verhoevenc Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I'm trying my hand at my first material finish. I'm starting a blue paisley prototype of my 'Meeting' shape. Either way, seeing as it's a light blue and white fabric I thought I'd want the clearest drying stuff on the block, so I used clear drying epoxy to attach and harden the fabric. From a little ways out it looks fine: However, when you get closer in you can definitely see the grain lines of the Paulownia under the fabric Besides the inevitable fun this is going to be to get off... for those that have done fabric finishes, what adhesive would you recommend for a fabric this light in color? I'm a little weary of titebond thinking it'll tint my whites; or is that false? Thanks, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotYou Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Do you have any idea why it did that? If the grain swelled when you put the epoxy on, you could try putting a thin layer on the wood first to seal it, then putting the fabric on after it's dried. That's what I would try at least. Edited February 20, 2012 by NotYou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian d Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Hi Chris, Loving the paisley material. As you can see from my avatar and guitar designs, paisley is a big influence on my design sensibilities. How about white PVA glue - not as strong as Titebond, but it dries clear. Make sure you document and post the process so we can learn from, and be inspired by your work. Edited February 20, 2012 by brian d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 It's not raised grain. I actually tried doing the first try with epoxy on the Paulownia, but the Paulownia sucked up so much epoxy it wasn't sticking well so I had to pull it off before it dried. That's what gave me the idea to seal with epoxy first, level sand, and then do epoxy again to hold the fabric on. It worked great! The only issue is the epoxy highlighted the grain in the Paulownia, just like finishing would have, which made the dark rings darker... dark enough to show through the fabric. Although it gives the effect of rippling in a photo, it's just the color of the dark grain lines showing through. That's why I'm fearful any sort of "wettening" agent will just have the same effects. I've been thinking about doing a layer of something light, and then the fabric... but not sure what that layer should be? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I think you need something to act as a primer. Too much light passes through that fabric. Use the cream of the background color in the fabric, white or light grey which is the best base color for covering patterns or multiple shades....like wood grain. Paint it first. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) edit: I need to read apparently Yes, several material finishes back, you should have a base color to match the top you are using. Dont use white though, go black or dark gray if anything. It will darken the cloth finish a bit, but it wont fade either. Edited February 21, 2012 by bob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Is there no worry about paint separation under the epoxy? Still a good surface to be binding onto? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 For the sake of documentation I wanted to put this here: I spoke with my own personal rainman of all things woodworking. He agreed that paint at that position under a bunch of other layers of stuff is a bad idea. New suggestions include veneer if with light wood and then doing the material, or laying a based coat of white tinted epoxy as my sealer, and then fabricing. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Could you tint epoxy to color the wood,then scuff it and add the material with another epoxy coat? ...and is that a blow-through on the corner of the treble horn tip or a reflection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 It's an area that there was no fabric, but given the round over and burst it'll be getting, it didn't matter, do I didn't worry about it. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 New suggestions include veneer if with light wood and then doing the material, or laying a based coat of white tinted epoxy as my sealer, and then fabricing. Chris Thats what I do on my fabric jobs. A thin veneer of alder or basswood. Or whatever you can get your hands on that has next to no visible grain. I use epoxy to apply the fabric to the body, Then about 12 coats of clear over that. 60 grit on an orbital sander should tear that right off in a few mins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I wonder if you could use a lacquer as an adhesive? Then you could use a pigmented lacquer as a base, coat it with a layer of retarded clear and spread your fabric into that. You could even build a clear over the top for a different look. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterblastor Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) For the sake of documentation I wanted to put this here: I spoke with my own personal rainman of all things woodworking. He agreed that paint at that position under a bunch of other layers of stuff is a bad idea. New suggestions include veneer if with light wood and then doing the material, or laying a based coat of white tinted epoxy as my sealer, and then fabricing. Chris Get some testors model paint. Let it sit until the pigment and thinner seperate. Remove the thinner. You can use the pigment to tint the epoxy. I do it all the time when putting epoxy on top of ferrule wraps on fishing rods. You can do it with inlays too. Metallic gold epoxy looks bitchin. Try some white on a test piece. Edited February 25, 2012 by masterblastor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I wonder if you could use a lacquer as an adhesive? Then you could use a pigmented lacquer as a base, coat it with a layer of retarded clear and spread your fabric into that. You could even build a clear over the top for a different look. SR Yes and no. I've tried that one as well. The sheer amount of paint you'd have to put on would be LUDICROUS. It should work, but I lost patience. I've used wood sealer to some modicum of success as well. The way the "pros" (ibanez) do it, is to use polyester clear coat resin just because it builds faster. Im actually tempted to try another material finish soon. I'll be using epoxy resin over black. I fail to see why a properly painted base coat (over sealed wood) would cause problems. With nitro maybe, as it soaks into the wood, but normal paints, I just see it causing issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 You can also get mixol tints from any woodcraft that are supposed to tint epoxy just fine. And they make white I think this is what I'll try. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Rustins Plastic Coating. Cheap enough to be applied like an epoxy layer, plus it can be thinned for spraying. No compatibility issues. It can also be tinted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 I think that's probably pretty close to what I'm using. Although mine is technically an epoxy that I'm using (already bought, so might as well truck forward ), it's called a clear coat and is meant more as a finishing resin, not a structural epoxy. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 I think that's probably pretty close to what I'm using. Although mine is technically an epoxy that I'm using (already bought, so might as well truck forward ), it's called a clear coat and is meant more as a finishing resin, not a structural epoxy. Chris Polyester Resin? Good luck if its your first time! haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 No,epoxy resin...Polyester and epoxy are different resins. It is a thin,slow curing epoxy sold in hardware stores as a "self leveling finish".I have used it myself with good results. This stuff,right? http://www.woodworkstuff.net/EpoxyPour1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 No,epoxy resin...Polyester and epoxy are different resins. It is a thin,slow curing epoxy sold in hardware stores as a "self leveling finish".I have used it myself with good results. This stuff,right? http://www.woodworkstuff.net/EpoxyPour1.html Lol I've used that stuff as well. Any 2 part resin isn't the most easy thing in the world. He merely said "Finishing Resin" which, in the guitar world, usually implies polyester resin.... Anywho,if that is what you are using, Some advice - Tape the sides with electrical tape. I mean the ENTIRE side as well even the bottom edge, not just next to the top. After an hour or so when it starts to get somewhat tacky, then remove the tape. - use THREE cups, not just mixing in one. pour your hardener in one cup, resin in the other. Pour the RESIN into the hardner (not the other way around). Stir SLOWLY (you have a lot of time to work with this stuff) for about 2 minutes. Then pour the mixture into a third cup but do NOT scrape the sides of the cup to "get it all out". - use a foam brush to apply it, dont just pour it on, or you will be fighting air bubbles. Put on 2 coats. I know the one coat will appear to be super thick, but you will be burning through that faster then you'd think. Its easier to thin out 2 coats then it is to re-sand and redo the whole damn thing lol. Finishing is the same as any other clear coat. Wet sand, polish, wax. Fortunately if you have a thick coat of resin on you can use a power sander to level (much easier!), and go from there yielding great results. Also, once you're finished, lemme know, theres some more details to work out so you dont crack the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I'm no noob to epoxies, just the use of fabrics with them I'm actually using System 3's 'Clear Coat' product. Wes, that glaze coat was the stuff I used to fill on my first guitar. I hated the stuff. Drove me nuts. Maybe I got a bad batch, but it was a horrible experience. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew bryan Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Do not know if you resolved this or not but.....the guys over at the reranch forum do these quite a bit. I have not doen this my self (yet) but their method is to use Mod Podg glue (sp) from the local hobby lobby. Use it to glue it on, let dry, trim the edges, use two more coats on top to start to fill the grin, go then to CA to fill the transition from fabric to wood....to get it soooth, then put a bunch of sanding sealer to get the fabric filled and flat.....then add the clear. I know that is short but if you do your search on fabric finish there it pulls up a lot of info to fill the gaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 I've tried mod podge. It NEVER comes out looking good for me.... I have used sanding sealer with success though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 So far I'm pretty happy with the physical results of the epoxy. I just have to get some white under it I think. Hopefully Woodcraft will get in my white Mixol soon Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterblastor Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 So far I'm pretty happy with the physical results of the epoxy. I just have to get some white under it I think. Hopefully Woodcraft will get in my white Mixol soon Chris Post back the results. Only mentioned the testors because that is all I've ever been able to get to set properly with 2 part epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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