killemall8

When i used to use sanding sealer, i would use the minwax stuff. You cant use bullseye shellac under poly or 2k clear. I have just decided that it is 100% impossible to get what i want done correctly. Leading to the end of my career. 9 years of trying to get this right, and i dont see it changing anytime soon.

No grainfiller has ever worked for me like that. And if there is ever ANY pores left that i fill with finish, it always sinks back into the grain within a week. That is the whole reason i went with epoxy. Literally NOTHING stops finish from sinking into finish here for some reason. The key is to seal the wood with a sanding sealer first, and let things rest between steps... but you're right, there's always a bit finish sinking in. Personally, I like that. That is the exact reason i dont use sanding sealer anymore, since it shrinks more than anything. If it was that easy, then i could just build up enough sanding sealer until it is level and grainfilled. I literally cant sell guitars becuase they have some shrink back into the grain. I think it looks incredibly crappy and badly done. If a finish is going to to be a smooth gloss finish, it needs to be like glass or else it isnt even worth it.

No grainfiller has ever worked for me like that. And if there is ever ANY pores left that i fill with finish, it always sinks back into the grain within a week. That is the whole reason i went with epoxy. Literally NOTHING stops finish from sinking into finish here for some reason.

It wasnt just a little, it was as much as .2" in some places. I dont even remember if i did or not.

The tenon should follow the taper of the entire neck and fretboard. I use a template to cut the taper that continues the full width of the neck blank first.

Still have the spalted V for sale if anybody is interested.

Looks great. Finish looks very well done.

yeah, but you should always be able to sand down the file lines with 220 grit easily. It has definitely never been easy with 220. That stuff dries pretty dang hard. Then i always sand through somewhere else while trying to get the lines out. Again, thanks for the advice. But i dont intend to try epoxy or any finish anymore.

Thanks for the reply. Hope that works for you man. I am completely at my end with finishing, and guitars in general, actually. It really isnt worth it anymore.

Again, I only had problems once with bubbles, because of the torch. I only use the torch to try to level it out. It didnt level out and it got bubbles. The other 2 times i used it i went on fine with no bubbles on bare wood, but never got it level enough.

I didnt realize it had to be sealed before using the epoxy. That is why i wanted to use epoxy, because i thought it was the simplest way. I didnt get any bubbles until i used the torch. withotu the torch i dont get any bubbles at all.

I have done that, minus the hair drier. Even with a credit card there are still lines that dont come out. Hope this stuff can help somebody else, since i am not going to be building or finishing any longer.

I have left them in the sun when it was almost 100* out. It still never leveled out once spread. If there were any spreading lines left, they stayed. Curtis, I only intended on doing this to the top and headstock, so all flat surfaces. Thanks for the replies. I am probably just going to ditch the gloss finishes again. Both the recent ones i did are already completely sunken back and look horrible.

Thanks for the reply scott. Z poxy is pretty dang expensive from what i have seen. This stuff i have is good, but it is very thick and hard to spread like that. I wish i could find a way to spread it level enough to have it almost to full finish thickness, then spray on top of that.

The kind i used suggested that. I used a torch after to get a few bubbles out and level it. Guess what happend? I literally made the ENTIRE covered area filled with little bubbles. Not an inch on the top that wasnt filled with a thousand bubbles. I had to sand it off.

I have been using epoxy to seal my bodies before finishing. It has worked, but it still needs some improvement. I am using an epoxy that is meant to be used as a finish. Its supposed to level out, but it never does. I want to find a way where i can get it poured and spread even enough to be able to leave it full thickness on there, instead of sanding it almost all the way back. any ideas?

I have adjusted the truss rod probably 7 or 8 times already, and it keeps moving like crazy. Before i only had to adjust that neck once a year. It might work, but right now i just dont have the desire to put more work into something that is relatively pointless.

I also forgot to mention, About a month ago i stripped the finish off the neck and back of one of my old builds, the guitar i use for playing and the only one i have kept. It used to play great, but the neck was way too thick. So i decided to thin it down a bit. I had always been worried about carving the neck after it had been fretted and sitting. But after i did that it plays terribly and buzzes across the fretboard, after it used to be the guitar with the lowest action ever. So guess that one will be a scrap/ mantle piece from now on.

Havnt done much at all lately. I am out of neck and body wood. I also have to pay business taxes this month, so that puts me out a decent amount. I wont be able to start any other builds until i sell something.

No problem. that is what i figured. Punny! Starting to get better at gloss finishes. I also forgot how dang nice the back and neck were of this guitar. This is some of the best looking mahogany i have ever used. And a perspective shot.

I always do that, otherwise I couldn't check if everything is in place before finishing... But why does it need to be? I always do the nut last. You can always make a nut to fit during any time of the process. I dont see why it would NEED to be done before.

So i wasnt happy with the shrink back the original quilted sapele had, so i blocked it back and shot some kandy color on it. Looks like water from the right angle. In the shade you can hardly see the figure. And here are some pics of the KV body in the light. Let me know if you are interested in it.

Hmm. I just tape off the nut slot. SEems like it would be too hard to mask off the nut in exact shape before finishing.

Why do you have to install your nut before the finishing process?

Thanks. The recent one came out nice, but it could still be better. Maybe if they were full thickness tops. But just being veneer, i am sure most people wouldnt be nearly as interested in buying veneer. Scott, the super strat is bubinga and the V is spalted leopardwood.