Disaster FS-1 build restoration salvage attempt HELP

[Freakystyley]

Ok....this might hurt a lot of people eyes. let's not dwell on the details on how I got to this point. This was put together...hastley. It's all about how it can be made into less of an embarrassment.

Pretty much everything was going fine until I stained the body and realised the binding had a million cracks that the stain seeped into. I've seen this on a couple of bindings on this forum with people thinking the cracks are already there and can't be seen until the stain is applied.

So I pretty much lost heart in the build after that which can obviously be seen with the gloss,neck...etc etc

I have now finished another build which went great so I'm now revisiting this monstrosity.

Everyone was so nice on this community with advice and help with my other build so I'm reaching out again for so more to salvage something from this. Any ideas are much appreciated.

So far I am thinking of sanding down the whole body back down to the natural wood and hoping the grain has popped out a bit more with the stain, if not, I'll put some black grout on and sand back again.

The cracked binding nothing can be done so I am going to go for the aged/relic look for the whole thing. I can source some acid so I'm going to treat the silver hardware.
I will possibly blowtorch parts of the body and neck depending on how it looks when sanded back.

None of this is set in stone so any other ideas are welcome.

The main issue I have no idea about how to fix is the glue that has leaked at the back of the neck. Any way of tidying it up? I used an epoxy glue.

Many thanks in advance

[Dedman]

Sanding will remove that glue just wrap some 180 or 200 grit around a bit of wood and have at it. A small bit of fine sand paper folded over and over till its stiff will work like a small but flexible file to sand the f-holes and get rid of much of the stain, you could even paint the binding.
That is very salvageable

[wokkaboy]

Hi Freaky, bummer your build turned out the way it has. I think your plans are the only way to go I would sand it all back and have another go at staining and finishing it.
As for the glue on the neck heel if you have an orbital sander I would sand off as much as you can trying not to touch the body binding. Rest you will have to clean up by hand with sandpaper.
As for the binding you will have to go the relic/vintage look otherwise needs a re-binding is a huge job.

To sand the body top you will need to remove the bridge/tailpiece bushings

best of luck and sing out if you need any more advice as you go

[FrankenWashie]

I really like the though pattern of the relic work plus the blowtorch distressing you talked about.

Its not a total loss, you may find that once you clear the glue off, and give it a bit of a sand back that it doesn't look quite as bleak.

[Freakystyley]

YES! This is what I need. Encouragement! I'm starting to feel renewed optimism for it already.

This weekend is going to be full of sanding. I'll send a snapshot with the results. How do I get those bloody bushing out? They are in there tight!

Thanks folks!

[FrankenWashie]

YES! This is what I need. Encouragement! I'm starting to feel renewed optimism for it already.

This weekend is going to be full of sanding. I'll send a snapshot with the results. How do I get those bloody bushing out? They are in there tight!

Thanks folks!

take a piece of ply or pine 10-15 mm thick. Drill a hole in it big enough for the bush to pass through, pad the underside with rag or similar that will go against the guitar body. Find an allen bolt or a hex bolt that will fit the bushing thread, put a single wrap of plumbers tape around it.
Using a thick washer that the bolt will fit through but that will sit over the hole in the Ply/pine, slowly wind the bolt into the bushing through the ply and tighten it down to the washer. If you continue to tighten it against the washer it should start to lift the bushing out of the hole.

The alternative is to use the bolt to pull the bushing out with a pair of vice grips. That can be fraught with danger though.

Alternatively, you can just tape over the ends of the bushes and try to work around them very carefully.

[wokkaboy]

Freaky here is a method of removing the bushes on Youtube or Frankie's method will work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ppKxEIF1M

[FrankenWashie]

Freaky here is a method of removing the bushes on Youtube or Frankie's method will work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ppKxEIF1M

essentially the same method, slightly different execution. I'd probably still prefer a more substantial end against the body surface than a PVC pipe, Just in case the bugger was really tight.

[wokkaboy]

yes I agree Frankie, wood with a hole in it would be easier on the finish than PVC pipe

[Dedman]

personally, if you are staying with dark colours, I'd just mask them