ihocky2

I loved following the build on youtube. That is one sweet axe, I wish I could do that kind of work in two weeks. I actually found the videos usefull enough to download.

A while ago someone here made a V out of solid purple heart. It was supposedly pretty heavy, but it did look cool.

Could be several problems. Are there grooves worn into the nut or the nut block. That could allow the string to slip. How new are the strings, they could still just be stretching out. Are the string blocks in the bridge worn at all. Any worn areas could allow the strings to move.

Use the search function and read the tutorials. This has been covered a lot.

My first question is, Why paint it? Why not just buy a rosewood veneer or a wood that look similar to rosewood and then stain it. Is you painter REALLY that good that he can paint something to look like actual rosewood. Before I paid someone to do that, I would want to see a large piece that they have already done, just to see what I am in for.

Try sanding it or something to show fresh grain, I can't tell if those are burn marks from a saw or not.

Very nice job. I would love to do something like that, but I seem to stick with my cigars. I just never got a pipe to burn right. I've read up on it, and it definitely takes time to learn how to pack one right.

Sounds like witness lines. The other problem I see is that you wet sanded too early. I am not familiar with that specific product, but I am sure that it is not cured yet, only dry. If you can press your fingernail into it and leave a mark, it needs more time to cure. I would start with at least a week of cure time and then test somewhere that won't be seen once completed.

Use the search function and look up Rustoleum. It has been covered a lot. Killemall: A lot of people like nitro for the vintage vibe. It is extremely easy to repair, and in reality has better clarity than almost any other finish, including the 2-part poly's. If Gibson is still shooting nitro, it can't be all bad. The long cure time is a draw back. But is sand very easily, and I've always had great luck getting it to spray and flow out nicely. Plus there is the whole tone voodo thing that I won't get into. I stay as far away from those debates as I can.

I think most people have had issues with RIT dye fading real quickly. I know some people have tried other wyas with RIT to prevent it though, but I am not sure what they were.

Another idea to reduce corning is to use something other than water to wetsand. Mineral oil works great, but causes sanding to take forever. I found that mixing a little mineral oil into mineral spirits gets rid of corning completely and the mineral oil prevents the mineral spirits from evaporating too quickly.

I would head the manufactures advice. First, they are the experts on their products. Second, the scratches you make in the top coat won't show because you continuously sand them down finer until you polish them out. The scratched in the base coat would still be left to a certain extent. As you get into the wetsand and polish routine, you'll see that even 1500 leaves a very noticable scratch in the top. It is the fnal polishing that removes them.

if you are interested in any of the catalysed finish, make sure you are aware of the dangers and the proper precautions to take. All finishes are dangerous, but the 2-parts are a lot worse.

I know the guys on the Reranch have tried it, but I think it has been tried by members here before. Try the search function at both sites to find the threads.

How much does the Iwata usually run? I've never seen any spray gun that runs off that low of CFM other than an air brush. I'll definitely have to look into one of those when I go to upgrade.

I haven't checked but I think the Reranch site tells you home much of each item to order to d oa guitar. I would definitely go with more than just 2 cans of clear. You are generally going to sand through 2-3 coats. With aerosol cans you spray the coats on thinner so you'll sand through even more. I would say you need to probably buy at least 4 cans of clear.

Probably is a 10-32, but I would take the nut to Home Depot and start trying different bolts.

I like that original color scheme that is on the body. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

I like the overall look and idea. I think I would have taken the area that is painted black and carved that are though. Not fully around, but just the one side. What type of wood is the neck? Is that ash? The grain just looks really pronounced to be maple.

The other thing is that you are going to have a hard time getting a good result with that size of compressor if you use a spray gun. You'll empty the tank very quickly and you'll get a pulsating effect as the motor is running. Plus those little compressors just can't move enough air to atomize the paints or clears. What type of clear are you think of using over the Krylon you sprayed. Your best bet is probably to stay with the Krylon brand clear coats, but they are know to stay pretty soft.

They are almost completely machine made. The bodies and neck are cut on CNC. The frets are worked a little by a person, but they are mostly inserted by machine. If I remember correctly they are painted with a curtain type sprayer.

Finally decided what I wanted to do with my income tax refund. I found a great deal on this rig.

I am not familiar with the DuPont lacquer, I am not even sure if it is still available. The Reranch is a very nice nitrocellulose lacquer to work with. It takes about 30 days to cure to the point that it is ready to polish. Some tutorials say you can polish after 2 weeks, but the lacquer is going to continue to shrink back after it is polished and within a few months you'll need to polish again. If you wait the 30 days, you should get a nice level finish. Lacquer continues to shrink for it's entire life which is what causes the checking (cracks) but slows down over time.

You will be gluing end grain which is an extremely weak joint. Even with dowels it is doubtfull that it will hold that tension without causing some sort of problem. Be it the body or the head snapping or at least flexing enough to cause playing and finish problems.

Your stain can either be wiped or sprayed on, your prefernce. If you get dyes they can be mixed into most clears and then sprayed on. As for applying your clear coats, oil finishes are the easiest to apply since you just wipe them on and then the excess off. Any of the lacquers or urethanes need to be sprayed on, brushing won't cut it. A spray gun and air compressor that can handle the gun is going to spray the best. I would say at least a 30 gallon air compressor is minimum. Airbrushes will work for bursting and can get you by for color coats, but fall way short for spraying the clears. A lot of stores are selling Preval sprayers which is a glass jar and a can of propellant that lets you mix your own fluids and spray as you like. I've used them and don't like the spray pattern, and had a tough time getting good atomization. I would say you are better using rattle cans of nitro lacquer. I personally like the Reranch brand nitro or Deft nitro. You can check some autobody suppliers in your area, some of them will fill spray cans with 2-part urethanes and colors as well.