Awesome! I can't wait to see the fruit of your labour
Awesome! I can't wait to see the fruit of your labour
I just bought a cheap air line powered buffer, to make more use of my air compressor. Except that the backing pads supplied are the wrong screw thread to fit in the actual tool. So it's all going back. Such is life and Amazon.
At least the returns with Amazon are less painful than with random eBay or Ali Express sellers.
I could buy buffing pads for my palm sander, or a buffing wheel for the cordless drill. But I would use them so rarely, and I don't mind doing it by hand. I'm clearly not in a hurry.
Mantra: No more pedals, must finish BlueyCaster...
Disclaimer: I haven't done woodwork since high school, and wasn't really paying attention at the time ...
You'd be surprised how often you use a tool for non-guitar stuff once you have it.But I would use them so rarely...
And clearly not old enough that "elbow grease" turns into elbow pain (and shoulder pain, wrist pain, finger pain...)...and I don't mind doing it by hand. I'm clearly not in a hurry.
edit:
Oh, and looking good btw! Can't wait to see it complete and playing!
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Not that old yet, but getting there fast
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Mantra: No more pedals, must finish BlueyCaster...
Disclaimer: I haven't done woodwork since high school, and wasn't really paying attention at the time ...
Cut, polish, and hand buff done.
The finish feels silky smooth to touch, has a good high gloss, and I think it looks good. I would grade it a B. With the light at the right angle, there are orange peel remnants that prevent me from achieving a true mirror-like reflection. In hindsight skipping wet sanding with 600 and 1200 wasn't a good idea. Working up through the micromesh grades did a great job polishing what it could, but I needed to go harder at the early stages. There is no way I am going to go back to 600 or 1200 now since I am happy with the result, but I think that I have learned enough to get an A or A+ finish next time I use lacquer.
However, this is just me being critical for the sake of improving next time. I like the finish I have, and it's exactly what I had in mind from the start.
On reflection I think the nearly 2 months drying time really helped as well. During the entire sanding and polishing process the paint surface felt hard and sanded well.
I also cut, polished, and buffed the headstock but not the neck as I didn't want to affect the nice semi-gloss sanded effect.
Mantra: No more pedals, must finish BlueyCaster...
Disclaimer: I haven't done woodwork since high school, and wasn't really paying attention at the time ...
Now on to attaching the neck, fitting the E tuners and positioning the bridge.
Mantra: No more pedals, must finish BlueyCaster...
Disclaimer: I haven't done woodwork since high school, and wasn't really paying attention at the time ...
Nice sparkle in those new photos!
I didn't realise you hadn't fitted the bridge yet. I like to do that before any finish goes on, but I guess others do it after.
There are arguments for each, but I'm not keen on drilling into a new paint job.
That's a string-through hardtail so you're going to have to drill through the body for the strings as well as drill to fit string ferrules.
I hope you can manage that without damaging your nice new finish.
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
That is looking top notch DC. Your patience certainly paid off there mate. Your a more patient man than I , that's for sure. Some people drill hardware first, some don't. Like anything there are different camps of thoughts and approaches. Keen to see this progress through the last few stages.
Does your bridge have top loading or are you planning string through with ferrules?
Last edited by Bakersdozen; 11-07-2020 at 07:55 PM.
Thanks McCreed and Bakersdozen.
Right back at the start of the build I determined that the bridge works as both top-loading or string-through. Photos on the kit page show top-loading. I decided on top-loading to keep things simple. I also decided way back forever to drill after the finish to reduce the risk of water getting into the holes and cracking the finish. At the time I was planning on wet sanding. As it turns out I didn't wet sand so could easily have drilled first. However, sticking to the plan means masking with tape and drilling carefully, which should get the hardware fitted without damaging the finish.
The finish is super hard now, so I don't have any fear of the tape itself causing damage.
Mantra: No more pedals, must finish BlueyCaster...
Disclaimer: I haven't done woodwork since high school, and wasn't really paying attention at the time ...