Kcoogan Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 I'm going to experiment on some scrap I'm putting decals on today. I need to drill the holes for the bridge and tail piece. The best I could calculate - locating the bridge 25" on the low e and 24.75 on the high e, from the nut. My Les Paul Smart Wood is at 24.75/24.5 and my two Ibanez ones are 25"/24.75 and the necks on all are exactley the same length. The only difference are the saddles are tweaked about the same. The tailpieces are a little different too. So, Im going to drill 1.75/1.5" back. The slant will follow the bridge. Some updated photos: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Try small mist sprays on the decal until a layer builds up, good luck with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted July 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 i sprayed some on a scrape piece with decals. I was worried about whether the sealer would make the decal opaque. I seems fine. Now one last little thing to take care of and i will start the sealer coats.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 damn thats looking nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I've haven't posted in a while so here are some photos...drilled for the bridge and tail piece studs. Also, two coats of sealer and then sanded. Two coats of clear then went over the entire guitar with grey pad (steel wool synthetic) then shot two more coats. The head stock decal of the flower is sticking out a bit in spots. Some of the very end pieces...not sure what to do with them yet...and I got a big bugger in the back on the last coat so I will sand that out. Sealing Sealed and ready for clear 1st coat of clear 2nd Coat 3rd Coat and it's getting built up now. 4th coat and then I got a blob...on the back...you have to look close...to me it's the size of Jupiter 4th coat on the front and looking pretty good The peg head has 4 coats but the decal on the flower needs some work...this is a gift for my sister.... I will sand the blob out and shot another coat or two.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 So when it's time to put the studs in how do I do that without craking the clear coat...is there a way to press them in or maybe a little soap? Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 A trick long used to install string-thru ferrules is puhing them with a soldering iron. The heat softens the clear preventing cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 How many coats are you applying a day ? How long are you waiting between coats ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Three light passes for a coat and three coats a day.....2 hours between coats. I am going to be out for a couple of days so this last coat won't get another pass until three days from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Three light passes for a coat and three coats a day.....2 hours between coats. I am going to be out for a couple of days so this last coat won't get another pass until three days from now. What are you using ? I would not go much further with it untill it gasses off for a few days. then cut it & apply your final coats for buffing & polishing. Iv found that you can have too much clear over green quilt. Usually I will go 12-16 coats but for green or dark blue quilt I use less, as the ultra deep gloss clear finish tends to filter the light reflecting back from the timber. So the ultra mobile rolling grain you have with the raw/planed timber can start to diminish with too much finish. The thinner the better I think, But only with quilt oddly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted July 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 I'm using Deft lacquer. I'm sanding it all with 400 (I have a couple of runs) before shooting with final coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menapia Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 Stunning !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Okay, I've been waiting for the nitro to get hard and now some pictures. I did some wet sanding... Some more wet sanding.. Oh did I say I was wet sanding .... Installed the studs... cracked the nitro....I ended up putting a little soap on the rest to aid in the install. I put some adhesive back sand paper on a the little socket holder for my screw gun. It fit in the holes for the studs so I could sand out the nitro. Then on to buffing with a foam wheel using Maquires Then it was time to take off the blue tape. And to soldier up everything. Getting the controls into the holes from the inside was a real pain. So almost ready..After the swirl out And now for the wiring..all done... Starting the strings.. All done.... Hooked her up and took her jammin! One small problem though...something is wrong with one of the grounds so I get a hum.....Not sure what I will do next. If I touch the strings the hum stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 "If I touch the strings the hum stops" Sounds more like a shielding issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 (edited) I wouldnt say its much of a grounding issue if it makes sound and plays, i mean it could be and probably is, but its definitely a shielding issue. I've had this problem the first couple builds and after i got my shielding paint it was gone. Id put some shielding paint in the pickup routs and that should go away Edited September 9, 2012 by Pestvic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Wow, that looks great Two things that can give a hum, copper tape on the back of the cavity cover that is almost touching the wires or your pick up wire shielding is soldered to the back of the same pot as your negative or earth wire, if it is try soldering the shield to the tone pot or the copper tape if you have it lining the control cavity. Why not take post a pick of the control cavity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 That's my dilema: no control cavity. It's all inside the hollow body. And getting those in was a pain in the. So I thought I would take a piece of wire and touch the conrol shafts and the input etc. from the outside and see if that might point me in the right direction. Other wise I have some serious work to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Good luck chasing that hum. In the meantime - WOW. What a beautiful guitar you built ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Like Pestvic said, shield your pickup cavities first, that may be all you have to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 No, if its humming, then it stops when you touch strings, it means you have a grounding problem from your bridge to your strings. Shielding wont fix that. Tough to fix on a guitar like this . Tough to trace out on a hollowbody, but you may be able to figure something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kcoogan Posted September 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Thanks. Two things. One if I touch the strings buzz stops....that's why I thought of the groud. I also had to splice the wire from the neck pickup to reach. I put heat shrink on it. I wonder if that is the shield issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 No, if its humming, then it stops when you touch strings, it means you have a grounding problem from your bridge to your strings. Shielding wont fix that. Tough to fix on a guitar like this . Tough to trace out on a hollowbody, but you may be able to figure something out. Sorry, but it's the other way around, a hum when you touch the strings is a string ground issue. A hum that stops when you touch the strings is a pickup/electronics shielding issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Thanks. Two things. One if I touch the strings buzz stops....that's why I thought of the groud. I also had to splice the wire from the neck pickup to reach. I put heat shrink on it. I wonder if that is the shield issue? I've extended my pickup wires before plenty of times with just color coded wire from radio shack. as long as its electric taped or in your case, heat shrinked, then it should be fine. Let us know if shielding the pickup cavities solved it If not then yeah its going to be a bigger and tougher issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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