Thread: Tiger myrtle carved top

Hey Deano, this is looking beautiful! What tool/s did you use for the carve on that top?

Cheers,
Shane

Thanks for the kind words Bob and Shane.
This ones hopefully staying on my wall as i planned to keep it as a shop model, but there is a bit of interest floating around.


Shane, the main tool is patience, and good light. (and a beer or too)

I used an angle grinder to rough carve the entire body, and a rubber sanding pad (flexible) a cork sanding block and the lower grits 40 - 240. I also used a small chisel to slowly work a channel around the outer edge creating the recurve. Followed by more sanding.

The tiger myrtle top is very soft, It's quite weird in some areas its really hard and dense, but in others soft and more workable. It took a good afternoon to get it started, but i have alot more work to go.

Hi Deano, I know it would be nice to keep but if some one is showing interest in buying it from you at a good price sell it mate.
If the guy that buys it knows how to play it and others see it, next thing you know you will have more orders.
There was a time when I would not sell any timber I wanted it all for myself but then I realized I would never use it all in my life time.
As for tiger myrtle being soft in parts and dense in other parts.
Dont forget this is the early stage of rot same with the blackheart in Sassafras.Cheers Bob.



[QUOTE=Deano;978538]Thanks for the kind words Bob and Shane.
This ones hopefully staying on my wall as i planned to keep it as a shop model, but there is a bit of interest floating around.

Dont forget this is the early stage of rot same with the blackheart in Sassafras.Cheers Bob.

surely that cant be a good thing?

I'm sure it's not rot? It's not soft like butter, i just found the more red colured timber with the tighter tiger stripes is harder than that on the inside. Not a lot, barely noticable. But there is a certain grain orientation in the harder areas, so im guessing it could be the piece of wood.

Do not worry Deano, it is the being of rot.
But the timber is salvaged before it go's any further, in other words its saved before it rots it you know what I mean.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by Deano

surely that cant be a good thing?

I'm sure it's not rot? It's not soft like butter, i just found the more red colured timber with the tighter tiger stripes is harder than that on the inside. Not a lot, barely noticable. But there is a certain grain orientation in the harder areas, so im guessing it could be the piece of wood.

This is a stunning carvetop and as mentioned earlier, a blackwood body worthy of use as a top.
Tiger really makes a stunning top.
How is the weight with this one ?

I'd be running a thinned coat of epoxy over the top of this one prior to nitro, Deano.
Soft and hard surfaces like spalt will suck in the nitro at different rates and make it a little harder
to get your clearcoat thickness spot on. Just a thought worth passing on.

Deano - Agree with Bob that the different density in your cap wood is due to the early stages of the fungal invasion that gives us the "tiger" stripes. Not to worry too much though as we have found that unless there is a marked difference in density, the integrity of your top over time should not be in question.

Also agree that this stuff can be a bit of a bear to finish, especially if the intent is to go ol' school and either use bug shells (French Polishing) or lacquer. One way that we have evened out the absorption rate of figured caps in the past is to use a micro-bead poly filler, sanding it back with 600-800 flexible 3M pads and then shooting poly as a finish. While the stuff does not hold the romance of nitrocellulose, we find it easier to work with and a bit more durable over time.

She's looking schmick, btw.

Cheers from the fields of frost..bbbrrrrrrrrrr,
Riggsy

Hi Deano, Listen to what Stu & Riggsy are saying about the finish.
Do not worry about the tiger myrtle top you are not going to have any problems with it once you have a good finish on it.
Cheers Bob

The early hours of this morning, i dragged myself out of bed (roughy 6am) and made my way to a very very cold garage. Unable to sleep, i found this the perfect way to start the day. With a 6am neck carve.

Warm cuppa on the bench, and a chisel in hand, i slowly carved a neck that im most proud of.









I haven't weighed it yet Stu, it's a comfortable weight. And doesn't fall to one side at all, just seems to balance perfectly on the lap.

Riggsy, Im looking at spraying Nitro however i did contemplate a bug shell finish. But there is just something about Nitro.

Stu,

Im a bit worried about spraying an epoxy as a sealer to even out the differing absorbency levels in the tiger myrtle top. I've also found from research that some nitro finishes don't sit well on a two pac, epoxy finish.

Im looking at spraying the Wattyl Nitrocellulose lacquer style wood, same as the Qld Mapel build.

Im planing on spraying a very thin nitro finish, approx 3-4 coats on top of a Wattyl Ready Seal sealer. The sealer is designed for "use on high quality wood work, timber panelling, fixtures etc, under any Wattyl pre-catalysed or nitrocellulose lacquer"

Spray plan.
- One coat Ready sealer, followed by sanding it back to bare wood.
- Another coat of Ready Seal, sanding it back to a flat surface with no wood exposed.
- Then i will continue with two coats of Nitro thinned 50/50, and i will block them back to an even surface.
- i will then spray another 2 - 3 coats of nitro, followed by buffing and polishing.

I was a bit concerned that this was not enough coats to achieve a high gloss finish, but after speaking to a Wattyl rep, who seemed to know a lot about guitar construction and finishing advised that this was the best route to go. And the Ready Seal should seal the timber to eliminate the differing absorbency levels.

However, i will do a test of both methods.

Hopefully this will seal it enough..

Hi Deano, great carved neck and up at 6 am in the freezing cold you are keen.
This is going to be an excellent build its going to work out Ok.
Cheers Bob.

I have used a commercial grade sanding sealer before and it seemed to lower the contrast in the figure, but it was all water based so it could've been that...

Lookin' mighty foine

Deano - Coming along nicely... very nicely. Glad to know that I was not the only one cheekin' tail this morning (-1c). I've avoided my first two Tassie winters by skipping across the equator but am married now, 'nuff said.

As for your finishing regimen, here's a thought or two:

So long as you are not going to have an adverse chemical situation between your primer/filler/sealer and the lacquer, go for your life. Love lacquer - great to shoot, fun to cut & polish... the Air Quality Management District in Southern California spat it about 10 years ago so we were economically moitivated to switch to Poly and have gotten used to it.

The fewer uberthin coats you can work to get the finish you desire, the better IMHO.

Without having had my hands on the piece I have to say that it harkens to early Rick Turner (Alembic/Renaissance), Wickersham (Alembic), Michael Tobias (when he built things himself), and has that neo-bohemian feel that a few of Jerry Garcia's pieces carried - all of the above references are intended to be compliments, btw.

Have not peeled through all the threads so will ask here: FB Radius?

Warmer,
Riggsy

So long as you are not going to have an adverse chemical situation between your primer/filler/sealer and the lacquer, go for your life

I called a Rep today and quizzed him on their products. The Ready Seal sealer is made for this particular lacquer product. I will run a few tests though and check it out.

I do agree with you on getting minimal coats. I 'think' (not to sure, well from my research) This particular Lacquer is supposed to sprayed to a maximum of 150-microns thick equaling roughly 5-6 coats... That does seem mighty thin though. I will have a play with the spraygun and see what i come up with.

Its getting a 10" radius.

10" - good man. Thing's gonna play great. Bet ya someone badgers ya into selling it.;-p

Last observation on the nitro - greater number of light thin coats beats slathering the stuff on as you know. 150mics x 3-5 coats is more than enough to produce the depth and chatoyance that we all look for. Besides, one can always build it up a bit. With Nitro one just has to watch the belt buckle, the rivets on the jeans and, by all means, keep well clear of the thing with your Paslode.

Looking forward to final images.

- Riggsy