oak wood (i think) finishing

[simon1138]

Hello,

new to this and struggling. i have an oak wood body and it has these nasty gaps in it. i was thinking about using a regular wood filler i bought from lidl to fill it and then sand down. i started sanding using a grinder and 120 grit but that started to affect the shape of the guitar and i think i may have to go and roundover the edges again. i would like to paint this guitar so what is the best method. i have to finish shaping and sanding it smooth. i am guessing an orbital is better than a grinder? round over before that though. then paint with spray paint. are other woods this awkward. do these cracks appear in other woods like basswood?

thanks

[Bizman62]

1 hour ago, simon1138 said:

are other woods this awkward. do these cracks appear in other woods like basswood?

Wood is a natural product by Mother Nature and the grooves and the pores within are there to transfer vital elements to make the tree grow. Some tree species have smoother grain than others, maple and beech are among the less groovy ones. Basswood is also pretty smooth but it can be a PITA to sand flush as the fast grown summer grain is much softer than that of the resting period.

There's two ways to make a good looking solid paint job on a guitar. One is to sand it smooth and let the grain pattern show. In your case that's not the best option as the wood is made of several small pieces. So a glass smooth surface is what we're aiming for.

As you suspected, filler is needed. After having got the shape right and sanded apply the filler all over liberally and after it has dried, sand it smooth. An orbital is definitely better than a grinder, a vibrating sander can be even better for fine sanding. Then again, a good block and elbow grease won't take too long either if you know how to sand by hand. (Trick: Use minimal pressure to avoid clogging!)

Filler may not be enough for the smoothest surface, you'll also need primer. You can think of it as a thinner sort of filler.  That has to be sanded as well. Then it's time for the paint which you may need to sand as well between layers. A clearcoat over the paint is optional but it can add an extra layer of protection to the colour. And even that can be sanded with very fine abrasives - wet papers and pastes - and finally buffed. 

Note that every scratch under the paint will shine like a lighthouse so proper sanding is a must!

 

[mistermikev]

oak is known to have very deep grain and not take oils well.  it's sort of like coral in that sense... very pourous.  similar to ash I 'spose.  what I see in the first pic just looks like some chipping... second pic looks like someone filled in the grain with something black.  if you want to grain fill... on oak... you are much better off using a commercial grain filler as it sands pretty easy and won't  sand unevenly against the much harder oak.  In cabinet shops we used to use spackle to fill but I wouldn't do that on a guitar as IMO what you fill with does matter.  That said... I wouldn't fill the chips myself... I'd make it a feature and do some sort of decorative route there... but that's just me. 

there are lots of other woods that don't have the deep grain oak has... maple for one.  lots of other woods that are much easier to sand (mahogany).  IMO oak is actually pretty difficult to shape so... it is normal that it's difficult.

whatever you do don't stress... this is fun.  take a step back and smell the roses.  There is no problem you can't fix with enough time and thought.  I believe in you.