Members Freeman Keller Posted November 11, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 11, 2018 I've been thinking about finish all thru this thing. And sorry guys, its not going to be bubble gum red or electric teal blue. I'm a conservative old fart and I like conservative guitars. Instead I've taken some scrap and put different (conservative) stains and filler products on them to see how they look. Like they always say, practice finishing on scrap. [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4704.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t112.1 KB ID:\t32390443","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32390443","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 11, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 11, 2018 The more I wipe the top with alcohol the more I like the natural color of this wood. Unlike lots of flamed maple, this has a warm butterscotch color with lots of brown and red naturally - I don't think it needs any stain to bring out the figure. I'm going to give this a good 3A's and I don't want to muck that up with my amateur attempts to "improve" it. Also, of course, maple normally doesn't need pore filling like mahogany but from my samples above the epoxy filler seems to be the best at popping the grain. One big problem is that the head veneer is a very light, almost white, maple - it has a tiny bit of flame but its an entirely different color from the top. Somehow I want to get the head to look good with the top and my attempts with the scraps weren't cutting it. I figured what the heck, I'd give it a little stain, if it looked totally FUBAR I could always put a rosewood veneer over the maple and match that to the fretboard. So, armed with all of that, lets see what happens. First step is to pore fill the mahogany back and neck. Mix the Zpoxy, then spread it on with a piece of plastic working it into the grain. [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4724.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t149.0 KB ID:\t32390457","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32390457","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] Sand that completely back to the wood (the Zpoxy showed a few sanding scratches that needed to be taken out), then a second coat of Zpoxy diluted maybe 2:1 with DA [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4723.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t154.5 KB ID:\t32390456","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32390456","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] Let that kick off and sand back leaving a tiny bit of the epoxy on the surface. [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4727.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t157.1 KB ID:\t32390458","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32390458","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 11, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 11, 2018 The top gets a thinned coat of Zpoxy, then I mixed one drop of red dye, one of amber and two of brown in some DA. I mixed that with some Zpoxy and wiped that on the head plate. Then I went back to both the top and head and worked the stain around the edge, just slightly darkening it - what I guess is called an "edge burst". [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32390464}[/ATTACH] Closer shot of the head and top - I think that is a good enough match and trying to do any more will just mess it up [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32390465}[/ATTACH] One more shot, the head is laying on a piece of the maple veneer so you can see the color change. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32390466}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 marnificent ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 conservative... but a beauty indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 It's really coming along nicely Freeman - I think you made a wise choice on the color. It's going to look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 12, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 Started shooting the lacquer yesterday. Here are the tools [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32391223}[/ATTACH] And here it is after two coats of vinyl sealer. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32391222}[/ATTACH] The next couple of weeks will be like watching paint dry (literally) so I probably won't post anything. Need to get 15 or 20 coats on, let it cure for a couple of weeks. When that is done and I start buffing and the final build out I'll bump up the thread. Thanks for looking and thanks for all the nice comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6down1togo Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 You nailed it! The color looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 Shoulda just painted it flat black. payback for posts #7 & 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 i lol'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted November 12, 2018 Members Share Posted November 12, 2018 Actually, I love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 18, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 18, 2018 Progress report. Nine coats on the back, seven on the top. I'm shooting outside and hoping the weather will hold. My goal is to have all the lacquer on by Thanksgiving [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32396545}[/ATTACH] Here it is back on the work bench - different lighting [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32396544}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32396543}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted November 18, 2018 Members Share Posted November 18, 2018 to say it with the beatles, "it's gettin better, all the time" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted November 18, 2018 Members Share Posted November 18, 2018 Beautiful, Freeman. I see you made two control cavity covers---looks like one 'hog and one flamed maple. Good idea! I sure hope that isn't one of Mrs. Keller's good hand towels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 28, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 28, 2018 While I patiently wait for the finish to cure I though I would go ahead and do the frets. I've got several leveling beams - most of them have 120 on one side and 300 or 400 on the other. Started by filing the ends back to the edge of the f/b at 50 or 60 degrees. Then marked the crowns and leveled them [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32404930}[/ATTACH] Recrowned as required [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32404931}[/ATTACH] Knocked the edges off the ends. The little metal thing is a draft persons eraser shield - in another life I was an engineer [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32404932}[/ATTACH] Polished up thru the grits starting at 400 and going to 2000. The little white thing is an ordinary eraser - its a good way to hold the paper. I also wrap it over the edge of a crowning file and use it just like the file - you can see the marks on the fine paper. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32404933}[/ATTACH] I'll come back to it during the setup phase but this is OK for now [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32404934}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted November 28, 2018 Members Share Posted November 28, 2018 Some of the most tedious, yet most satisfying, guitar work to be done. I messed up a lot of fretwork before I finally became satisfied with my results. Cheers, Freeman, keep it coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 28, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 28, 2018 Frets are the interface between the player and the guitar. They area also the key to perfect playability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted November 29, 2018 Members Share Posted November 29, 2018 Tell me when you reach "perfect". I've settled for "pretty damned good". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 1, 2018 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2018 OK, I have two weeks on the finish cure and its raining out so its time to buff it out, Here is a close up of the top finish, you can see that its kind of shiny but also kind of rough. Some dust, a couple of little sags - not a bad paint job for a novice. A little dimple right at at the edge. I figured it was good enough to start sanding at 800 and go up to 1500. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32407880}[/ATTACH] Here is the top after wet sanding [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32407884}[/ATTACH] Buffed with Meguiers number 2 and 3, mostly using my crappy pedestal buffer but doing the edges and horn with a foam pad in a drill motor [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32407881}[/ATTACH] Here's the top and head after buffing [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32407883}[/ATTACH] and the back [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32407882}[/ATTACH] Time to start building this puppy up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 1, 2018 Members Share Posted December 1, 2018 That's coming along quite nicely. Every time I say I don't like Teles, or that I think they're butt ugly, another one comes along to change my mind. It figures one of yours would be do same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 2, 2018 Members Share Posted December 2, 2018 Ditto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted December 2, 2018 Members Share Posted December 2, 2018 It is a beautiful beasty, that at first I thought.. "What, no F hole?? Really???" Then as she progressed, the simple elegance of the top showed. Again, a breathtaking piece of work Freeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 3, 2018 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2018 Thanks for the nice comments. Today I soldered down the remaining wires and screwed the shiny bits on it. Made a nut [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4811.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t127.5 KB ID:\t32408337","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32408337","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4814.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t158.0 KB ID:\t32408339","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32408339","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4817.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t115.3 KB ID:\t32408340","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32408340","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tIMG_4818.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t138.4 KB ID:\t32408341","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32408341","data-size":"full"}[/ATTACH]I know, you've seen all that before. Sorry, it has to be done each time.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 3, 2018 Author Members Share Posted December 3, 2018 Since I can only put five pictures in a post, here is the nut mostly made [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32408351}[/ATTACH] Its still a little on the high side but its much easier to take it down than up. Did the rest of the initial setup - tension pulled about 5 thousands of relief, I backed that off a hair. First fret is 18 to 20 thou, 12th is 60 to 80. Intonation is pretty close so I'll play it this way and tweak it in few days. Took it in the house and introduced it to Lester [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32408352}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32408353}[/ATTACH]I'll do some better pictures in a day or two, right now I just want to play with my new toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 3, 2018 Members Share Posted December 3, 2018 Quite nice indeed. I just realized (again) that a big part of the general butt ugly-ness I find in Teles is the control plate. Yours would be much the worse with one added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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