Popular Post pan_kara Posted May 1, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 well KEA my build is basically the opposite of your super-clean ones but do build more! Last week after fretting I did a quick alignment check by locating the outer bridge saddle holes and checking that the strings run parallel to the fretboard edges and that I can set intonation ok. All appears to be fine so I can continue So now the neck, heel, volute etc. So far I build almost only bolt-on guitars so I don't have the process down for carving the heel. ok, this is kind of in the direction I want it to go, but not exactly. The transition from the neck to the body starts pretty early. I took a look at my Mayones Regius to compare, and there the neck retains its profile pretty much until the cutaway actually starts. It's a slightly different thing since there only the back is rounded over, but still. This is a bit closer: I need some tools for the future, probably at least a good quality rasp. Right now its going rather slow, but I'm getting somewhere. The volute is almost done, the purpleheart/maple accenting came out pretty cool: and the heel: Now I think I'll smooth the body a bit and shoot some primer, with this blotchy mess I cant see anything. Plus the super soft pine all over the place freaks me out, I fart and it dents. Oh well. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted May 1, 2017 Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 4 hours ago, pan_kara said: , the purpleheart/maple accenting came out pretty cool: that it did indeed- very cool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 "finish" "sanded" LOL I decided to put some pore filler before I shoot the primer coats, here it is then This was then sanded off with up to P320 and I started putting some gray automotive primer on it (pics later). I already see some areas that need work, when that's all done I'll shoot white nitro primer (I hope it's all compatible) and then I'll swirl it. I also need to do the same process on a scrap piece because I'll need to test the compatibility of the magic marble paint that I'll be using for the swirl with the spraycan 2k clear that I want to put on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StratsRdivine Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 This is a candidate for extreme Strat Makeover. What beauty this will be compared to your first page photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2017 but before becoming a beauty she has to become ugly primer, 2nd coat (after sanding back the 1st). should have done more pore filling, though the actual pores are almost gone by now. What remains is various uneven spots and some dings etc. Mostly along the roundovers. Will need some work still Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted May 11, 2017 Report Share Posted May 11, 2017 White is also cool... glad to see it finally painted, even if it's only primer. That fretboard is too cool to be directly clamped, man... take care. ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2017 (edited) yea, solid gray is hiding all the wood patchwork now the vise is lined with cork from both sides - should be ok, no? EDIT: ah, you probably mean the earlier pic. True, I should have probably put something in there. I was only clamped lightly for spreading the pore filler so I didn't bother.. Edited May 11, 2017 by pan_kara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Ok time to finish the body. I've fretted three other necks in the meantime and now its time to move onwards with this build I think there's enough primer on, pretty much all texture is gone from the body (except 1 or 2 places), I also brushed some nitro sealer (at least I think its a sealer) on the back of the neck after sanding it to P320. So time for the swirl job. I checked yesterday and the baby bathtub that I hoped to use for this is too small. So today I bought a 70x40x40cm plastic box. Should be just enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Swirling? You're treading into dangerous territory here. I've got all my fingers crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 8 hours ago, curtisa said: Swirling? You're treading into dangerous territory here. I've got all my fingers crossed for you. yea, no idea why we keep doing this to ourselves... I made an attempt already last night. Before starting I discovered that my ~3yr old magic marbles have dried out (some of them) or turned into jelly (some others). But a few seemed ok. I didn't really have a color combination in mind before starting, though I kind of missed having black and white, but I had yellow, green, three different blues/violets, and some orange that would only ooze out of the container when strongly persuaded. Well I'm not sure whether I like the end result or not. The paint was dripping really badly out of the small bottles so instead of a swirl I have tons of little colorful dots (mostly). One of the violets was messed up I think and formed these weird washed-out puddles with weird edges. I couldn't really "swirl" the paint on the water surface because of how quickly the magic mables are drying out (which is my biggest problem with them). Right now its drying back home, this evening I'll have to decide what to do with it. There's still the clearcoat saga to go afterwards ... I should have a pic somewhere of the current state, I'll post it when I find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 38 minutes ago, pan_kara said: There's still the clearcoat saga to go afterwards ... Good grief, no. Don't remind me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 yea I think I'll do the shellac barrier coat like last time. It will still be fun, I plan to use those auto 2K aerosols that you mix before spraying, so when I fire up one of those I have to use up the whole can before it goes hard - so I can't really spray a test piece and wait a day to check compatibility.. I can however spray a test piece and wait a few minutes - so I think I'll just have to go for it. Another problem is the unevenness of the paint - I don't think I'll shoot enough clear to bury that without sanding between coats, so I'll probably do one full can, wait a day for it to cure, sand flat and then shoot another can. I hope they'll adhere to each other fine. Anyway, here's a pic - actually a framegrab from a gopro lying at the bottom of the water tank - the big blue-ish blob in the middle is foreground, it's still floating on the water. Also the huge blotch around the lower horn. Instead of a swirl it looks like the guitar was in a paint shop during an explosion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 ok nevermind, 40 minutes with turpentine and rags, its gone. 2nd try tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 Yep. The Magic Marble paints are very vulnerable to solvents and will come off with a brisk scrub using turps, white spirit, enamel thinner, acetone etc. Also the reason why I had all sorts of trouble with clear coating On the plus side it means that if it doesn't work the first time it makes it easy to backtrack and start over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 well maybe not a brisk scrub but yea, they came off 24h after application. I did another one last night and it sucked even worse. I used a lot more paint in the beginning but then ran out of some colors and in general created big color spots and big places with primer showing. Wiped off after 10 minutes, came off easier, though had to spend some time on it still. I think the old magic marbles are partially at fault here, they are behaving differently on the surface of the water than they used to and they're drying up faster (this might be due to ambient temperature .. ). I checked my own vids of tests when I first got them. So anyway I have to decide on a color combination and order fresh paints. I'm thinking black-light blue-silver. I'll also do the headstock so I have to put primer on it. And actually finish the headstock-fingerboard transition area, that's not yet fully shaped. For clearcoating - I'm hoping shellac will save me, without messing up the colors too much. We'll see ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 are you going with the magic marbles paint again? I think that color scheme is nice- guitars I have seen swirled with those colors have always looked good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 2 hours ago, Mr Natural said: are you going with the magic marbles paint again? I think that color scheme is nice- guitars I have seen swirled with those colors have always looked good. any pics for inspiration? yea I think I'll stick with magic mable. From what I can see they have slight problem with coverage (the end of the swirl can be a bit washed out) and they dry quickly on the water surface.. But I'm thinking if I use enough paint, fresh paint and go fast, it should be ok. "humbrol" and "borax" somehow landed in a drawer labeled "weird stuff only available in the US" in my mind, though I actually went to the trouble of googling them yesterday and it appears that they are available in the EU and called more or less the same so I could try them in principle.. but I'm not sure, there seems to be some tricks with water temp and borax concentration that need to be controlled, and from what I remember @curtisa was actually considering switching in the other direction (borax -> magic marble) due to problems he's been having. Which one method did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Pan- I wasn't inferring that I did a swirl- but had seen others do it. here are a couple vids you mayhave already seen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Those videos are very entertaining... I like the swirl itself, but I'm not fan of colorful swirls. If it was me, I'd go for a black/dark grey or something like that, very subtle and low contrast. The second one is still too much for me, but I must admit that it looks awesome once it's polished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 I've seen those videos before too (amongst others). The first one was done with Magic Marble. The second one is one of a series of videos by the same guy (DeanSwirled I believe). I think he uses his own recipe. - definitely not the borax + enamel that gets mentioned a lot. If you notice through the comments that a lot of people ask how he does it but he never replies. If you watch some of his other vids he gets a very long working time once the paint hits the water, which is very unlike the borax + enamel method. Even MM doesn't last that long and remain that fluid. He's also using a lot of non-standard colours, and the paints almost behave more like inks floating on the water. My theory is that he's mixing his own colours up (possibly not enamels either), thinning them down and then adding some kind of retarder to the paints to extend the amount of time he has to use the dip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 yea, I've seen these too. And indeed it looks like the best way to do this is a secret guarded by those who figured it out, though the first vid appears to be done with magic marbles and turned out pretty good. He does get some paint drying out when he stirs it with the pencil (or whatever he's using) but he appears to not really bother with that and just keeps going. I actually like crazy contrast on the swirl (never thought of doing a low-contrast version, might actually look pretty cool too..), so I wanted black-light blue instead of zebra black&white, to at least limit the color palette. Another thing is the base color - I somehow assumed I'd be limited to the color of the primer, so gray or white, but when I think about it I cant see why I can't just spray an acrylic color over the primer and use that as base - this is what people appear to be doing, like in the bottom vid above. Then the light blue, which is translucent to some extent, would let some of the metallic flake from the silver through. And if I get problems from paint becoming too washed-out I'd just expose more of the underlying silver and pretend it was meant to be like that. Well enough theorizing, I'll order the paints and I need to paint the headstock. Maybe today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 all right: The body was also sprayed silver (acrylic auto paint) but I don't have a good pic. Today I did the headstock swirl with brand-new magic marble paints. I should have probably used more black (lesson for the body) but overall I'm happy with it. after removing masking tape: The body is ready to go in next, maybe tonight... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post pan_kara Posted June 20, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Ok, so it IS possible to get a good result with Magic Marble. For some reason most of my previous tries (and many of the ones I saw online) ended up with washed-out colors, there was not enough paint towards the end of the dip. But apparently if you keep the surface of the water reasonably big and go slow you can get nearly full coverage. Proof: more to follow. Also video. Now to not mess this up ... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Nice work, looks much better and more consistent than my efforts. As long as you can find some kind of clearcoat that doesn't react with the MM paint you should be good from here on in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 nice Pan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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