Veneer Problems

[Moomintroll]

I'm looking for some pointers on how to neatly finish-off a veneer top I've added to a strat-shaped body. There are a number of issues I'm struggling with and I'd probably do things differently the next time around, but here's where I'm at:

I've glued a decorative veneer onto a strat body using a sheet of veneer-glue which melts when heated (in my case using a clothes iron). Apart from the fact that the veneer split in some places due to the heat and will need filled, there's a lip around the edge of the veneer which is impossible to sand-out completely. It's made more difficult by the fact that sanding exposes the glue sheet underneath which frays as it's rubbed and generally looks a mess. Ideally, I'd cut a neat edge all round the corners of the guitar to give it nice clean lines, but as you all know, the strat's edges are rounded, which makes it difficult to judge where to cut.

My plan was to hide the wobbly lines by using a sunburst finish around the edges, but I'll still have to deal with the lip somehow and I don't want to cover-up too much of my veneer with a combination of scratchplate and sunburst.

Any suggestions ?

[spazzyone]

Is this a "traditional" strat IE belly cut/ forearm bevel ?

if it is and its a sunburst you could gradually build up the edge

with laquer or whatever your finish is.

if not you could bind it

and i would avoid the self stick veneer all together (may pull loose)

but im not great at finishing (Prefer no finish so as not to alter tone)

someone else will chime in with better sugestions im sure

say maybe Setch or Mammoth Guitars as these guys always

have the best answers

Edited September 25, 2006 by spazzyone

[Moomintroll]

Yup, it's a "traditional" strat, so binding is not really an option as far as I can see.

It's not a suburst yet, but it could end up that way unless someone can give me a better suggestion.

As far as the self-stick veneer goes, that's why I put the "things I would do differently" comment in the initial post - you live and learn !

Using a sunburst to build up the edge sounds like a possibility though.

Thanks for the suggestion Spazzyone.

[doug]

One:

You could rout a shallow binding channel, bind it, then sand the binding off back to the original shape of the body. This would give you a decent line that might look like purfling and hide that pesky glue edge.

Two:

You could find some place with a big drum or belt sander thin the body for you, then add a thicker real wood top glued on using conventional methods. Then you'll have an entirely different look, but you might be happier with the end result.

-Doug