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| Author: | robertD [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:35 am ] |
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Hello All, This is what I got so far. I should say, that this guitar is being built using the Stewmac Dreadnought kit. The whole body has been sanded up to 220 grit. The grain of the top took on a very nice wavy look, and now I’m considering sanding up to 400 grit. I’m thinking it might get even a little more wave to it. Any thoughts on this one? 
Thanks for looking! Robert |
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| Author: | Bill Greene [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:38 am ] |
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I like it! Just like my first one! Great work. |
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| Author: | Sam Price [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:40 am ] |
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I really like the way you rejected those plastic bindings for...is that beech? REALLY nice, very clean job on the bindings!! |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:43 am ] |
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Very nice Robert, WOW my friend, keep up the good work! Very clean and neat, you're almost there, what kind of finish you plan on using? 
Serge |
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| Author: | Wade Sylvester [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:52 am ] |
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Looks real clean there Robert! Nice work! How's the neck coming? Wade |
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| Author: | Irwin R [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:11 am ] |
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Wow!! Classy classy classy...I just love herringbone!! Neat and clean..just splendid...if you can get close-ups like that to look clean...well I say!...great job ...
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| Author: | burbank [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:17 am ] |
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Looks great, Robert! Nice detail on how the herringbone meets at the tail. You're gonna be blown away (not literally!  ) when you string it up.
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| Author: | Dave Rector [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:06 am ] |
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Looks great to me too Robert! Also looks like it's going to be a real cannon! Great job!
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| Author: | Louis Freilicher [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:56 am ] |
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Looking good! I would not sand past 220, as the surface needs some tooth for the finish to adhere well. For some woods, maple in particular, I sand to 320 to make sure you get all the scratches (especially in the end grain sections) out and then sand very lightly with 220 to bring back the tooth. Louis |
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| Author: | Homeboy [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:16 am ] |
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Wow, wow, wow! That geetar looks great to me. I love a hog dred. I think your binding looks great as well. I agree on the good job for not using the plastic. Keep up the good work. Blake |
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| Author: | peterm [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:23 pm ] |
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Very nice.... keep up with the good work. 220 would also be the last grit I'd use... |
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| Author: | LarryH [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:27 pm ] |
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Really nice work. Love the clean mahogany look and the binding - is what? |
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| Author: | robertD [ Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:04 pm ] |
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Gosh folks! You sure can make a guy feel good about his work! Thank you ALL, so much for your positive comments! I really do appreciate it! The only trouble is, I could not get my hat on this morning! I guess I have to get a new one. Size TEN, I reckon! 
Hesh, I would like to thank you personally! You have been a great help to me on the binding issues, and you have offered much inspiration. Thank you! Thanks to ALL, once again! Oh Yeah! I almost forgot. Answers to your questions; Serge buddy, I’m going to use “Birchwood Casey” “Tru-Oil” which is about the easiest way to finish a guitar, from what I understand. But, I have long been a fan of what old time varnishes do to woods. I’ve used oils on a lot of different woods, and there’s just nothing like it. Though, Helmsman Spar Urethane by Minwax is a pretty close second! Sam and Larry, the binding is Maple. Couldn’t tell you what kind of Maple, cause I just found it in my pile of scraps. I do know that it came from a cabinet job we did a while back. I thought it had some real nice grain about it, and darn better than that plastic stuff! Wade, I haven’t done much with the neck yet, other than glue up the rosewood veneer supplied with the kit. And, I have the lay out done on the fretboard, but, that’s about it. I was planing to post some questions about my next step soon. Thanks Again, Robert |
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:49 am ] |
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Looking fantastic for a 10th, let alone a 1st! I'm not familiar with True Oil as a body finish but I'd suggest considering French Polish if you can't shoot Nitro. I have a feeling that True Oil might dampen the sound on a top since it is a penetrating finish. FP is really not all that difficult and it will provide the shine that such an effort deserves. The neck is another issue...I'm using Danish Oil on the shaft surface because I like the dry feel it provides. |
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| Author: | matt jacobs [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:25 am ] |
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Wow nice, tight, clean work. My vote is for some kind of reflective finish. |
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| Author: | Cocephus [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:31 am ] |
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Nice clean work again.
A kit makes things a little nicer doesn`t it? Coe |
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| Author: | Chris Cordle [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:14 am ] |
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Nice clean work, looking really good! |
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| Author: | af_one [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:44 am ] |
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Nice work--I have been using the tru-oil on my current build--I'm not happy at all with the results on the body. The neck rubbed out is great, but the tru-oil on teh body will be a high gloss and when applied by hand will show every imperfection in your application process. If you try to knock it down, it clouds, unless you really rub it out to a matte finish. I rubbed mine all the way down and applied shellac over it. Much more forgiving and semi-gloss--no adhesion problems over the Tru-oil. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:31 am ] |
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Thanks Robert, i'll second and third JJ and af one on this, i would also use true oil but only on necks, the top has to have the minimum of finish as posiible also IMVHO. FP is probably the soundest. |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:11 pm ] |
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As outlined in the old LMI catalogs, Tru-Oil can be used as a finish on the entire guitar body, if you have a lot of patience. The key, as instructed, is to wipe on a thin coat of oil and immediately wipe it off--the wiping rag has to pretty much follow right behind the application rag. Then you have to wait for the first coat to dry before applying the next. That way, any penetration into the wood is microscopic (personally, I'd want to seal with shellac first). One problem with oil finishes is their slow drying rate. That's where the patience comes in. However, you can apparently get a very nice-looking semi-gloss surface finish if the oil is polymerized (which Tru-Oil is). Don't confuse polymerized with "boiled," as in linseed oil. And Robert--very impressive work! |
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| Author: | robertD [ Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:25 am ] |
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Carlton, Thanks for posting the info. from LMI. That’s exactly what I was going to do! It was after reading the instructions at LMI on the finishing process using “Tru-Oil” that convinced me it was the best way to go! Also, it should be mentioned that “Tru-Oil” makes a filler product that can be used before the first coat of finish oil is applied. More over, I personally love what oil can to for woods. In my 30+ years experience in custom woodworking, I’ve not seen where a clear laquer can bring out the fine color tones of wood as oil will. Also, as I’ve mentioned already, Helmsman Spar Urethane by Minwax is a very fine product. I don’t know if anyone has ever used it on guitars. But, what I do know is, with successive thin coats, and polishing with 0000 steel wool between each coat, you will get a high gloss finish that is very durable. Thanks again to All! Robert |
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| Author: | Dave Anderson [ Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:13 am ] |
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Robert, Very nice work. So clean(as others have said) and elegant looking . Can't wait to see her all finished! WTG !
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| Author: | JJ Donohue [ Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:46 am ] |
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Robert...sounds like you have more experience with oil finishing than most around here and I would be the last to question your expertise. If LMI promotes it then I'll assume it has been properly vetted for use in instruments. Instrument grade finishes have special requirements that may not be as important when used in furniture applications. On the use of Spar Urethane, however, I take a cautiously skeptical view unless someone has used it on instruemnts and has put it through it's paces. Mario Proulx, who is a well-respected luthier and selfless educator, did evaluations for new waterborne lacquers some years ago. In his testing, he not only reported on its application and appearance but also its durability over a range of temperature and humidity conditions. I remember him leaving a completed guitar out in the sub zero cold and low humidity over night and then bringing it into his room temperature shop to shock the finish. It was only after surviving these types of torture tests that he would even discuss the name of the product he was testing...and it took him a year to make his final go or no-go determination. That's the kind of information that I would look for before going to a new finish...and I thank Mario for encouraging us to think this way through his examples of attention to such details. Instrument grade finishes need to be hard for protection, but also be flexible enough to deal with the range of hot and humid to cold and dry conditions...all without cracking or crazing. Just something to think about. |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:48 am ] |
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[QUOTE=robertandsons] Also, it should be mentioned that “Tru-Oil” makes a filler product that can be used before the first coat of finish oil is applied.[/QUOTE] I've read that it works okay as a sealer, but it doesn't really fill in the way we need. Tru-Oil's formulas are proprietary, but most "sealer" products are just thinned versions of the finish in question. I'd be concerned about an oil sealer penetrating into the wood. One of the "guitar-approved" sealing methods, shellac for instance, would probably give better results. |
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