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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Birkdale Redland City
    Age
    65
    Posts
    49

    Default Nice work

    Thanks for the great images of your build,
    An archtop would be my ultimate challenge at the moment I will stick with Ukes

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  3. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Thanks for the kind words everyone - please remember I bought the body pre-made, so I'm not REALLY building an archtop! I've cut out what I imagine to be the hardest bits - bending the sides and carving the top!

  4. #18
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains
    Posts
    2,613

    Default

    In my experience the dovetail and getting the neck right is the hardest bit. Nice job! Are you adding a pickup?
    "We must never become callous. When we experience the conflicts ever more deeply we are living in truth. The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil." - Albert Schweizer

    My blog. http://theupanddownblog.blogspot.com

  5. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Newcastle, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    66

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56 View Post
    In my experience the dovetail and getting the neck right is the hardest bit. Nice job! Are you adding a pickup?
    really loved reading your expo on the build. Look forward to more...cheers, Graeme

  6. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    166

    Default

    I'm keen to get ideas on finishing for this. I'll preface the discussion by saying I don't have spray gear and it's a path I don't care to go down. Rattle cans maybe - but I can't guarantee a 'dust free' environment.

    I bought a tin of Minwax Wipe-On Poly that I've been using on a test piece, but I'm 3 coats in and it's not really setting my world on fire - you'd barely know there was a single coat on there! Maybe it just needs heaps of coats... I also bought some Feast Watson sanding sealer, and have been building up some coats of that to go under another coat of the Wipe-On - see if that looks any better.

    I don't need that super thick 'dipped in glass' look for the finish, but I think I would like something that builds up a little more than a Danish Oil (which has been my finish of choice til now).

    What do we think? Brush-on? Wipe-on? Varnish/Poly/Shellac/Oil?

    Cheers
    Will

  7. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Newcastle, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    66

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wsal View Post
    I'm keen to get ideas on finishing for this. I'll preface the discussion by saying I don't have spray gear and it's a path I don't care to go down. Rattle cans maybe - but I can't guarantee a 'dust free' environment.

    I bought a tin of Minwax Wipe-On Poly that I've been using on a test piece, but I'm 3 coats in and it's not really setting my world on fire - you'd barely know there was a single coat on there! Maybe it just needs heaps of coats... I also bought some Feast Watson sanding sealer, and have been building up some coats of that to go under another coat of the Wipe-On - see if that looks any better.

    I don't need that super thick 'dipped in glass' look for the finish, but I think I would like something that builds up a little more than a Danish Oil (which has been my finish of choice til now).

    What do we think? Brush-on? Wipe-on? Varnish/Poly/Shellac/Oil?

    Cheers
    Will

    hey Will......I use Danish Oil.....NOT the old danish oil but the new one with some polyurethane in it. Put it on with a clean cloth , leave a whole day, sand with very fine worn out paper, reapply doing the same...maybe three coats. Better than Minwax..which is good but not as easy as DO. Get the small black tin with the red lid (Feast Watson?) reason being that it may dry out before you get thru the whole tin. $18 or thereabouts for 250ml. Anyway it goes a long way.....cheers, Graeme

  8. #22
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains
    Posts
    2,613

    Default

    TruOil, it's a gun stock finish.great stuff. My instrument finish of choice.
    "We must never become callous. When we experience the conflicts ever more deeply we are living in truth. The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil." - Albert Schweizer

    My blog. http://theupanddownblog.blogspot.com

  9. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Well I thought the sunbursting was going fine, but I've struck a bit of a problem - getting the black parts properly black. The stain simply isn't making the wood black - a lot of grain still visible etc. Below is a picture illustrating what I mean. That's after 3 or 4 very thick coats (we're talking puddles of stain!) on the wood. Help???


  10. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Alright, I got the black sorted - went and bought some spirit based Feast Watson Prooftint black stain and that worked straight away - went on with a nice immediate inky action. I've had to come back to the colour for touchups many times (especially to get the black fully black), so it's handy to know that you can do that. Didn't sand it back, just added new colour. Here's the pics - it's not glued together, but a quick mock-up is always fun!







    Now, can you help me decide - what order should I do:
    Sanding sealer/Finish
    Glue up

    Advantages I can see to doing sealer and at least a few coats of finish first are for ease of the sanding in between coats - especially around the heel area. Gluing first might make for a more complete looking joint, and also there's the safety being able to clean up any glue dripout before the finish goes on. Thoughts?

  11. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Complete!
    After a lot of mucking around with the finish - adding coats, sanding back, accidentally sanding through the colour, re-dyeing, re-spraying etc., I've bolted it all together and it plays! I ditched the wipe-on poly, and used Minwax rattle can poly instead. This was built up with several coats (still not remotely thick though, thus the sanding incidents), and then wet sanded through to 2000 grit. After that, I polished using 3 stages of car compound/polish - Meguiars Ultimate Compound, Meguairs Swirl Mark Remover, and a Meguairs final polish. Sounds clips to come...







  12. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Minbun, FNQ, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    12,881

    Default

    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

  13. #27
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Adelaide Hills
    Age
    66
    Posts
    3,803

    Default

    Nice work.....that guitar has thrown up some challenges but you've dealt with them. Thanks for posting up the progress pics and commentary.
    Whatever note you blow youre never more than a semitone away from the correct one....(Miles Davis)

  14. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    blue mountains
    Posts
    4,882

    Default

    Very impressive. Some clever ideas there on making the fittings.
    Regards
    John

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