mattharris75 Posted February 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Scott, thanks for the tip on mixing the black and red. I mixed something like a 65/35 red to black mixture, and it went on as a beautiful 'cherry coke' sort of color. That color would be great all by itself, but it's not really what I'm going for on this build (But I may try it some time in the future). I sanded it back and finished with straight yellow. It's a much more even color, without any of the harshness of the black on the first attempt. It may not be completely obvious in the photo, but this one definitely has more richness and evenness. I put it next to the cocobolo fretboard to get an idea of how the two would work together. I think I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 That looks great. I think I like the second test piece best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I think I like it. I think I do too! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Wow, it's been nearly two years since I updated this post, or worked on the guitar for that matter. Plenty of other things have gotten in the way, and it's just been sitting in my office staring me down and making me feel guilty. So, I've had a little free time recently and have decided to pull things back out and get back to work on it. At this point I've finished the top & back carves, sanded everything up through 400 grit, and finished all the drilling operations for tuners, bridge, etc. Plus a number of other little miscellaneous details. Next comes setting the neck and dying the maple. A few pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Started by mattharris75, Dec 18 2008 06:24 PM That's what it says at the top of the page....lol! At this rate your daughter will need a full size one before she gets to play it. This thing is still stunning. I don't know how you've been able to look at it every day and not pick it up and work on it.......but I guess you've had plent of time to practice resisting the guilty looks it must have been giving you. (Just couldn't resist giving you a hard time man, I know where your priorities are). It's good to see it again. It's going to look even more amazing when it is put together. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Started by mattharris75, Dec 18 2008 06:24 PM That's what it says at the top of the page....lol! At this rate your daughter will need a full size one before she gets to play it. This thing is still stunning. I don't know how you've been able to look at it every day and not pick it up and work on it.......but I guess you've had plent of time to practice resisting the guilty looks it must have been giving you. (Just couldn't resist giving you a hard time man, I know where your priorities are). It's good to see it again. It's going to look even more amazing when it is put together. SR Thanks Scott. Yeah, fortunately I started this build before my wife was even pregnant. Between having two young kids, basically working two jobs, and a variety of health problems that have kept me from feeling 100% for quite a while now, it can be tough to find the time and energy for hobbies. I'm feeling the best I've felt in quite a while now, and I have a little free time this time of year, so who knows, maybe I'll actually finish it this time before the complexities of life rear their ugly head again. Thanks for the encouragement along the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 The neck has been set and routed flush with the top and with the pickup route. I also worked up a few more test finish pieces to ensure that they dye combination and procedure that I'm using will get me the look that I want. Hopefully I'll start the finishing process in the next few days. I'm thinking that I will end up dying the backstrap on the headstock to match the top, but leaving the maple stringers in the neck (which are also visible on the top) as natural maple. I like the contrast and appearance of those woods together in the neck and don't think I want to mess with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'm thinking that I will end up dying the backstrap on the headstock to match the top, but leaving the maple stringers in the neck (which are also visible on the top) as natural maple. I like the contrast and appearance of those woods together in the neck and don't think I want to mess with it. That sounds like a good idea. The neck looks great. It might get a little tiddly where the backstrap meets the maple stringers. This is so cool! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'm thinking that I will end up dying the backstrap on the headstock to match the top, but leaving the maple stringers in the neck (which are also visible on the top) as natural maple. I like the contrast and appearance of those woods together in the neck and don't think I want to mess with it. That sounds like a good idea. The neck looks great. It might get a little tiddly where the backstrap meets the maple stringers. This is so cool! SR Yeah, I think I will go ahead and grainfill the rest of the neck with some z-poxy finishing resin, maybe use some pinstriping tape to get a nice clean line right there, and then I shouldn't have to worry about bleed through once I go to stain the backstrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thats some fine looking workmanship and that fretboard is to DIE FOR. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks sdshirtman! Spent the last couple of nights working on getting some dye on the maple top. Thus far I've had three applications of dye. A scarlet red with black mix, then a sand back, pure scarlet red, then sanded back a bit less. I tried to keep more of this on the edges to darken them up a bit more. I'm not sure how effective that was. Then finally a layer of yellow dye. I like the effect, but I may tweak it a bit more. Maybe try to give it a little more burst effect by going over the edges with the darker dyes again and fade everything in with yet more sanding back and dying. Still pondering that... Here's how everything looked step by step. 1. Scarlet red and black mix applied (This was really a pretty great looking color all by itself) 2. Sanded back 3. Pure scarlet applied 4. Sanded back a little less 5. And finally the yellow dye So, that's where she stands right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I love this part! The yellow brings out similar shades in the fretboard. I actually really liked the look of your first sand-back.......however having been there before, I know that stage looks better in the picture than in real life. This would be a good project to use a tinted burst layer in your clear coat. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Scott, I'm sure a tinted burst would look great, but I'm not really set up to do that. And I was planning on doing an epoxy and tru oil finish on this, because of my familiarity with the procedure. I think I may fiddle with the alcohol dyes I've got a little bit more and see if I can coax a little more of a burst look out of it. I may just have to mess with some test pieces until I figure out a procedure that works. I know that water based dyes can be used to rub a burst on, but alcohol based are different because they dry more quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 If I remember correctly you don't have an air brush either......seems like we've had this conversation before. A rubbed/sandback burst can certainly be done effectively, it's just trickier. On your scrap try rubbing your burst with the darker shades and then sand back in the middle with the coarsest grade you are willing to use, and then with each finer grade sand the middle and a little further out towards the edge. That should give a nicely feathered burst of the darker first layer colors. Then hit the whole thing with your yellow, and see how it works. Some combination of that should work for you. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks Scott. I just sent you a message, but you more or less answered my question. I was thinking of trying to do the feathering while wet rather than relying as much on successive coats and then sanding between each. But maybe the more conservative approach here is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I think you'll need both, since you are working with alcohol. Once you've got it blended and feathered, hitting the whole thing with your lightest color will help make the color transitions even more smooth and subtle. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 I applied more dye. Really liking the look now. I think I'll probably leave it here. I ended up applying the lighter red where I wanted first, and then feathering it in with a pad dipped in just denatured alcohol. Then added some of the red/black mix on the edges and worked it up into the red with the same denatured alcohol pad. I applied several coats of each in the same way and just kept feathering things. The alcohol pad picked up some of the colors, which gave me another shade to work into the top. At the end I put just a little yellow into the middle and worked it back out toward the reds. It's pretty tough to get an accurate picture considering the lighting out in the shop, this is about the closest I could get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 That works nicely! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 After the success of my 4 string mini-guitar this past summer that I built for my god-son, I've decided to build another. (here's the thread for the first one: 4 string kids mini-guitar ) This time it will be for my first child. We're not pregnant yet, but intend to start trying within the next few months, so I figured I'd get a head start and start planning this thing out now. I've got a plan completed that shares some visual similarities with my previous attempt, but is a bit more sophisticated and less 'jaunty'. Wow, just saw that this build was started in 2008, I will never feel slow again It's turning out to be a beautiful guitar with a beautiful purpose, I might have missed it but has the intended recipient arrived yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Heh, yeah Muzz, in fact I have two little girls. Two of a number of reasons that this build has been on the back burner so frequently for so long. Last night I pulled off all the masking tape and used a card scraper to clean up the edges where the dye had bled through. It was mostly small touch ups except for one area in a curve where the tape had pulled up slightly. No big deal, the scraper made quick work of it. I also experimented with applying Z-poxy on the dyed maple. In the past I have applied it with an old credit card, as is fairly typical. I wondered if it might be easier to apply to a curved surface if I thinned it a bit with denatured alcohol and rubbed it in with a finger (in gloves). After just one application I can't really tell how well it worked. I didn't have puddles of excess epoxy or drag lines, but I'm not sure it made all that consistant a surface. Maybe I'll try a second application before deciding one way or the other. I'm also contemplating whether to use a humbucker trim ring. The top on this thing is so small, I hate to cover up any more than I have to, but I wonder if it will just feel unfinished if I don't. If I do decide to go with one I'll make one out of either pau ferro or wenge, along with matching control knobs for the stacked pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I also experimented with applying Z-poxy on the dyed maple. In the past I have applied it with an old credit card, as is fairly typical. I wondered if it might be easier to apply to a curved surface if I thinned it a bit with denatured alcohol and rubbed it in with a finger (in gloves). After just one application I can't really tell how well it worked. I didn't have puddles of excess epoxy or drag lines, but I'm not sure it made all that consistant a surface. Maybe I'll try a second application before deciding one way or the other. I did just that on the F-hole guitar a few years back, only without the thinning. I think I used 4-6 applications and then leveled it. I might have been able to get away with less, but I wanted to make sure I didn't sand into the dyed surface. I was very pleased with the way it came out. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks for the input Scott. I suppose worst case scenario is that it takes a few extra coats to get everything covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Those dying pics are good to see as I will be dying my mini build - a black/bright yellow burst currently on the cards but I think I'll need to bleach the top before I do the dyes. Looking a great build . . . kind of amusing that I remember this thread from when I was on here before my time away from building! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thanks SJE, I was away from building for a good bit of that time as well. I've tried to get some more accurate pictures, and used a little natural light yesterday afternoon to get something closer to what it actually looks like. Even so, the burst effect is more subtle in these pictures than in real life. This is closer as far as the color is concerned though. But there's a bit more overall contrast in reality, particularly in the edges which are a hair darker. I also started applying Z-Poxy last night, I imagine it will be a couple of weeks of sanding and applying to get everything covered and level. Once I get the back of the neck epoxied I've also got to go back and dye the backstrap, which is still natural maple at this point. I'm thinking that between the tru oil and z-poxy I will end up with a bit more amber in the completed finish, which should accent the oranges and browns a bit more over the reds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Man that stuff just loves natural light, doesn't it? It'll look even more stunning if the sun will ever come out and let you see it in direct bright sunlight. Those colors ended up being very similar to my last one that I did for Justin, and I'm still amazed how much more pop the colors have out in the sunlight compared to sitting in the living room. That's HOT man! SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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