Greg's Second Build - STA-1 Ash #234

[GregLane]

Finally after 50 coats of Tru-Oil (one large bottle) and patience. As mentioned above the deep black V grain took some filling but it is now glass-smooth.

Now resting it for a couple of weeks while I cut and rewire the scratch pad.



I don't know how to get bigger photos but I have found you can double click them to enlarge.

[Simon Barden]

You can get the photos bigger if you host them elsewhere and link directly.

All the TO applications were worth it in the end. That's looking great! Really flat and shiny.

If you haven't, it's worth putting some TO on the inside of the body routs to help seal the wood against humidity changes. You may plan to put shielding foil on the pickup and control cavities, which will do a similar job, but you won't put that on the trem rout.

[GregLane]

Thanks Simon for your usual constructive suggestions. I had not noticed other constructors TO the body routes until a quite recent video I found where a guy casually wiped in a body route while he has doing the body. He did not say anything about it. Made me think about it for a second and then forgot. I agree with the logic so I am going to do it immediately.

I guess two coats would be sufficient.

[Bit Confused]

Wow, that colour is amazing!
Great job Greg!

[Simon Barden]

I guess two coats would be sufficient.

That should be fine. You don't need much.

[GregLane]

I did not want to cover the timber grain on the bottom horn of the ST with plastic. So the plastic bottom horn on the scratch plate got the chop. I reshaped the scratch plate and had to get the 45 degree bevel on the cut. I was a bit frightened to try the router so went for the conservative slow sand off. Worked out fine with the drill press plate tilted to 45 degrees.



I have another question.
The scratch plate that came with the ST was white and I upgraded it to black. I now notice that the original white plate was totally shielded on the underside. The black one, which I am going to use, is only shielded under the knobs and switch, there is no shielding around the pickups.
Is it best to have the whole underside of the pickguard shielded?

[Simon Barden]

It is, but only really benefits you if you've shielded the cavities as well.

[GregLane]

Thanks Simon
I had intended shield the cavities.
Have to find some more copper sheet

[Simon Barden]

Copper tape is the easiest thing to find. As long as it's got a conductive adhesive, any sort will do. Also marketed as slug repellent tape, which can be found in Bunnings (if open) or Amazon or eBay. 30mm wide is pretty standard. You just need to overlap strips for larger areas. You can use a small spoon to 'burnish' it and get rid of most of the creases.

[Simon Barden]

Worth checking with a multimeter if the existing shielding sheet under the controls has an insulated back to it. If so, you'll need to cover it over with new copper tape so that the 'guard shielding is grounded via the pots. I've taped up to the existing sheet before, only to find that it wasn't being grounded because of plastic on the back of the factory-fitted shielding.