CrazyManAndy

Nice job! The tru-oil glosses up nicely! How does it feel? CMA

Truly incredible build! I just love it! Great job, you'd never know it was your first just by looking at the guitar. I only hope mine turns out as nice. What kind of a finish are you going for? CMA

We didn't use any adhesive to attach the 3/4" red oak ply to the frame. As you can see from the progress pics, we laid the oak ply on the ground upside down, and then laid the frame upside down on top of it. That allowed us to easily screw the two together from the bottom, rather than having to screw it together from the top, which would've left the screw heads poking out of the ply. I've not noticed any issues caused by not having a solid base for the ply. Wipe-on poly sounds like I good idea. I need to apply some myself, as I've already scuffed the top up a bit. CMA

Great job on the drawing Rick! I can't wait to see a pic of it when you're done. One thing you might consider doing, that I didn't do, is putting some triangle braces in to add a little extra stability along the length of the table. http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/Cra...101/sadfasd.jpg Not really accurate, but you get the picture. I plan on doing it to mine, I just haven't gotten around to it. Not essential at all, but nice to have, and simple to do. You could probably use scrap pieces to make them. CMA

Sounds like a good order! Ah. I think I read somewhere that you can't sign up with a hotmail account. So, I would sign up for a gmail account--it's pretty easy--and use that to sign up on the forum. Use another mail service if you prefer, I just know that gmail works. I'll keep an eye out for your thread. Glad I could be of some service. CMA

I think you already started a thread concerning this issue and you've gotten two responses, so you might want to check those out. You don't need to start a new thread, just reply to your original one if you have new information or questions. BTW, it's usually a good idea to figure out how to finish before you actually attempt it. CMA

That's pretty odd. What kind of email do you use? You could sign up for a gmail account, because I know it works, it's what I use. If you would like, I could make a thread about your question for you, but you should still look into signing up there. By the way, at the time of writing this post, the store is OPEN! So get in there while you can. CMA

Curing is only done at the end of the finishing process, after applying all of the clear coats. Curing is a bit different from drying. "Drying" is what you do by spraying only so much each day and letting those coats dry overnight. "Curing" is giving the finish time to harden before buffing it out. And that should be 3-4 weeks after clear coating, not before. I don't know how much it would speed up the curing process. I'll keep an eye out for your thread at the ReRanch forum. Can't wait to see some progress! CMA

Animal, Are you reading the replies? You have the ReRanch tutorial and Structo's tutorial, which I PM'd you. Both of them explain, in detail, the finishing schedule for nitro, when to sand, and what grits to use. I also recommended a couple of good options for rattle cans. The guitar won't look like crap, after a month, assuming you follow the steps and take your time. Again, I recommend posting over at ReRanch regarding the design you're trying to paint. They can tell you how to do it, for sure. Oh, and I agree with syxx, sticking with one system is always the best idea. By the way, there are many things you can use to wet sand with. A lot of people don't like water because it can crack the finish if it gets into any holes. Mineral spirits is a great alternative. If you're doing the final wet sanding (not laying down anymore coats), mineral oil is a great alternative. CMA (Edit: I just saw your second post. Your best bet would be to check once a day, or just whenever you get on the computer. He'll probably open back up soon.)

I wouldn't recommend heat lamps for nitro. You can easily mess up the finish, and I think they're usually used for a different kind of finish anyway. Fans would be a safer alternative. Related link: http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...&highlight= I think that anytime you change color, you're supposed to put a down a little clear to "lock-in" the previous color. Don't quote me on that, but that's all I can remember. I highly recommend posting your question about applying the design on the ReRanch forum. I believe there are quite a few folks there who have done exactly what you're trying to do, and many more who can offer some good advice. ReRanch makes quality rattlecan supplies. Everything from the sanding sealer to the clear. I think you said you wanted a dark metallic blue? They have one called Lake Placid Blue. Related link: http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...ake+placid+blue Related link: http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...ake+placid+blue If they don't have a color you want, you can of course look at paintscratch.com and see if they do. Mohawk has a wide selection of tinted nitro lacquer aerosols, but I think you have to make a bulk order. Some places will custom make spray cans if you have a sample of the color. Then there are always the acrylics, such as Rustoleum and Duplicolor. Patience is key to a good finish! CMA

The problem with lacquer in this situation is that it is suggested to give the finish around a one month period to cure before you wet sand and buff. You can chop a week off of that, or possibly even two, but it's best not to if you can help it. I'm in agreement with Maiden, I think if you take your time and get it done right, your dad will love it regardless. In any case, my knowledge of the quicker drying finishes, such as poly, is very limited so I can't really help there. You mentioned ReRanch, so you should have an understanding of the process and when to do the sanding. The tutorial there is pretty detailed, and the forum has plenty of info as well as knowledgeable members to help you out. And on that note, have you thought about using ReRanch materials? Their stuff is top quality. Water-based vs. nitrocellulose is really up to you, you can use either. As Maiden said, you can use Duplicolor, just be careful and mist the nitro lightly on top of that, until you build up a good layer, then you can move onto wetter coats. I know there are some folks who aren't fans of rattlecan finishes, which is perfectly fine, but I see complete newbies turn out beautiful guitars everyday over at the ReRanch forum, so it is certainly possible. Hope that helps! CMA

Nice purchase! High quality stuff there. I'm glad you love Veritas/Lie Nielson tools, because, guessing from the prices, it appears they do too! I'm sure you'll put them to good use. CMA

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...ht=tinted+clear http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...ht=tinted+clear How it looks will depend on how you apply it and how much you use. CMA

+1 to the Micromesh. It doesn't get any better than that when it comes to finish sanding. CMA

1) The type of finish you plan to use will largely decide your finishing process. Whenever you get to wet sanding, you can use water, but many prefer mineral spirits (or mineral oil, if you're in the final sanding stages and you're not laying anymore paint down), as it won't crack the finish if it gets into any holes. Assuming you're going with nitro, here is a good place to start: http://reranch.com/ Read the tutorial and check out the forum. A wealth of knowledge there, particularly when it comes to nitro and tru-oil. 2) Tru-oil is a great neck finish. It's really easy to apply, just rub it in with your fingers. It may not be quite as durable as nitro or poly, but it's pretty tough. It's simple to maintain as well. If it does eventually start to wear, clean it up and rub in however many coats makes ya happy. Good to go. It won't hurt to apply it to the fretboard, but you can tape it off if you would prefer not to. It will darken the rosewood, an effect that I personally like. Here is a tru-oil tut: http://reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=15094 CMA (P.S. On a nitro finish, I would recommend letting the finish cure for at least 30 days before wet sanding and polishing)

http://reranch.com/index.htm Check out the tutorial and the forum, plenty of learnin' to be done there. CMA

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind you're finishing process, but the actual problem you're running into is probably caused by getting water in the holes. This causes the wood beneath to swell and crack the finish. CMA

In his defense, he does say "This is NOT a music video, or musical in nature...". But yeah, *yawn*. CMA

Most of the nitro finishers I've seen just laid down all the clear coats and then did wet sanding at the end, unless there were some dust particles during the process that needed to be removed. Obviously, that's not the only way to do it, but it demonstrates that you don't really have to do anything to the clear coats until they're all down. You can use water, mineral spirits, soap, or even baby oil to do the final wet sanding. BTW, the stew-mac website says the water based stuff won't look glossy until you start finish sanding/buffing it out, unlike nitro. CMA

No real point in wet sanding now. Finish the coats, and let it cure for a good while, then do your wet sanding and buffing. I know that with nitrocellulose lacquer it's a good idea to wait at least a month before you start wet sanding, but that may be different with water based lacquer. Can't wait to see how it turns out! CMA

I think Rich's advice is spot on, and you have a great attitude toward the subject. When you get Melvyn's book, that will answer a lot of your questions. As far as what difficulty you should aspire for, that's up to you. If you got the patience, anything is possible really. If you're on a tight budget, it might be a good idea not to try and do to much at once as it will cost a little more, especially if you screw something up. Can't wait to see some progress! CMA

We just had a HUGE thread on this very topic a week or two ago. Keep going back in this section of the forum until you find it. Edit: Nevermind, I found it for you.... http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=30447 CMA

I'm pretty sure the standard for Gibson has always been 12". CMA

Nice job! I really like that template idea. Can't wait to see more, I love black limba. CMA

+1 CMA