's where I am. Just reporting in.
P.S. How do you know if you've caught the GAS. I have found myself looking at other PB kits.

[stan]

If it's a tru oil finish you want then I think the plan seems just right, the results speak for themselves, looks great