denny

Absolutely Shocked.

RIP Dimebag.

I read (i think) in one of mr erlewine's books, about him using some coloured, transparent water based gel paint on one guitar, just wiping the colour on.

Great idea, i thought, but, i did several searches but couldn't turn up any of this stuff in the uk (and barely any in the states).

However, Being dragged round a hobby shop last night by the missus, on the glass painting isle, a found a shedload of this thixatropic gel stuff, for glass/wood/etc, for £2 a-tube, and 30% off that price. I bought 5, enough for sunburst type colours and a couple of carrieburst-esque colours.

So three-ish questions :

1) Anyone used them before? and do you have any tips?

2) Do you think a wipe on sunburst is feasible?

3) Has anyone coloured walnut before? because i'm thinking of ditching the block colour I was going to do in favour of this...!

Cheers

Denny

In the UK : Pincotts Are the Uk arm of allparts.

Looking in the catalogue at my desk here at work (Obviously, guitar part catalogs are essential reading in an IT Department), Prices start at about 25 quid.

Just make sure you put the size on the order form just to make sure you get what you want.

Denny

Cheers Guys,

I'll check-out tints-all, thanks for that. It's much appreciated.

...and yes, i'm sure there will be enough scrap from the neck blank to test both coloured and clear filler - because looking last night, it doesn't look like there is much to fill...

Thanks for the sanity check...

Denny

Myka,

That helps more than you probably realise! seriously, thank you!

I can afford to treat myself to that one too, but maybe I'll wait till AFTER payday just so the girlfriend doesn't execute me where i stand.

Expect a question about setting it up perfectly in a month or so!

Cheers!

Denny

Ello,

I'm sure i read somewhere about mixing artists oils with finishes to create shaders/ colours, but does it work with grain filler?

I'm thinking in advance about finishing the wenge neck to be and filling the dark-chocolate black grain lines for an even clear finish to go on top of it.

The Grain filler i know about either comes in natural, mahogony and teak versions, none of which, i think, will be dark enough to fill the lines and look good.

I was thinking of getting some black or brown artist oils (the ones i saw today were using linseed oil as a base) and mixing it with the grain filler until it looks right.

Has anyone tried this, or has anyone a better idea?

Cheers for any help

Denny

Hey Myka,

I'm beginning to agree with you, i bought i tatty old stanley plane from a 2nd hand store, and got my £5 worth. ie, it was worth a fiver, no more!

All i want is a plane to square of the sides of a body blank in preparation for glueing together, but i'm ready to accept it maybe investment time! Especially as i don't currently have the expertise to renovate the shed of a plane, i see the charm of a plane working straight out of the box.

So, Could you have a look at this : Lie Nielson Planes At Axminster.co.uk and make a reccommendation or two please?

If possible your thoughts on a "cost is no problem plane" and an under £160ish plane (despite the fact that seems a heluva lot of money)

Cheers

Denny

Craft-supplies.co.uk have some georgous lumps of wenge, i'd never seen it before but was so taken by it i got some on the spot. The fact it looked like a giant bar of chocolate had absolutley nothing to do with it!

Scott is right about it differing by each piece, make sure you at least ask for the striaghtest grain they have from whoever you buy it from.

I'm more than open to the fact i may have not done this in the best way, but....

On the only total refinish i've done (ok, doing - i've got the buffing out left to do!) i stripped the incredibly bad paint job that was on a start (i think it was household emulsion) with paint stripper and very course wire wool... which took about 4 hours one afternoon.

It didn't seem like a huge effort and i was left with bare wood to start afresh with.

I do have some pics if you want a nosey.

Denny

I'm really glad this post came up as i'm in this kinda stage myself, i've just finished the planning of Guitar1, I cut out the body and neck last night ..... on paper!

Hopefully the templates will be done soon and i can do a trail run on some scrap timber that i've glued together before i wreck the walnut body blank and wenge neck and fingerboard

I've gotta say though i have no fear about screwing up, which is very odd for me, then again i have no stupid deadline to work to (no deadline at all), which is even more unusual!

I've been reading up and planning since december and am planning to buy a neck if it fouls up anyway, so theres nothing to lose except a few quid/bucks!...is there??!?

Currently, this is the most theraputic thing I've ever done, every little stage has me grinning like a kiddy, i'm praying it doesn't lose it's magic!

What Mike said!

I've written on top of acrillic paint with one of the silver felt tip pens, and acrillic laquered over the top of that and it seems ok.

Both of dans books are worth getting, The "how to make your guitar play great one" is a set-up book (basically two or three chapters of the repair guide) but done in more detail, no assumed knowledge and a more easy read and simple style ....oh and with lots more pictures!

I would recommend reading that one first, it makes the other books a much more easy read.

It was that book that got me doing setups for people and into building the guitar i am doin now.

Hiscock's book is my favourite and i'm reading Koch's book at the minute, but that one is a bit "all over the place".

Hey alex,

For the spray cans, the 300ml cans are on 3 for 2 at halfords so you may get a better deal there. i guess it's a case of how much you need!!?! for a neck, i guess a couple of cans will be oceans?!?

I tried the cans for a mettalic respray for a body and they seem fine.

I'm gonna dye and rustins the neck to see what happens, mainly because thats what melvin hiscock did in his book and it seems faily easy.

But, paul has a good point, maybe it's worth trying au-natural (the neck -not you)...

Let us know whatever you try, i'm keen to know how the cans work on the neck for my "proper guitar from scratch project" which'll have a wenge neck.

Denny

A couple or three options for :

1) Acrylic laquer in a can from halfords, not sure how it'll like the oil but you can check that. I've gotta wait another week to buff it out of my guitar but it looks ok at the minute.

1a) there is a plasti-cote spray in homebase/b&q which may work too!?!?

2) Rustin's Plastic Coating is brushable and available from Craft Supplies or Axminster power tools and if it's good enough for bryan mays red special, it's probably good enough for ours!

3) get some spray equipment and buy nitro laquer and thinner from craft supplies.

You may need craft supplies guitar wood and stuff catalog as it's much better than the website, call them, they're also better on the phone than on email!

Good luck

Denny

I bought the shellac one, no problems with it.

Final priming total : front (no grain filler) - 12 or maybe 14 coats - I've begun to lose count

: back (with grain filler) - 4 coats.

And the back looks better! - metallic british racing green starts tonight - if it doesn't rain!

for your next blank, give craft supplies a call (it's more efficient than email with them) and get their sound wood catalog, my 1 piece african walnut was less than 30 quid.

denny

Hey davros,

yes, the sanding sealer is fine under the primer. I think is supposed to just stop the wood soaking up the next layers of paint etc.

The grain filler I used is rustins grain filler, bought from axminsters (day and a half delivery time) but you can get it from craft supplies

There are places in the uk, but it really is a case of finding or being let in on the secrets of where to look, here's where i've found:

Screwfix is good for sanding sealer, grades of wet-n-dry sandpaper, buffing stuff and tools. If you haven't used em before put me down as a recomender and i get a voucher for a couple of quid when you place an order!

craft-supplies.co.uk is in my home county of derbyshire, lots of sealers, grain fillers, dyes, woods, etc, the wood supply is stunning, worth a visit but you need an appoitment and a few hours to spare. they supply wood for PRS so they can't be that bad!

Axminster power tools has lots of fillers and finishing supplies, they're based in devon. v. quick delivery for me. for a brushed finished you can get rustons plastic coating from here too. but i'm gonna use the halfords spray for this one.

Pictures of the upgrade of the worlds worst strat to a bad strat are being taken, i will post them soon. it's the walnut and wenge creation for guitar number 1 that is really exciting me!

Good luck again, get the rustins thing before you start, it'll save you a fortune in primer, i promise.

Denny

Davros,

I'm doing up an old strat copy as finishing practise for guitar #1.

it's alder (i'm pretty sure it is anyway) and here's what i've found.

(btw, i'm doing block automotive colours from halfords too)

Yes, a sanding sealer helps, 2 coats of the stuff, i used the sealer from screwfix, cheap and works well. sand it back.

Yes, grain filler is a must, i've done the front (without grainfiller) and it's taken over 10 coats of primer and filler primer to get level. On the back i used some grain filler (from either axminster power tools or craft supplies) thinned down in white spirit, applied and sanded back, the primer took 2 coats to look flat.

as you may have guessed, automotive primer is fine, and yes buy the laquer while you are there, it's 3 for the price of two at the minute!

good luck

I've just got the hipshot baby grandfor guitar #1 simply because i liked the look, it's not as cheap as the hardtail but i like it!

btw, I ordered it from stew mac as it was cheaper than from hipshot, it took 41 hours from ordering it to get to my door in the UK, superb service.

For hardware and stuff, i've had good service from www.pincotts.com which is the uk arm of allparts in wycombe, friends have used www.guitarspares.com who are also in the uk.

Both have been good, but, both, at times have been out of stock.

Craft-supplies catalog is fantastic, i was up there on wednesday getting wood for my debut project and they were extremely helpful (after you had adjusted to the country pace of life!) they also have much much more wood in than they have in the catalog! it's well worth a visit, but you do have to make an appointment.

Good luck

If you want a look at some production guitars of this ilk,

Crafter do a good cheap one (model CT-???), washburn do a less pretty and more expensive version and guild make the jaw dropping peregrinne.

all of these look pretty classy, and it's something i'd like to have a go a building when i've eventually got the first one or two outta the way.

Denny

Appologies, i think i've just found the answer to my question from another post by you in another topic, Kristal looks like what i was imagining, as it's free it means i can try it out with no hassles.

marvelous!

Cheers!

Fantastic Topic, I've learnt far too much in 5 minutes! thank you to everybody that has posted!

Greg, what software are you using, just what comes with the soundcard or something specific?

Recording wise, i think i'm not far off yourself, i don't want to record every instrument all together, i just want to record a full track of guitar, then pick up the bass and record that, get the singer to do her stuff, et viola! demo cd.

Basically i want a software 8 track and thats about it.

Despite the fact i have a computing degree, simple is most definately better... any recommendations?

Hi Lee, If you find out, please let me know as well!

I'm almost in the same position as you, in the UK and about to start my 1st project.

The best place i have found in the uk for body blanks etc is a place my uncle (who's a hobbyist woodworker) reccomended me to, in millers dale in the 'wilds' of derbyshire.

They have an online shop, the cheapest 2" blank they have is about £23gbp. There are also finishing supplys there.

http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/

I'm going to go with an automotive solid colour for the first one, to save my sanity, any notes you make about staining / finishing your first guitar will sure come in handy for me!