travismoore

Thanks, I will drop them a line. Hmm, maybe what I experienced is normal then? When the surface is sticky like that how do you deal with it? Do you just carry on with the finish process?

Here is the link for the Epoxy I have, there is a spec sheet there but to be honest I am not sure what I am looking for. If it is some issue with the epoxy and you have a recommendation of another one let me know. It's getting colder here all the time and I don't want to miss my window to get this finished.

So something dawned on me turning this week, I realised that the excess epoxy that I left in the pot had dried perfectly and it was only the epoxy that was on the bass that didn't dry correctly. So I am wondering if its possible I have a wrong type of epoxy? I assumed that there was only one type of epoxy, was a wrong in that assumption? It's confusing to me that it would dry in the pot but not on the wood, it does mention that its find for use on wood though on the bottle. The other thing I was wondering about is, could temperature be an issue? We are heading into winter here in the UK so whilst during the day the heating is on and its warm it can get pretty cold over night. My other question is how do you go about measuring by weight, do you need a small digital scale or something? Sorry for these possibly quite stupid questions. Cheers, Travis

Update! Ok so I've had a bit of a set back and I need a little advice. So basically the epoxy never really dried... I think the mix I did was a bit off and their wasn't enough hardener in there. So I've had to sand it right back which was painful because it was just gunging up the sand paper because it hadn't set properly. I did explore other options for stripping it back but none of them worked unfortunately. So now I am approaching it again and I've done a test piece this time around but even though I've left it to dry 48 hrs as it says its still sticky. The only thing I can assume is that I am still not being precise enough about the measurements, its kind of tricky because of the consistency of epoxy makes it hard to poor. I think I am going to get hold of some shot glass size plastic glasses so I can measure it out more precisely. I can only assume that's the issue but if you guys think I could be doing something else wrong please let me know. Cheers, Travis

Hey Protheta, Thanks for the reply, its actually been about 4 years since I got the bass (going to uni for two years mean't I had to leave it sitting). It is actually epoxy, as Demonx suggested to seal/grain fill before i prime it for painting. I am going to make sure I have some sort of hanging situation set-up for when I prime, paint and clear coat it. I would love to keep it natural but there is a rather large crack in the front of the body (you can't really see it well in that image) and as its for resale I am going paint it. It's going to be solid white with black hardware. Thanks for the tips, I will be sure to refer to them when I am doing the clear coat. Any tips on sanding the epoxy before I do the primer coat? Cheers, Travis

Hey, Just a quick update and another question. I've started with the epoxy, I unfortunately had to do the back and front separately as I don't have anywhere to hang the bass (working on sorting it for when It needs to be sprayed). I know this will probably creating some extra sanding for me but seen as this is my first time working with epoxy I knew sanding was going to have to happen anyway. As for my question(s) I am not sure how many coats I should do, is one ok? Also when it comes to sanding what grit should I use, I was thinking 600? Also should I dry sand or wet sand? I am just a little paranoid about sanding through the epoxy. Cheers, Travis

Thanks for the info guys I really appreciate it I will go for the rattle can. I am always really glad this forum exists because no matter how much you read up on things on the net someone with experience can always tell you a better way of doing it. Also thanks for the safety tips. With the can how many coats would I need approximately? I am trying to get the best finish I can really as I will be selling the bass on after its done and I want to make sure its hard wearing/professional. Don't worry Prostheta my step dad will be doing the spraying as he has experience with that sort of thing, I honestly wouldn't trust myself or at the very least I would be doing a lot of tests ha.

Thanks for the link, I was trying to find ones that I could spray using an airbrush rather than a rattle can. I did a little search for PPG but it seems I can only find 5 litres which is overkill for one bass. I will keep looking and hopefully I can find something smaller. Edit: Found some, looks like its referred to as a "Clear Coat Lacquer" in the UK......

Just ordered most of the materials to get started on this, I just have a quick question. I am having trouble finding 2-part Catalyzed Polyurethane within the UK, Can anyone direct me to a good place to get hold of some and what brand is good to go with?

Hey, Sorry for the slow reply I finally have time to look at this again. I was thinking about this a lot and when I had these pick-ups in a bass previously (some years ago) the output was definitely normal/on par with my other basses. I am plugging it into an instrument jack input which has a "guitar line in" boost switch which is on, so the input coming from the bass must be low. I have also run it through my amp and I have to push the volume to double(or more than that) to equal the same level as my other basses. You mentioned millivolts, how would I go about measuring that? Then at least I can confirm/rule out if the pick-ups are just low output. Thanks again for you help

Thanks for taking the time to give your opinion Demonx it is much appreciated. Just to double check I understand, the process would go something like this: Double check sanding - 400 Grit Wax & Greese Remover Epoxy Sealer - 1 Coat? Clear Coat - 2-part Catalyzed Polyurethane - 1 Coat? (instead of Primer) White - 2-3 Coats - Auto Air - Only sand if not smooth Hot Rod Sparkle - 2-3 Coats - Auto Air - Don't sand will mess up finish Clear Coat - 2-part Catalyzed Polyurethane - 2-3 Coats Sanding - 2000, 3000 (start from 1000 if needed) Polishing - Air Polisher - Waffle Pad - 3M Polish A couple more questions if that's ok. What clear and epoxy sealer would you recommend? When you say a tack layer, do you mean just a very thin layer of the colour?

Thanks Prostheta I will certainly drop him a line. Its good to be back here and to work on some of my projects that have been frustratingly sitting around. I am hoping to finally get my bass build completed as well

Hey all, I am just digging up this post because this bass has been sitting around at home while I've been at university and I finally have time to finish it. As always though I need some advice. I have done a bunch of reading up on refinishing but I definitely need some clarification before I buy all the stuff. Currently the bass is all masked up and sanded to a 400 grit, my step dad has air brushing stuff so that is covered. Before I prime the bass do I need to fill the grain first? Will the pores in the wood effect the finish? **Will be using tack cloths to clean dust etc in between coats Current Process: Double check sanding - 400 Grit Wax & Greese Remover Primer - 1k - light coat to seal - Sand to 600 Grit White - 3-4 Light Coats - Auto Air - Only sand if not smooth Hot Rod Sparkle - 3-4 Coats - Auto Air - Don't sand will mess up finish Clear Coat - 2-part Catalyzed Polyurethane - 3 Heavy Coats Sanding - 1000-1500, 3000, 5000 grit Polishing - Foam Pad - Liquid Ice 3 passes/coats - Micro Fibre Cloth This is sort of what I think the process should be from my research but any input would be massively helpful. Cheers, Travis

Ok thanks for the info, I haven't grounded to the strings or anything though just shielded. The LG/SG was actually a typo in my first post they are LJ/SJ I just need to learn to proof read stuff before I post it. Is the next port of call to test the pots are giving the full 25K as you had me do before?

Thanks for the responses guys, You where right about the hum Curtisa I sit with my bass right near my PC tower, I have tested it an if I angle the bass toward it or move it closer the noise increases. If I stand up or go anywhere else in my room there is no noise. So that's one problem solved. I have tested it with a brand new battery and it is the same. Just measured and the E string is about 2mm from the pick-ups I think any closer and the string would hit the pick-up and create issues. It originally had Seymour Duncan's in but it was like that when I bought it and I can't see a model number on them so not sure if they had a hot output. That being said my fender is now much quieter than my other basses and it used to be about the same. If I use my audio interface as an example for most of my basses I put the volume to about 12 o'clock - 2pm area before it starts clipping. Since putting the EMG's in I can put my audio interface at full volume (5pm) and no matter how hard I play it won't clip. Can't see any markings on the EMG's to indicate they are lower output they are the standard LJ & SJ set. These are the pots I got: http://www.thomann.de/gb/allparts_poti_25k.htm They came in "allparts" packaging but actually say "alpha" on the back but definitely state they are 25K I was thinking about it there is another possibility for what is causing the issue, I had some issues with the battery compartment that I put in. Only after I made the hole in the bass for it I realised that the way it was designed doesn't allow for the battery to actually clip into the battery clip when you close it. Anyway in order to get it to work I had to hack things a little .... I used two parts of a bent up paper clip to make terminals and padded the inside of the box at the back so it would push up against them. Then soldered the wires directly to the paper clip. Maybe not the most elegant solution but I had been working on the bass that day from when I woke up until around midnight so seemed like a good idea at the time. Is it possible this is restricting the flow of current? Picture: