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Veneers And Stains


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Okay, I hope my explanation works here:

I'm thinking of doing something along the lines of this to one of the bodies I'm working on.

binding_options_maplepinstripe_lrg.jpg

I have my nice mahogany bodies, and some white veneer. And several pieces of 1/4" thick walnut to choose from for my top. The plan being to sandwich the veneer between the body and the top. I'm fairly confident with applying veneer, I've done it several times before, and I've got some assistance from a relative who's more experienced than I. So no questions there.

The thing is, I'm thinking I may want to stain this top. I'm afraid that if I stain it anything too dark, the accent line from the veneer will get lost. Now, I know from past experiences the first time I worked with veneer, that with too much glue, it will bleed through, and keep finishes from working. Usually that's a bad thing. However, here, I'm thinking that might actually work to my advantage, by preventing whatever I stain the top with from affecting the accent line too terribly.

However, I'm afraid that if I glue the veneer down in this fashion, I'm apt to have troubles glueing the top to veneer/body piece afterwards.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any other ways to stain the top without affecting the accent line too much? Obviously, "practice on scrap" which is my plan when I get some time tomorrow. I'll be playing with finishes - I may not even go the stain route, we'll see how things look with grain fill and clear and what not.

Thanks!

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Your planning on staining top, sides and back? I know a lot of people go with the natural binding, where they tape off the sides of the top to prevent any stain or color getting on that area, so it looks like you have adding a binding. If you don't color or stain everything you could try to go that route. Like whats on perrys current guitar, the green one. I think that one has the natural binding. Oh well just a thought, I'm sure there will be a better way for you. Good luck man. Jason

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Your planning on staining top, sides and back?  I know a lot of people go with the natural binding, where they tape off the sides of the top to prevent any stain or color getting on that area, so it looks like you have adding a binding.  If you don't color or stain everything you could try to go that route.  Like whats on perrys current guitar, the green one.  I think that one has the natural binding.  Oh well just a thought, I'm sure there will be a better way for you.  Good luck man.  Jason

I was really thinking just staining the top - so maybe masking things off will work - it's just such a fine line we're talking about, so I don't know how well it will work. But yeah, that hadn't occured to me - thanks! Looks like one more thing to try out when I'm experimenting.

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My only suggestion would be to rethink the walnut staining part.

You take out the staining, and I think you would have no problems.

Or, consider adding the stain into a shader coat of finish, after you have done several clear coats to seal everything up, then you could scrape the shader coat off of the veneer accent, or tape it off beforehand.

Staining the walnut raw with the white veneer, I think you're begging a very hard road to hoe there. :D

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