JohnJohn

Good call Ed saying UV fade wasn't the best terminology on my part . I e-mailed GE to see what they had on the effects of lightbulbs and colour fade,see what they have to say.I wonder if there would be a better source of info.Maybe Dupont or Sherwin-Williams?I'm sure somebody has done a study on light and colour fade.

Maybe doing it around Studio specs?That will look sweet though.

Yes the bridge will have to be moved due to a different scale length.So long as the body is supported in the area of any string contact you shouldn't have too many problems with stability. When you have the neck in place measure from the fretboard side of the nut to the center of the twelfth fret,then use that dimension from the center of the twelfth fret to the body.Make sure that you are measuring straight down the center in both directions,(a triple check never hurts ),at the end of the measurement draw a stright line going across the scale line.Again keep it straight.this will be the center line for setting yoour posts or for lineing up the saddles. I haven't checked to see if there is a tutorial yet,(ooops.),but I'm sure there is a good one there. Do you have any pics to post as you go?It'll be cool to see the project develop. Hope this helps.

Start with 600 then work your way up to 2000.Get the grits as close together as you can.Stew Mac sells some stuff that goes above 2000,(up to 20000-I think).It's worth the $$.

Those inlays are killer,man that's some great work. For as much of a nightmare as it's been the double cut is gonna look sweet

I'd love too,but my shop is a series of tables in the basement . I can show you pics of my wife getting mad at the mess I make of the basement

Reranch may not be able to ship to all areas,if memory serves me right some states and borders will not allow products like nitro to shipped across.But I'm sure if you contact them they can let you know and maybe even give you a point in the right direction to a supplier in your area. Florescent lights can cause UV fade or discolouration.But this does take a few years.ie:white guitars can take on a golden brown colour,although very light it is a slight change in colour which somem people don't like and some people dont really feel too concerned about. You can spray one kind of laquer over another,but,you need proper curing time and there can be adhesion problems which will appear during sanding and polishing.Different clears have different patiena's which can result in a difference in the appearance. Acrylic laquer's lay on top of each other in different levels,if you sand on an angle you will see each layer of clear.Nitro is self activating,as you lay each layer on it heats the layer below it slightly and melts into it.Some people use this to salvage older finishes.There is a product that cleans and reactivates laquer,but I can't remember what it's called,(sorry ). For best results it is best to stay with a similar clear by the same company all the way through a spray.Similar products can vary slighty in formula from manufacterer to manufacterer.Most manufacterer's are more than happy to supply technical information on the product that includes composition,drying times and application. Hope some of this helps.

I've had good luck using rattle can acrylic laquer.The kind I use is Krylon 41301 Crystal Clear.Just got to shake the can a lot at first to get it going. I'll also set it in warm,(not hot)water so it flows smoothly.The trick seems to be cure time between coats.The can says 12-15 minutes,but about 12 hours is best or it just pools.

Okey-dokey,water is deionized,double filtered and mixed,(6-1{water/vinegar}),with rice wine vinegar.The veneer,(1/16")is soaking for the next 24 hours.

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Looks great,like the paint choice.Was that a stone fleck or an airbrush spatter technique?

I've seen companies do it both ways.If I remember correctly Fender skunk stripes used to be curved inside by a small amount for optimum response. I'd think that a 12"-14" curve would do the job for a good reponse.Although I'd wait to see what the others have to say first.

My $0.02-I've had some good luck with soaking veneer in de-ionized water and using heat to form it to a surface.But.It has to be done VERY slowly and you do run the risk of it splitting when it dries.Instead of trying to do full coverage in one shot,try it in several. I mean rough form it,then hold the veneer in place with damp cloths backing it and leave until the cloths are dry.Then use steam to fine tune the shape.I've seen some pretty wild veneer jobs in modern industrial cabinet making,although that does involve treated wood and speacialized machinery. I'll give it a shot starting tonight using some pine vener that I have laying around.

Welcome to the forum. Have a browse through the archive and tutorial sections.Loads of great stuff in there.

LOL Great work,can't wait to see the inlay.

Great work,it's nice to see the classic techniques applied so beautifully. PS-love the flame in that cam clamp

Pretty ornate,but at $250.00 a set.......

What about doing a blackburst on the V so all you see is the maple? We used to call purple heart the blade killer Nice work,can't wait to see the end results

What do you find is best for setting binding? I was gonna go the epoxy route,but I have concerns about the wood absorbing the epoxy for a good set.

You can hook up an airbrush to an HVLP system,but,you need to have a regulator.Too much pressure and the brush won't work right. Quick funny-imagine seeing a guy painting a t-shirt @100 psi

Airbrush templates can be done a number of ways tape,chalk and paper,frisket or liquid frisket,handheld masks or templates. The first-clean the surface and use the chalk to sketch out your design then using 1/4" tape outline it and tape newspaper,(personally I prefer vellum paper-it costs more but it's more durable),over the areas you don't want to spray. Frisket is a clear vinyl with an adhesive on one side.Clean the area,do your design,lay the frisket over it and cut out the areas you want to spray.The bonus of frisket is that you can re-adhere the cut pieces to dry sprayed areas to prevent overspray from another area.Liquid frisket is a rubberized liquid that is good for detail work.Although Gary Padilla of 3-D Graphics will coat an area in contact cement and pull areas back for a ripped effect. you can also use cardstock or thin rigid vinyl to cut out a shape and spray against it or use french curves to paint a design. Also here's a link for vinyl templates,they were designed by a guy named Craig Fraser-the guy is a real heavy in custom automotive airbrushing. http://www.airbrush-depot.com Then at the left click stencils in the airbrush supplies list.

I use epoxy dyed to match the inlay or the board it's going into.

Easy there camper Hey, if us newbies weren't so annoying,how would you feel smart (j/K)

Sounds like a wood flaw or something wass added or done to it was refinished.What kind of finish were you thinking of doing?