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Lumberjack’s Blood Moon


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1 hour ago, ScottR said:

You do a masterful job of masking.....each time.

1 hour ago, Prostheta said:

I know. That's very very neat work. Are you sealing the faux binding with shellac or just using tape?

Yes I seal it, that’s the only way I’ve ever been able to get clean binding lines on “PRS-style” natural binding; I’ve tried using just tape and it *always* bleeds. I mask off the top and back with pinstripe tape leaving only the binding exposed and then hit it with a couple quick coats of clear (whatever you’re using, lacquer, acrylic, etc) so when I’m dying there’s actually no tape at all, just the clear coat keeping the binding safe. Then, once the dying is done you can easily wipe/scrape off any color that spilled over since the smudges are just floating on top of that thin coat of clear and never actually reached the binding wood.

These shots were taken before scraping the binding so hopefully it will be even cleaner in the end. 

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That's what I was wondering. I've known people swear by tape A and tape B - which I am sure makes a difference in certain end uses and reaction to personal working - however sealing is really the one that gives the most guarantees. Shellac is the most delicate, especially when using alcohol-based dyes with very wet application, so whatever clear you're ending up using makes the most sense. I've always seen tape as more of a liability with low surface tension solvent like alcohol, since tape will easily leaves very marginal air gaps, exacerbating wicking. How deeply does your chosen clear seal/penetrate the Maple? I imagine that there is opportunity for "enthusiastic application" to wick under, especially with that annoying low surface tension!

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@Prostheta the dyes I’m using are water-based aniline, so usually they won’t interact with the clear I’m using. I’ve used lacquer to seal the binding in the past, but since I’m using a 2k finish over the whole guitar this time I went with a cheap hardware store acrylic clear since it dries quickly.  I shoot 3 or so light coats to seal, and I’m not sure how deep it penetrates exactly, but I find the acrylic clear works just as well as regular lacquer. 

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This is gold. On my last I used pinstripe tape and DNA dye and kept getting tiny little bits of bleed. It was also black on clear ash. Hindsight is always 20/20 so sealing wouldve been better. Next time I’m going to try @killemall8 s acetone/ dye trick. Does it lift shellac? I’m sure it does.

EDIT: Holy bajeeezuz I’ve been so busy at work (marketing at a major university trying to get the kids to wear masks) that I missed your dye post. You totally killed that. It’s perfect! 

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  • 4 weeks later...
5 hours ago, Prostheta said:

The tonal relationship between the Maple and Sapele is fantastic. That's all really well married together!

Thanks for noticing!  This definitely took quite a bit of experimentation to get right; I think the final mix was a blend of 5 different aniline dyes - a bit of brown, amber, yellow, red, and black.  

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5 hours ago, Prostheta said:

The tonal relationship between the Maple and Sapele is fantastic. That's all really well married together!

Wow! I didn't remember that the neck was Maple so I thought the neck and body woods just naturally match!

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It's far from easy, especially since you're working with rising and falling grain. I've known experienced painters (non-guitar) have difficulty getting a match that works from a distance, never mind up close and personal. The Maple has a little more contrast, but generally they feel like they're in the same ballpark. I really like that.

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  • 3 weeks later...
19 hours ago, ScottR said:

Anyone else see the demon face below the bridge? It shows up best in that straight on third pic.

No...

kuva.png.ef29785f8ea165f06c1ba28fbd4adf66.png

Is that a sign that you've met someone in the moonlight at crossroads?

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