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davros

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  1. Thanks for all the responses guys, looks like it might be worth me investigating car body shops as acrylic seems to be the least favourable option. 3 Cans of nitro (primer, colour, clear) comes to £45, (about $90) over here, so i'll see if a bodyshop can come close to that.
  2. You really need to leave it a month before wet sanding. It'll take at least that long to be hard enough - I tried a week after spraying and that was way too early. Don't put it down on any surface either, as it'll pick up the pattern of the weave.
  3. 3 1/2 years ago now, I built a guitar (with loads of help from you folks on the forum!). I sprayed it with car acrylic spray from a rattlecan. It dried quickly, but took over a year to cure - during that time, i had used a normal guitar stand, and that ate through the uncured finish leaving it in a total mess. So, i've stripped it back down to the wood with nitromors (fantastic stuff!), put on / sanded back the sanding sealer and am ready to start again. I have no plans (at the moment - no time) to build any other guitars, so want to be able to refinish using rattlecans rather than getting any other equipment. Over here in the UK, we can't get ReRanch nitro (due to shipping restrictions), but a guy at Manchester Guitar Tech does sell it here in the UK in Daphne Blue (which i'm after). My question is - will nitro cure more quickly than acrylic? I'll wait a year or more for it to harden if i have to, but i'd really rather not (i know that nitro doesn't get on with rubber either, so would be steering clear of the old stand!). Also (apart from opinions on tone), what other pro's and cons are there for acrylic/nitro? Oh yeah, my other option is to try and find a car bodyshop that would spray it for me, but that would (i assume) be acrylic again. I've had this guitar in bits for 6 months, and really want to get playing it again!! This is a photo in its former glory Thanks in advance!
  4. Well, I sanded back and polished up the back, and it looked fantastic, then when carrying it inside, discovered a thumbprint and some of the grain had lifted under the paint (even using white spirit)...so, I decided I would assemble it completely (first time), so i could play it, then after a few months of very careful handling, when the finish is completely hard, i'll polish the whole thing up. So, here it is pic 1 pic 2 Although i haven't shielded the cavities yet (not until its been polished), it sounds amazing, the kent armstrong pickups are great, and the series/split/parallel switching produces loads of really versatile and usable tones. Next going to get the nut cut properly and frets filed (mighty mite neck) at Sheehans in Leicester (anyone who lives near, i would highly recommend them, i've had all my guitars set up there to perfection)
  5. Ah...lighter fluid! Acetone is nail polish remover, and i wouldn't use that on painted finishes, it'd probably strip it straight off!
  6. Well, after much searching, i've found that mineral spirits is good ol' white spirit over here, after bemusing the people who work in B&Q! So...has anyone tried wet sanding with it instead of water to prevent the wood underneath swelling? I'm using plain old halfords car clear acrylic lacquer and I was wondering whether wet sanding with a solvent will dissolve the finish??? I'm probably being stupid! Also...i've also read about using 'naptha'... what's that translate as? Terpentine?Thinners? Meths?
  7. Fact is, you can't really use a router to round the contours. I rounded the front and back of mine before cutting the contours, and rounded the contours by hand, with sandpaper. As far as i've seen most contours are not rounded as heavily as the front and backs of most guitars. If you want an accurate radius, you can make a radiused sanding block, but bear in mind the corner you are rounding will not be 90 degrees, so that makes it pretty difficult. Alternatively, make a template and sand by hand until the template fits!
  8. Thanks for the replies guys, I suppose i'll have to leave it at least another week and do the 'sniff' test! I recall reading that in melvyn hiscock's book. I can definately still smell the thinners. Also, thanks for the soldering iron tip...i'm just hoping i drilled the holes large enough in the first place! I used Solid Edge to produce the models, gave me something to do whilst waiting to start building and allowed me to iron out loads of issues before starting on the wood! This is my first guitar, and i've definately learnt loads of lessons ! my top 6 are... 1) Don't lay the painted guitar on ANYTHING until its properly cured, hang it - i have the imprint of my bedsheet on the back (should finish sand out ok though) 2) Leave a VERY wide berth when jigsawing 1 3/4 in alder, especially on exterior curves - i had to 'modify' the bottom shape! 3) Thin the grain filler - the stuff i used set almost immediately, requiring loads of sanding 4) Use enough carpet tape to stick down templates - One went awol in the middle of routing a pickup cavity (luckily hidden under the pickup surround) 5) Don't use TOO MUCH carpet tape to stick down templates - the main body template was a pig to get off, there's no way to get underneath it without damaging the finish, and it sometimes rips grain out of the surface 6) Check your tape depth-stop for drilling after every couple of holes - when drilling out the excess in my neck pocket they got deeper and deeper!
  9. And here's a photo with the bits laid out, just after the colour coat was applied (the runs are now gone!) alongside the original CAD model Feel my pain!
  10. I'm using automotive paint from halfords, primer, colour and clear. I've read differing opinions from various places on how long to leave it, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, a month, but i am itching to polish it up so i can fit my ferrules and play the damn thing! I'm planning on leaving it for 2 weeks, but then how do i know it is definately hard enough, and for that matter, how hard is hard enough? Is there a test i can do? I'd hate to mess it up at this stage, but then i don't want to wait longer than i have to, its killing me!! Cheers!
  11. Daphne Blue (or at least the closest Halfords has to it)!. I had a strat that colour, and loved it and the feel, just hated the sound and the shape...hence this design!!
  12. Ok, so here's the finished (built) guitar in all its glory! Just grain filling, sealing and painting to go!!! The hardest thing is to resist stringing it up, and touching it too much, as i don't want to get greasy patches on it before finishing - i purposely didn't buy any strings so i can't - i'm so weak to the temptation otherwise!! Hope you guys like it! FRONT PIC SIDE VIEW The white spots are just filler - but not an issue since i'm going to block colour it! I'm pretty pleased with the contours especially - had to resort to a good old plane for the arm rest and a coping saw for the gut cutout - took ages but was definately worth it - makes you feel like you've put some real sweat and effort into it! Hope you guys like it...not bad for 2 days and 2 evenings work i don't think...not including 3 months of planning!!!! I think that must be the key, plan 'til you can't plan any more!!
  13. Try getting to the photos from here link to album I had just written a progress report for today but accidentally hit back twice (dunno quite how - some kind of shortcut) and lost the lot...bummer! I can't face writing it again right now...so will leave it for the next installment!! In brief... Routed pickguard - looks great with chamfered edge Drilled jack hole - with new 22mm bit Started filling worst of the dings til next time
  14. Well, after two days of routing, drilling and (jig)sawing - vee have ze body! FRONT PIC BACK PIC Still to do - Drilling jack hole (got to get a bigger bit first) and routing pickguard (need a chamfer bit), filling slight tearout and dings, then painting! woohoo! I've bolted the whole thing together, and it balances well, and feels fantastic - the strat-style contours really help! Davros
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