Finished Pics - 5 String Single Cut Shortscale Bass

Andyjr1515

Jalapeno said:

Crikey, that's the biz !

Thanks

Georg_Figel

incredible gloss with tru oil, must have taken many coats

TTony

Neat.  Neat.  Neat.


Another beautiful build Andy - as ever.  Congratulations.

Andyjr1515

TTony said:

Neat.  Neat.  Neat.


Another beautiful build Andy - as ever.  Congratulations.

Thanks, Tony.  This took a bit of doing (if I had an huge band saw it would have been easier) routing to within 3mm from the other side and then cutting it out with a dremel.  I wasn't happy with the width of the gap (it was a 1mm bit but inevitably the sanded wibbly wobbly was wider than that) and suddenly thought "Rosettes!"

I was pleased how it turned out.  Looks like it was planned all along

Andyjr1515

Georg_Figel said:

incredible gloss with tru oil, must have taken many coats

Thanks

 In reality, it's not a super high gloss that I've seen some folks achieve but that wasn't the aim.  It was to get just enough coats to get the walnut top to show its splendour.  Full oblique view and you still see the grain coming through.  I think it was around 5 full coats and a couple more flattened then coated.

Deadman

Astounding job. Bravo  

Andyjr1515

Deadman said:

Astounding job. Bravo  

Thanks

PhilKing

As I said earlier, I'm always astounded by the quality of your work and the originality of your designs. It is another superb job.

Andyjr1515

PhilKing said:

As I said earlier, I'm always astounded by the quality of your work and the originality of your designs. It is another superb job.

Thanks, Phil 

My next build will be full of 'blue-sky thinking'. 

But as an experienced pilot once said to me, "You always have to be able to differentiate between blue sky and blue ocean..." 

Could be a splash blast! 

PhilKing

Can't wait to see what it is Andy

ThePrettyDamned

This is incredible. I have to ask, why did you opt for tru oil this time and not your tried-and-true rustins gloss polyurethane?

I'm going to be running a lot of finishing tests for a new guitar from GSPBASSES and I'm going to be trying your grain fill/rustins method as one option, as well as some oil finishes. Be interested to hear how you choose! Is it because there was no dye/grain fill on this one? 

Amazing work as ever... 

Andyjr1515

ThePrettyDamned said:

This is incredible. I have to ask, why did you opt for tru oil this time and not your tried-and-true rustins gloss polyurethane?

I'm going to be running a lot of finishing tests for a new guitar from GSPBASSES and I'm going to be trying your grain fill/rustins method as one option, as well as some oil finishes. Be interested to hear how you choose! Is it because there was no dye/grain fill on this one? 

Amazing work as ever... 

Happily, you've found the short post I did a while ago (and forgot I'd done it) outlining the method I personally use

I've just posted on it that I personally use Ronseal Hardglaze for shiny poly-finishes and not Rustins.  I've never used Rustins but many of the old fashioned high-volatiles polyurethane varnishes are going to have similar properties. 

Be aware that the high volatiles products will be phased out at some stage so it's always worth doing trials and tests with some of the more environmentally friendly products, which are improving all the time.

In terms of why this bass was Tru-oil?  That's an easy one.  It was Matt's (who I made it for) request.  Poly gloss stays pretty glossy, whereas Tru-oil used in the gloss-build-up method starts off high gloss but tends to dull down just a touch after a few months - and that was the look Matt preferred.

In terms of grain fill, I have tried Rustins and other makes in the past but really can't get on with it at all.  For grain fill - for natural, trans and stained, matt, satin or poly-glossed, I nowadays use various variations of @WezV ; 's excellent 'slurry and buff' method with Tru-oil.   Note, though, that this is because with the other products I personally use, I know I'm not going to hit compatibility/reactivity problems...the bane of a finisher's life.

Trial and error - or in my case, usually error, trial and error - is part of the joy of finding the finish method that suits you.