mikhailgtrski

good one

If you want to spend a little more (but not break the bank) the new Stew-Mac Jaws 2 fret press works well and is easy to use. My son and I refretted his Epi LP with it last weekend and it turned out pretty nice - my first go at a refret. Last night I pressed the frets in my new neck and they turned out just about flawless. Hope it goes well for you, whatever way you decide to go. Mike

I just started experimenting on scrap with my dyes. Good results so far. I started by mixing my darker colors at 1 part dye to 16 parts water. This is twice as strong as the directions for the ColorTone. Seems like it could go darker. What are the pros around here doing? Thanks, Mike

You don't have to use a sealer unless you want to. Lots of guys here just spray lacquer without sanding sealer. That neck should be pretty much ready to spray. It's already fretted, right? I'd just lightly sand the back with 320 grit, vacuum it and wipe it down with naptha, then start with the clear coats. You'd probably get better results with lacquer. Rattlecan polyurethane would work, but it can show witness lines (i.e. you can see where you've sanded through a coat) after you sand it level. Hope it goes well for you Mike

You'd only finish the fretboard if it's maple. Rosewood and ebony don't need a finish.

It's a new neck, and I didn't think to check it before leveling the inlays. But I did try to avoid over-sanding in any one area and it's pretty close to flat now. From your response it sounds like it's ok to use the trussrod to level it out prior to fretting. I'll try that first before doing any more sanding. Thanks

After leveling the inlays my neck (bolt-on Warmoth) is almost ready for frets. I threw a straightedge on it and found it has a slight amount of relief. Is it good practice to flatten it out by adjusting the trussrod -or- should I sand it flat? Thanks for your input Mike

Yes, danish oil won't cut it. Warmoth requires a hard finish to validate their warranty.

+1 Agreed... you don't HAVE to match it exactly. I've got a compound radius neck (10" to 16") with a non-shimmed OFR. It is certainly playable... the action might be a bit high for shredders, but I like it a little on the high side. It plays fast enough... just a little more work. If you've got some string and a nail you can plot the radius on paper and compare it to your trem bridge and nut.

Aren't most Floyd units 10" radius?

I like the layout, it flows nicely. It's similar to one I just finished (my first also) except I kept the "wavelength" on mine consistent, so the ends of the vine point to opposite sides of the fingerboard. Like thegarehanman said, thin wood can be difficult to work with... easy to cut, but hard to keep in one piece when you're cutting such thin stock. Some kind of backing would help stabilize it. The poplar won't have much character to it, just white wood on a black background. You could try dyeing the poplar and then use some abalone or MOP for the leaves. Or use shell for the whole thing (I used mostly paua abalone). Two ounces of 1.5mm blanks is more than enough, plenty in case you need to recut a piece or two. I ended up re-cutting about a third of it in order to match up the flash angles on the abalone better. Glad I did. Whether you use wood or shell, it will take a lot of careful cutting and fitting to make it look right, although you can get by with slightly larger gaps on ebony. If you haven't already, read (and reread) Craig Lavin's tutorial, and Larry Robinson's book, "The Art of Inlay". Good stuff. You can do it, just take it really, really slow.

I've never used a random orbital before. Do they work well on a carved top? I'm wondering, is it worth the investment and will I get a better finish vs. hand sanding? Thanks for your input.

My SSL wasn't taped either. The coil wire is already insulated (the insulation is clear like a varnish) - otherwise the wraps would short out and the pickup wouldn't work. You don't need to tape it unless you're going to play it without a cover. The tape on a non-covered pickup is there just to protect the coil wires from damage.

Have you been in a spray booth? If you can't hear the fan you are deaf! ← I forgot to add, "...and you've got your iPod playing ABBA at full tilt..." Really, though, the electrical code is written with "it could happen under certain circumstances" in mind. If you're careful and use common sense you shouldn't have a problem, but accidents do happen from time to time.

Then one day your fan dies on you and you don't notice it until the room is full of nitro fumes... then the loose socket on your fluorescent shop light arcs just a tiny bit... the ensuing events might do a little more than singe your eyebrows. That's some perspective for ya

If it's just going to sit for awhile you don't need to do anything (Warmoth has already dipped the neck in some type of penetrating sealer). If you're going to be playing it right away you'll need to apply a hard finish i.e. lacquer or polyurethane. As you're aware, playing it raw will void the warranty. Mike

+1 In the electrical world (I work for a contractor) we try to avoid placing electrical devices (motors, switches, light fixtures etc.) within a hazardous-rated area whenever possible... less expensive installation and safer. If you have access to a copy of the National Electrical Code, look up Article 516, Spray Application, Dipping, and Coating Processes: If you have an enclosed booth, the space 3' from any opening is considered a Class I, Division 2 area (inside the booth itself is Class I Div 1). If you keep your fan motor and any other electrical devices out of this area, then they don't need to be hazardous location-rated (aka "explosion-proof"). The fan itself, though, should be rated for spray booth usage, i.e. non-ferrous, non-sparking blades, etc. Don't forget to ground any metallic surfaces within the booth and ductwork. Have fun, and be safe Mike P.S. - if you are just converting a room into a spray booth, then that's another thing... you'd have to upgrade any existing switches, light fixtures, and wiring in the room to Class I Div 1. Not for the faint-hearted. Use an enclosed spray booth.

A little thinking ahead and some masking tape might have been a good thing. But it's just a couple of drips. If the dye doesn't look right I can always go with some tinted coats. Thanks for the input. Mike

Thin CA is what you want. And you can use ebony dust to even things out.

Hi guys, In the process of inlaying the fingerboard I had a few places where the CA ran down the fret slot and dripped onto the side of the mahogany neck. Is it safe (for the wood) to use acetone to remove the drips or should I just sand them off? I want to make sure there's nothing left to cause splotches in the dye finish. Thanks, Mike

So the Titebond didn't darken the rosewood dust? I think I kept my gaps small enough to look fine with just the CA... but your idea is worth a test.

Hi all, After hours and hours of cutting and routing and fitting (and a 4-month hiatus) I'm finally ready to glue and level my vine inlay. I practiced and took my time routing and was able to minimize the gaps for the most part. Just in case, though, I did a gap filling experiment (on scrap) with rosewood dust and CA... it really doesn't look any better than using the CA alone. The dust turns much darker than the surrounding rosewood (most of you probably already knew this, but this stuff is all new to me ). This just confirms what Craig Lavin and Larry Robinson say - if it's rosewood keep your routing tight 'cause there's no good way to fill big gaps and have it look nice. Mike

That's some pretty good ventilation... According to this, the solid & opaque finishes are done in the electrostatic chamber: electrostatic But this guy is spraying the lacquer topcoat: topcoat But you're right, Maiden, they must know what they're doing. Or the OSHA inspector doesn't know the plant's there.

Can you spell OSHA?

Keep paging through the tour... no masks anywhere My understanding is that Gibson uses nitro and/or poly clear. I'd be surprised to hear if they're using waterbased lacquer.