Shirtman's Set Neck

[RestorationAD]

I like Mohawk and I have a local supplier. It is what I am going to use moving forward even though the Behlens and Mohawk cost the same.

[sdshirtman]

I used a number 7 gouge and a beer to get it to the rough shape

Man after my own heart.

>I was trying to get an ergonomically friendly shape while still tying into the contour at the butt end by the cavity cover.

And succeeded nicely. Get your mojo back?

She's nicely feminine from the front, very fine curves. Is she comfy?

And good news for us, based on your lacquer purchase, you've got several more builds in your future.

Are you going to spray the neck?

SR

I guess I did and yes she's very comfy. I left the neck just a hair thicker than intended. I like super thin necks but they can be tiring after a few hours. I do in fact plan on spraying the neck.

I like Mohawk and I have a local supplier. It is what I am going to use moving forward even though the Behlens and Mohawk cost the same.

Six of one half dozen of the other. Strange that its a different cost where I am but then again its two different suppliers.

[sdshirtman]

I went to cut a nut for this and realized the blank I bought was about 2mm too short. I dont remember who posted it but someone here cut blank nut material from a dog bone from petco. I had picked one up a few months ago and now it was going to come in handy.

I'd heard how bad this stuff smells and now I know first hand. The bone I bought cost me 3 bucks and I got 5 blanks out of half of it.

Here it is finished up.

Bridge is on and the build portion is finished.

Its grainfilled and just waiting to be sprayed. I'm just waiting for my other one to be stripped so I can spray both at the same time.

See my earlier thread.

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/topic/45648-my-second-build-attempt/page-23

I hope to be spraying this weekend.

[RestorationAD]

I went to cut a nut for this and realized the blank I bought was about 2mm too short. I dont remember who posted it but someone here cut blank nut material from a dog bone from petco. I had picked one up a few months ago and now it was going to come in handy.

That is nasty... but it looks like it will do in a pinch. Pretty consistent color as well.

[sdshirtman]

After some experimenting with the HVLP gun we have some first coats to show the figure in this. I plan on spraying tinted yellow over this. and

And a good shot of the east side of my mancave.

[ScottR]

Nice, and the cave is clean. Where's the beer fridge?

Are you still using in silly putty to mask the post holes? I thought of that for my turner holes.......after it was too late of course.

SR

[Prostheta]

I presume that your grain filling is a sealing coat of lacquer? I'm playing around with shellac on test pieces at the moment to get experience of technique and how it reacts. Shellac gives the opportunity to lay down an oil coat to accentuate the chatoyance prior to shellac grain filling. I think I need to introduce pumice to this so I guess I'll have to hunt a source down. I'm intending on shooting nitro over the shellac to make a kind of hybrid French polish/nitro schedule. It could all go wrong! The nitro I have is "mystery nitro". Smells like death which can only be good. I think it has ambered slightly too....

I hear you about manland. Until we can buy or build we I am stuck without my own permaden. Heartbreaking stuff that challenges me daily. I WILL TRIUMPH, HEAR ME MANLAND!

You know what I mean.

[ScottR]

You are familiar with "rotten stone" are you not Carl? So far, I'm happy with my version of French polish nitro hybird is working out.....

SR

[Prostheta]

Yep. I think pumice is more appropriate for the grain filling stage of building up a base of shellac however I haven't touched rottenstone yet. It's still used in compounding sticks as "Tripoli" isn't it? My understanding is that after sealing up the wood you can burnish it out with steel wool and/or a clean rubber with your alcohol and pumice. I kind of promised Brett I would do a writeup on French polishing so I'm still getting a feel from the work and incorporating approaches other people use in order to condense a reasonable article.

[ScottR]

Yeah, it is still also called Tripoli. The last time I saw it was in a Woodcraft store and I could have sworn it indicated it was finely ground pumice. This was sold as a powder. Further research says it is supposed to be ground limestone and silicate.

That is what research is for, I suppose.

SR

[Prostheta]

Oh right, cool. So it's a manufactured mix rather than one specific "thing". Rottenstone is a newish thing to me. I have known of its existence for a while but never looked into it....I guess modern products have supplanted it or maybe just modern names applied to old things. I am aware that metal polishers use it a lot so it makes sense that it would be somewhere in the grades of buffing finishes. I seem to recall the more obsessive plane iron sharpeners using it at some stage. You know the ones....the grumblers who spend more time over their tools than over any work.

[sdshirtman]

Nice, and the cave is clean. Where's the beer fridge?

Are you still using in silly putty to mask the post holes? I thought of that for my turner holes.......after it was too late of course.

SR

I used some putty in the ferrule holes because I had a rough time with them last time. First time I've tried it though. The tuner holes I'm not worried about because I'll just clean em out with a reamer when I'm finished buffing. If anything I'm thing it probably helps to seal em up a bit against any water damage when wet sanding.

I presume that your grain filling is a sealing coat of lacquer? I'm playing around with shellac on test pieces at the moment to get experience of technique and how it reacts. Shellac gives the opportunity to lay down an oil coat to accentuate the chatoyance prior to shellac grain filling. I think I need to introduce pumice to this so I guess I'll have to hunt a source down. I'm intending on shooting nitro over the shellac to make a kind of hybrid French polish/nitro schedule. It could all go wrong! The nitro I have is "mystery nitro". Smells like death which can only be good. I think it has ambered slightly too....

I hear you about manland. Until we can buy or build we I am stuck without my own permaden. Heartbreaking stuff that challenges me daily. I WILL TRIUMPH, HEAR ME MANLAND!

You know what I mean.

Carl I'm still finding my stride on grain filling wood. I wanted to try sealing with lacquer, filling then sanding back but I'm shooting this build and refinishing my last so I wanted to keep things simple and use the same filling method for both since one was getting direct stained. I cant stain over lacquer. I opted to use timber-mate again but I thinned it down a bit more than I did last time and took more care sanding back.

After shooting three coats last night the african mahogany I'm refinishing hasn't completely filled in but did much better than when I used rattle cans last time. The Sapele on this build sealed up much better and has already developed some amazing chatoyance all on its own.

I didnt stain the body on the current build but I did stain the one I'm refinishing with water based dye after grain filling. I'm wondering if the H20 dye didnt pull some of the timber mate out of the grain during staining. Its surely a possibility.

I've read things about adhesion problems while using sealer so I opted to just shoot straight lacquer on this. I've been advised that by using this method I'll have to shoot more coats to completely seal it up but in the end my clarity will be much improved.

[demonx]

You can't grain fill with clear coat. It'll sink back

Even if you do keep spraying and sanding it back until its flat, after 3-6 months it'll all sink back. This is how all my earlier builds are which is why I changed to using west systems as my grain filler then clear over it.

[sdshirtman]

And you're using Mohawk correct? I filled with the timber mate. You dont think that will be enough? I didnt have any shrink back on my last two but then again I shot it with a layer of sanding sealer first and was using a different product.

[demonx]

I dont even know what Mohawk is, I use 2k automotive clears. At the moment the brand I'm using is Upol, for years before that I used only PPG.

I just replied to your PM.

[ScottR]

The timber mate will be fine, and sealing with mohawk is fine as well.

SR

[sdshirtman]

Thx for the affirmation. Life is fun when you start second guessing the choices you've made.

[sdshirtman]

After 7 coats I sanded this flat with 220 and everything is sealed up. Lets hope it doesn't pull back in 6 months.

I was looking forward to spraying the color and burst on this over the three day weekend but its 90 degrees out with 78% humidity. I guess this is going to be a golf weekend.

[sdshirtman]

The humidity finally dropped down to acceptable levels so I got to put some color on this.

I mixed about 20 drops of lemon yellow to about 4 oz of a 70/30 mix. I was hoping for a much brighter yellow but the maple is dark so this is as bright as I could get it.

I did a mild burst using 10 drops of amber, one drop red and one drop med brown trans tint dye in a 50/50 mixture.

And a quick vid of the back showing off the chatoyance of the sapele. It dances pretty good.

I'm pretty happy with the way turned out.

[bob123]

NICE! You very much should be pleased with how that turned out! You sprayed it very well too!

[Prostheta]

70/30 might be a bit slower to gas off, won't it? Hope you still have patience. I'm aiming to try an 80/20 or 90/10. The burst colours look great. My own preference would be to add a tiny bit of blue or green to the outside.

[ScottR]

That do be purdy.

SR

[Prostheta]

Now I'm seeing your burst on a desktop I am liking it even more. My personal burst (I hope that I am right in thinking that everybody has one) is right what you have there or an antique honeyburst. It's not too orange and has a good subtle class about it. Good work, chap.

[sdshirtman]

Thanks guys.

70/30 might be a bit slower to gas off, won't it? Hope you still have patience. I'm aiming to try an 80/20 or 90/10. The burst colours look great. My own preference would be to add a tiny bit of blue or green to the outside.

It should gas off a little slower and gives it a little more time to lay out. My main reason is that it goes through the gun much better this way. The burst was thinned down so much because I shot it through a badger 150 airbrush with a medium tip. A little slower, but much finer atomization and better control. It tool a full ten min to lay down that little bit of color around the edges.

[Prostheta]

Sounds like it was worth the additional effort. I really want to shoot a honeyburst LP and spend some good time relicing it. I figure that freezing the guitar in one of our crazy winters and then taking it into the house will check the lacquer sufficiently for one.