Armaan

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.

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

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. 

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!

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.

2 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

It depends on the temperature and humidity. If a piece of paper (towel or newspaper/copying paper) doesn't get greasy when you wipe the guitar with it, you should be good to give it another coat.

Well it’s hot and humid here. About 30C/86F and 75%humidity.

When wiping the guitar with a paper towel it does get slightly greasy, but not that much. Should the guitar feel like it hasn’t been oiled at all before I apply my next coat?

The box for the Danish oil says this takes 10-14 hours to dry. 

Oil finish: I applied one coat of Danish oil last night with a paper towel. I waited for it to become dry and tacky (approx. 15mins) and then wiped it down with a clean paper towel.

It has been about 12 hours since. The surface is dry and slightly oily. How long should I wait before applying another coat? Do I need to wait for it to become fully dry before the next coat?

Here are some images of the process. Probably the most rewarding part of the build so far - awesome to see the wood come to life.

7 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

I must agree! @Armaan has clearly done his homework not to mention he hasn't been hesitant to ask if in doubt. The progress reminds me of that of @ADFinlayson

Plenty of doubts for sure!

12 hours ago, Gogzs said:

Progressing really fast for a first build, great job, it's coming together really nice!

Thanks! It’s been a great learning experience.

Fretboard: I used brass dot inlays for the fret markers. Radius sanded the block to a 12inch radius. Used a traditional Indian kitchen pestle to hammer in the frets! Plus some beer 

Bridge and string height: I placed the bridge and ran a few red strings through it to make sure it lines up. At the lowest height of the bridge, the strings are 2mm above the fretboard (i.e. without the frets). 

Truss rod cover: I was initially planning to leave the truss rod access open. I reconsidered it and designed a truss rod cover with a brass inlay. The brass inlay is a logo I designed using my initials (A-P).

26 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Did you know that 'lemon oil' for guitars is basically a drop of mineral oil, lots of mineral spirit or naphta and some lemon scent? There's also 'pure' lemon/citrus oils that are very effective cleaners and not suitable for guitars at all!!!

I assumed it was simply made using lemons! 

22 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

For a new fingerboard I'd rather use pure BLO. The hydrates and lemon oils are more like cleaners that can somewhat maintain the lustre of the surface.

How about the Danish instead? Would the BLO be worth buying separately just for the fretboard?

On 7/3/2021 at 11:17 PM, Bizman62 said:

Anyhow, as a ready mixed single product the Danish Oil is a good choice as it gives both the looks and feel of oiled wood and also some mechanical protection against wear and tear. Depending on how shiny you want it you can apply as many coats as you wish. More coats will fill the pores, a dozen or so may suffice for a level surface which can then be buffed to at least a nice sheen if not glossy.

12 coats! Really? I was thinking along the lines of 2-3 coats! I’ll experiment with a bookmark I’m making from an offcut. 
 

For the fretboard, I am planning to use Daddario Hydrate - which is described as a mixtures of oils and cleaners. See below -

https://www.daddario.com/products/accessories/care-maintenance-tools/polishes-cloths/hydrate-fingerboard-conditioner/

Or should I use their lemon oil? - see below 

https://www.daddario.com/products/accessories/care-maintenance-tools/polishes-cloths/lemon-oil/

I already have Hydrate, but I can get the lemon oil if that’s better. 

On 6/30/2021 at 10:57 PM, Bizman62 said:

Then again, you can even mix poly with BLO and apply some turpentine. 1+1+1 is a common recipe although not stone carved. Basically the result is a Minwax style wipe-on finish which builds up quite fast for a mirror like gloss. More about that: https://thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/make-your-own-oil-varnish-blend/  and  https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/finishes/make-a-home-brew-wipe-on-finish. If you're uncertain about which of your local polys work with BLO, choose one that already contains it. Same with turps, if the poly says it can be thinned with turps, you can't go wrong.

I found a local brand that sells BLO (mixed with dryers) and Danish oil (mix of linseed oil. PU and mineral spirits). The Danish oil seems a better option as it would give me the benefits of the linseed oil look with PU protection added. Would you agree?

Although it seems that the danish will take longer to dry than the BLO, which is mixed with dryers.

Attaching a snapshot comparison of the two below

On 7/2/2021 at 1:19 PM, curtisa said:

And if the underside of the bridge plate is painted black remember to scuff off some of the paint where it will make contact with the grounding wire so you have a metal-on-metal connection, otherwise your grounding wire will not be effective for hum suppression..

It does have black paint. Will make sure to scuff it. Thanks!

On 7/2/2021 at 12:32 PM, Bizman62 said:

Use a thick enough multi-thread wire, spread the end to a fan for maximum contact. Some even put a piece of copper tape on the wood under the bridge to maximize the metal contact area. That might be recommendable if the wood is so soft that the wire would dig into it.

Got it, thanks.

Ground wire: Should I be drilling a hole from under the bridge to the control cavity for a ground wire? The ground wire will sit under the bridge? Anything to keep in mind?

56 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

You can apply wax on the oiled surface for added strength and shine. 

I can use D'addario's instrument care wax that I have - I believe it is carnauba wax.

57 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Also, if you find that the oil finish isn't durable enough, you can apply the poly mix afterwards -

Makes sense - can decide later depending on how the BLO turns out.

Thanks

3 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Oil is nice to touch, it has a very "woody" feel. 

That sounds nice and I think I’ll just stick with the BLO.

3 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Adhesive sandpaper can be difficult to find in suitable grits/lengths/widths. Lay masking tape both on your block and on the back of the sandpaper of your choice and glue them back to back with cyanoacrylate glue. Masking tape is designed to hold without creeping and detach without leaving sticky residues.

Yes! I’ve been using this to make different sanding surfaces. I made a block for flat sanding and stuck sandpaper to some tubes for sanding curved surfaces. 

7 hours ago, curtisa said:

Or just buy a premade 12" radius sanding block. They're pretty economical from places like Aliexpress these days.

Unfortunately those cost a lot to ship to India and some don’t ship to India at all. It’s really difficult to get luthier supplies here - the guitar building market is virtually non-existent in India. 
 

Though I agree that it would be better to use a block and am planning to get one made via CNC. 

8 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Applying poly after the BLO can be problematic if the oil hasn't cured properly. As you know, nothing sticks to a greased surface!

In that case, would a BLO finish be sufficient to offer relatively good protection? Or is it worth the hassle of tinkering with poly? 

I'm not that keen on a glossy finish.  

Neck profile: Worked on the neck profile using a contour guage, a rasp and sandpaper. Still needs a bit of work to get it down to the final shape.

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6 minutes ago, Armaan said:

Looks fantastic and well worth the extra effort. I would’ve definitely incorporated this style in this build had I known about it. Maybe next time...

Fretboard Radius: Is it essential to use a radius block or can I get a good result making a radius template? I was thinking of printing an autocad template and sticking it on cardboard to use as a reference. I can’t think of a reason why that wouldn’t work. 

Finishing: I am planning to use boiled linseed oil for the finish. Tried it out on an offcut and I think it looks nice. I’ve read that I should clean the guitar with mineral spirits or isopropyl alchohol before applying an oil finish. Is that right? I’m not familiar at all with any of these processes or materials. 

Also is it a good idea to apply a coat or two of polyurethane after the BLO? I’ve read it adds extra protection and can be sanded for a glossier finish.