Bizman62 Posted July 8, 2021 Report Share Posted July 8, 2021 If you're not in a hurry, I'd say wait for another day or longer. Oils don't actually 'dry', they 'cure' which is why you have to wipe the excess off twice. The oil sort of reacts with the cells of wood which makes the surface hard. Here's some good reading about Danish Oil and humidity: https://www.thewoodworkplace.com/danish-oil-not-drying/ According to that 14 hours is far from enough in a humidity of 75%. The perfect solution would be to wait until the climate gets drier in your whereabouts. Looking at Wikipedia it seems it's much drier there in January. That first layer of oil will protect the project from getting dirty while waiting so your work hasn't been in vain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 17 hours ago, Bizman62 said: If you're not in a hurry, I'd say wait for another day or longer. Oils don't actually 'dry', they 'cure' which is why you have to wipe the excess off twice. The oil sort of reacts with the cells of wood which makes the surface hard. I will wait for it to cure properly between coats. I'm keeping it in a dry place with ventilation. I don't have a dehumidifier, but I have placed some dessicants around it to absorb moisture. I am planning to apply 3 coats of Danish in total and then 2-3 coats of Poly, instead of trying to build up a sheen with many coats of Danish. I'm currently leaning towards a glossier finish and hence the additional poly coats. I figure if I don't like the gloss of the poly top coat I can always scuff it to a matte/satin finish. Does this make sense? In terms of compatibility with the Danish, I found a local gloss poly for interior application. It has these ingredients: (i) Urethane Alkyd Resin - 90/95% (ii) Mineral Turpentine Oil - 7/8% (iii) Driers - Zirconium and Cobalt This should be a compatible with the Danish as a top coat right? The Danish is a mix of Raw Linseed Oil, PU Varnish and mineral spirits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 27 minutes ago, Armaan said: This should be a compatible with the Danish as a top coat right? The Danish is a mix of Raw Linseed Oil, PU Varnish and mineral spirits. You never know until you've tried. You can somewhat test the compatibility by mixing the Danish with the poly. If they mix and stay mixed without making layers like water and oil in a glass it's a good starting point. Some scrap piece testing after the mixing test is recommendable. As I may have mentioned I've used the Crimson Guitar Finishing Oil that comes in two variations: Penetrative and fast buildup. It's basically similar stuff to Danish, the difference between the two versions is the amount of poly. So if the poly you found is compatible with the Danish you can easily control the amount of buildup. Getting a glossy finish with brushed poly only isn't easy as the brush strokes will show. A wipe on/wipe off oil finish is much easier to get level. As this seems to be a long process with the long curing/drying times and testing various finishings, I'd still recommend waiting for the drier season. In the meantime there's plenty testing to do. You don't want a guitar where the finish peels off during the first year! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 5 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: You never know until you've tried. You can somewhat test the compatibility by mixing the Danish with the poly. If they mix and stay mixed without making layers like water and oil in a glass it's a good starting point. Some scrap piece testing after the mixing test is recommendable. Makes sense. I’ll run some tests and see how it goes. October is pretty hot and dry in Mumbai, so I could work on the finish then. I’ll have a couple of months to check on the results of the tests by then. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 Pickup Covers: Here are the pickup covers I will be using. Had them made via CNC on black acrylic. They were quite glossy, so I scuffed it down with some wet sandpaper. These are arrow head shaped on the side that faces the bridge to match the fretboard. They’re a bit thick on the sides, but I made them this way to make sure they’re strong and I have enough place to drill screw holes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 Nice idea to duplicate the end of the fretboard to the pickup rings! One side note about terminology: The names of the finishing products vary depending on country and language. Thus pay attention when mixing products. I've learned to speak about "poly" but in the Finnish language we would call all it "lacquer". Direct translations can be way off but also within one language there may be regional or cultural difference in wording. If you search for "difference between poly, varnish and lacquer" you'll find lots of information. To confuse you even more, there's both oil and water based versions. As oil and water don't mix as such, it may be safe to assume that the same applies to oil and water based finishing products. Just a heads-up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 50 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: One side note about terminology: The names of the finishing products vary depending on country and language. Yes! That’s why I try and check the technical specifications for each product and understand the actual chemical components. I’ve seen enough YouTube videos now on the difference between poly, varnish and lacquer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 Engraving: I’m planning to engrave my signature on the guitar - probably on the control cavity cover plate. I plan to draw the signature in pencil, mark it with a marking knife and then go over it with a drill that I’ve borrowed my parents (pictured below). My parents are dentists and this drill is used in preparing something dental models, grinding metal fittings etc. I don’t have access to a dremel, scroll saw or a router with a fine bit, but this seems like it works in the same way. I’ve already put two layers of Danish on the back plate - could it ignite when I use the drill? I plan to practice on an unfinished offcut and an offcut finished with Danish. Any other ideas? I can think of engraving it on the headstock or getting a brass plate engraved and inlaying or screwing the plate somewhere on the body or headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 10, 2021 Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 Dentist drills are just more expensive versions of the Dremel. Both are high speed rotary engraving tools that can be used on very hard materials. When the Danish has fully cured it shouldn't be much more flammable than bare wood. It also may help avoiding chipping. Speaking of flammable, the rags you use for applying Danish and other oils are self combustible. Never just toss them into the trash bin, either burn them or spread them to properly dry before dumping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 3 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: When the Danish has fully cured it shouldn't be much more flammable than bare wood. It also may help avoiding chipping. Speaking of flammable, the rags you use for applying Danish and other oils are self combustible. Never just toss them into the trash bin, either burn them or spread them to properly dry before dumping. Perfect! I’ve been keeping the rags submerged under water for at least 24 hours. I’m working out of my apartment so I’m particularly scared of it catching fire 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gogzs Posted July 10, 2021 Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 33 minutes ago, Armaan said: Perfect! I’ve been keeping the rags submerged under water for at least 24 hours. I’m working out of my apartment so I’m particularly scared of it catching fire Even after keeping them under water, it won't dissolve in water, so when you put them out to dry, spread nicely and keep an eye. Just to be on the safe side. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 8 minutes ago, Gogzs said: Even after keeping them under water, it won't dissolve in water, so when you put them out to dry, spread nicely and keep an eye. Just to be on the safe side. Will do! Better safe than sorry ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 Knobs: I received some knobs from a local supplier. I’ll do a mock up once the danish cures. How I go about preparing them for fitting to the pots? They currently have a flat bottom. See the pictures below. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 10, 2021 Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 4 hours ago, Armaan said: How I go about preparing them for fitting to the pots? They currently have a flat bottom Oooh! They're pretty! First thing to do is to find the center, then drill a hole of the right size. A drill press and a drilling vice with triangular notched jaws would help in getting the holes straight. For finding the centerline you'd need a set square with a 45 deg angle in the handle and a straightedge. I'll draw... One notched block in your vice should keep the knob upright! Draw a couple of lines and mark the crossing for your potentiometer hole 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 5 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: Oooh! They're pretty! They really are! The brown ones look even better in person. So the hole should be as wide as the pot shaft right? I’m asking because the sides of the shaft are splined. What’s the purpose of the splined shaft? Forgive me if these are dumb questions, but I really have no clue. Remember I have ZERO woodworking experience before this project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 10, 2021 Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 5 minutes ago, Armaan said: I’m asking because the sides of the shaft are splined. What’s the purpose of the splined shaft? Asking is the path to knowledge. The splines add friction. Thus the holes in your knobs should be just a little smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft but larger than the inner diameter measured from the bottom of the splines. The ridges should cut a bit into the wood. And the split in between gives some flex. If the knob becomes loose you can carefully pry the gap more open for a better grip. Here's how the size of the hole should look (red) 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 7 hours ago, Bizman62 said: The splines add friction. Thus the holes in your knobs should be just a little smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft but larger than the inner diameter measured from the bottom of the splines. Crystal clear, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 Poly: I opened the tin of poly and found that it was reddish brown, which was surprising as I was expecting it to be colourless or light amber at the least. The tech sheet also says that this is meant to be colourless. Has it gone off or started to cure in the tin? The tin appeared to be properly sealed, but not 100% foolproof. Here is what the poly looks like: @Bizman62 I mixed the danish and the poly as you suggested and they seemed to mix okay. I’ll let it sit for a bit and check again. The image below is the mix, which took the colour of the poly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 11, 2021 Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 Poly can have a colour which will disappear when it dries. I bought some gym hall grade poly for my floor and it was transparent purple! But it didn't change the pale pine at all. The mix looks good so far. While waiting for potential changes in the mix, prepare some scrap pieces with a couple of layers of the Danish. Let's call the Danish the penetrative finish and the mix the high buildup finish. If you do a Danish only on another scrap piece every time you put on a layer of the mix you should soon see the difference, even after two-three coats. This is an interesting process to follow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 34 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: Poly can have a colour which will disappear when it dries. I bought some gym hall grade poly for my floor and it was transparent purple! But it didn't change the pale pine at all. So weird, but it seems the case with this one as well. I applied it to a walnut offcut to see and it was clear when applied. As a test, I sectioned the offcut into three parts - one part only poly, second only danish, third danish followed by poly (ie not a mix, but sequential instead). I might also make a fourth piece with the mix. Will put up some pictures once I’ve put a few coats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 On 7/10/2021 at 11:08 PM, Bizman62 said: Thus the holes in your knobs should be just a little smaller than the outer diameter of the shaft but larger than the inner diameter measured from the bottom of the splines. So I ran into some problems when attempting this. I don’t have access to a drill press and only have a drill and a table vise. It’s difficult to clamp the sides of the knob (being round) and I can’t apply too much downward drilling pressure in fear of the knob slipping out of the vise (which happened once ). Another problem is the inner surface of the knobs are curved in a way which makes the drill bit slip a lot. I ordered a Brad point drill bits in the hope that it should keep the bit steady in the pilot hole. Any suggestions on how I can manage this process better with my makeshift set up? Also I was wondering if filling the hole with wax might help in getting a better fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 9:30 AM, Armaan said: Here is what the poly looks like: I think you've found an old jello shot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 42 minutes ago, Armaan said: Any suggestions on how I can manage this process better with my makeshift set up? Make a couple of blocks with triangular gaps to fit your vise. Put a piece of rubber or similar tacky thin material between the knob and the blocks. Mark the center of the hole with an awl or other spiky tool. Use a brad point drill bit. Start drilling backwards to avoid tearing! Wax can be slippery. If you need to tighten the hole, you can carefully pry the gap of the pot shaft open with a flat screwdriver. Or you can drill a small hole on the side of the knob and insert a grub screw to secure the knob. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 7 hours ago, JayT said: I think you've found an old jello shot Time will tell us what it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaan Posted July 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 7 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Make a couple of blocks with triangular gaps to fit your vise. Put a piece of rubber or similar tacky thin material between the knob and the blocks. Sounds like a plan! Will give it a try and hopefully this and the Brad point bit solve the issue. Will post an update once done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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