MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 (edited) Its an EX series solid electric guitar, poplar wood, i think, which i heatgunn and strippered down to the raw wood. Now i want it pretty much unpainted and unsealed. Is this a bad idea? Should I at least wipe some wax furniture polish on it. The reason for this "leave it" approach is - lack of access to materials of any specialist nature. We have a hardware store here for general home/farm stuff. Postal system hardly works for letters, everything else gets "lost". So i thought it might be okay to just leave it natural sanded finish. Unless i can use a little clear from a rattle-can. I don't want to fuss with fillers and stains and such.. Hope help cometh. Thanks in advance..... Tom Edited July 1, 2005 by MoreGearThanSkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 I would at least throw some rattle can clear on there. If you leave it bare it will be filthy and lookin' terrible in no time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 Any ordinary "clear-lacquer" can, sitting next to all the other cans at the local hardware? Or should i avoid certain types? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 (edited) You need some kind of solid finish on the neck, to keep it from warping. The body is thick enough that warping won't be a problem. If you want a fairly naked finish, for the body, get some paste wax. Follow the instructions on the can: apply a thin coat, let dry, then buff off, repeat. It darkens the color a little bit. It's a flat finish that leaves the wood looking raw. Re-wax as necessary. Edited July 1, 2005 by tirapop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 Go to your local AutoZone or similar store, and pick up a can of Duplicolor clear, with all the car paints. Get to or 3 cans and a pack of 0000 steel wool, and have at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 looks like everyone's going to have an opinion on this one. if it was me i'd go to that local hardware store and get a can of tung oil or minwax hand rubbed finish or or any kind of hand rubbed furniture finish or even a can of plain old boiled linseed oil and rub the hole thing down with a couple of coats of either. the linseed oil will darken it considerably by the way. if they're all available get a small can of linseed oil, one of turpentine and one of varnish. mix equal parts of each and apply generously. after 4-5 minutes wipe it all off and let it set over night. do it again the next day. continue until you get the look that you like and let it set for a couple more days until it's cured out. i don't know..is that worth 2 cents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 i'd go with some wax over tung-oil. That leaves you with a very great and smooth satin finish that's fairely resistant. Only problem is it needs re-waxing once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 You need some kind of solid finish on the neck, to keep it from warping. ← I've never heard of that. From what I understand, the Zakk Wylde Les Paul has a bare maple finish. Also, necks made out of rosewood (as well as other woods I'm sure) don't need a finish either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 definitely don't leave it sitting I did that with my SG (still is) and you can see where my armpit is from the sweat/deodorant stains (looks a bit darker and a tad shiney) from playing sitting down with no shirt (dont reccomend playing with no shirt sitting down even if it does have finish anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 (edited) You need some kind of solid finish on the neck, to keep it from warping. ← I've never heard of that. From what I understand, the Zakk Wylde Les Paul has a bare maple finish. Also, necks made out of rosewood (as well as other woods I'm sure) don't need a finish either. ← This is from the Warmoth site: WARRANTY ISSUES To validate our warranty, a hard finish must be sufficiently thick to completely cover the wood. This means no wood is exposed and you are actually playing on the finish and not on the wood, oil finishes are not satisfactory. It doesn't matter to us who applies the finish, as long as it's done well. Of course, we would like to do the finishing for you but if you choose to do it yourself or have it done elsewhere, the warranty will still be valid. Wood will warp from moisture... like from your sweaty hands. Something like a neck that's already under string tension and pretty skinny for playability is particularly sensitive. Yeah, there are some woods that don't require finish as fingerboards. Most necks aren't made entirely of those woods. Most production necks are maple or mahogany. They require a finish. Edited July 4, 2005 by tirapop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 (edited) nice one guys! I popped into the local hardware store. The one that has a nice "woodworking" section. I found some Danish Oil ( http://www.rustins.co.uk/Dano.html ). It seems mainly a Tung based oil. And i found the 0000 steel wool. I have not touched the Ibanez neck. Body only. I am busy with my final sanding, then wet sanding. Then I'll do the oil and work it off/in with the steel wool. Then again. then another wipe on. Then polish it a little. Yay! Tom Edited July 4, 2005 by MoreGearThanSkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Now I'm looking at the smooth-sanded wood, which i've been lovingly sanding with progressively finer sanding paper... and I'm wondering about staining the wood a little darker. The wood, I think in the Ibanez EX series is poplar. It looks like PINE! Should/could i stain it to make it a bit more butterscotch? Will my Tung oil still work after a lil staining? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Watco is an oil finish that come in tinted colors. I'm pretty sure the hardware blimp hangers sell the stuff. If you can't find that, oil works over most stain if you give the stain time to dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalMan Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 What model of EX is it? I have an old EX 170 and i do believe that in a Musicians Friend from back then stated it was hard maple. I will see if i can find it and make sure. Some pictures would be cool as i have been thinking about stripping my EX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Mr MetalMan, I'm not so sure which EX it is. I got it off a buddy who had ruined it. Dropped it and such. It has a H S H pickup config. It has a TRS Floyd Rose Licenced trem. Those aggro triangle inlays on the fretboard. Rosewood board. Body was cream with a black scratchplate. Headstock is black. Neck is maple. Body is real pale. 5 piece. Quite savage. Not super pretty grade of wood. But i'm having fun with my first Project. Heck the stripping and sanding has been a horrible task. That coat sure is thick thick thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePlague Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Now I'm looking at the smooth-sanded wood, which i've been lovingly sanding with progressively finer sanding paper... and I'm wondering about staining the wood a little darker. The wood, I think in the Ibanez EX series is poplar. It looks like PINE! Should/could i stain it to make it a bit more butterscotch? Will my Tung oil still work after a lil staining? ← the oil will darken it, if that's all you're looking for. otherwise, i think it works over stain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 (edited) Here is a pic of the crappy EX series Ibbie, stripped down, awaiting the final smooth sanding, (maybe stain) and tung oil coating. My my, that pic is dreadful.. Edited July 8, 2005 by MoreGearThanSkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 That pic may be crappy, but I really dig the composition... I hope you flushed first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 This weekend i finished up, and re-assembled the guitar. I decided to do a little stain job on the bare wood. Mostly because it looked so pale and was less attractive than my kitchen chopping board! So a little cherry-wood stain. It was one of those noxious alchohol-imbedded type (which is now in my fingernail binding). It looked blotchy, and took to the wood with vary-ing enthusiasm. Which would be fine in a one piece body. But in a 5-piece it makes the individual planks stick out. Oh well. I did not do this for the asthetics really. So i sanded it back a bit. Which made it look quite nice. I then did the danish oil thing. Then cut back. Then 0000 steel wooled the next coat. Then more Danish oil. Always wiping it off after about 10 min. Nice satiny finish. Yay. Then all bits back in. Blocked the trem. Tuned up and I'm certainly certain it sounds better. No heavy coat strangling the wood's resonance. She sings. Pics soon. Lesson learned: Not an afternoon's labor. Try a month's spare time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreGearThanSkill Posted July 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 That pic may be crappy, but I really dig the composition... I hope you flushed first ← All it needs is a Bogner amp. Not only did I flush, but, as you can see, I brushed too! I'll have pics of the finished job, on her throne again....tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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