FINISHED! Dreadnought Acoustic

Andyjr1515

Thanks, folks - really appreciated 

Andyjr1515

OK - I might have a bit of an issue with the egg-white. Or maybe not with the egg-white but another aspect my finishing technique

I have two problems. The first is definitely related to egg white and is a simple schoolboy error. Egg white is remarkable tough and rigid when it's set. But it is instantly water soluble. So on early coats of the finishing varnish, the usual wet n dry used wet is NOT an option!!! Any breakthrough allows the water to get to the egg white which immediately disappears! I remembered and was careful at the grain levelling stages but switched back into 'auto' when I started the varnishing proper. The result is a series of 'snail trails' wherever the above has happened:

That is fixable. Just sand back down to the eggwhite and start again, remembering to sand dry.

The second problem is a much more serious concern and may well lead to me abandoning the technique on this project, for the top at least. Here's what it looks like from above:

...and from most angles, it looks the same. Very pleased

But I caught a glimpse of it from THIS angle and wow! :

That's really not good. These areas had not got down through the varnish with the wet sanding so I don't think it's the same issue, but it maybe a moisture issue of some nature or it might be a grain-direction issue.

I've since had a really really close look under bright light and subdued light and from the top or across the grain, however close you look, there is no discernible issue. In fact it shimmers like a great tight piece of proper vertically grained lacquered spruce does. 

However, if you look obliquely from either end along the grain, the areas of difference are as plain as the stripes on a freshly lawn-mowered and rolled lawn. My thought is that it is, indeed a grain direction issue.

Clearly, I have sanded differently or to a different level or finished in a different direction in those areas somewhere in the grain levelling process. Whether the egg white has caused or exacerbated the issue, I can't tell.

The back and sides look OK, so I will continue with those as normal. (the Lacewood is a very smooth tight grained, almost formica-like, wood so no grain issues there). The top will be sanded down to the wood, maybe this evening, and re-done, probably skipping the egg white as it is such an important project. I will be using it again in other projects, though, without a doubt. 

On the positive results side, I tried thinning down Z-poxy with acetone for the first time to get it to be able to wipe-on to the pickguard. That appears to be a bit more successful!. I think denatured alcohol is the recommended (and probably healthier) way of thinning but I had acetone and didn't have any alcohol. I made sure the windows were open and let the cloth dry outside to avoid any spontaneous combustion stuff!!! :

DartmoorHedgehog

That looks superb Andy.

Interestingly I used wiped-on varnish on my 12-string top I did last year and it looks a bit patchy viewed from a steep angle as well.  I used satin varnish (because it's what I had) and it's a dark colour so it's not as visible as it is on yours, but it's a similar effect.  Mine's a much more amateur effort though, so I was happy with what I'd got rather than going for cosmetic perfection

Andyjr1515

I actually think it's a grain issue. You can't see it at all from above or looking across the grain...only looking along the grain. Still, not worth the risk, so I've sanded it back down and started a more conventional approach. Having said that, I am half expecting that it will be just the same in which case I won't worry about it any more

WezV

The top doesn't have grain to fill anyway, so just go straight onto your chosen finish

Andyjr1515

WezV said:

The top doesn't have grain to fill anyway, so just go straight onto your chosen finish

Yes - you are right of course @WezV  I'm mixing my terminology - I'm talking more about sealing than filling for the top.

 In terms of further progress, I got the top back down to the bare wood, and a little bit further for luck to make sure any residual coating would be fully sanded away:

Difficult to see in the shot here, but actually there are definite darker areas in the grain.  I re-sanded those areas just in case but they are definitely in the wood.

 I then did a tru-oil slurry to act effectively as the sanding sealer.  And yes - the same patterns in the same places.  I've darkened the shot a little which exaggerates the effect a little :

 So my conclusion is that the funny markings was nothing to do with the egg white in terms of fast-ness or moisture but is simply a quirk of the grain of the wood.

 It will be interesting when I get to the re-varnishing if it shows up the same way.  I'm pleased the egg white still ticks the boxes, but I'm also pleased for the peace of mind in doing it again with my normal method 

 It was a dry day all day (again!) so I abandoned the household chores and finished off the neck volute and heel sanding.  The profile will be fine tuned when the guitar has been fully assembled. 

 

paulnb57

Top work Andy, the photos probably don't show the grain issue too well, but I don't think you should stress too much about it....I would be proud to be gifted such an instrument and am sure the recipient will be too, we are out own worst critics sometimes....

Andyjr1515

paulnb57 said:

Top work Andy, the photos probably don't show the grain issue too well, but I don't think you should stress too much about it....I would be proud to be gifted such an instrument and am sure the recipient will be too, we are out own worst critics sometimes....

Thanks, @paulnb57 I agree, but also happy to say that the re-run of the top, that now has had two finish coats, is MUCH better. I'm hoping two more coats (maybe even one) will do it

Andyjr1515

...and after a total of three very thin wiped-on coats of thinned Ronseal Hardglaze (it's back in the stores! I notice the VOC's have now dropped from 'Very High' to 'High' and it is a noticeably different varnish in fluidity and colour, but it seems to do the biz just fine):

On the basis that much of the skill with finishing is simply knowing when to stop...that'll do 

paulnb57

Lovely!

Andyjr1515

The varnish on the body is hard enough now to start the final stages, starting with fitting the neck.

Here's the body...the top will get a touch of final treatment (more later) but this is broadly what it is going to be looking like:

The small light mark in the middle of the bottom waist is a small bear-claw in the grain. The other light patches are reflections.

Then, after a final fit check, the neck was glued, hammered and then clamped to dry:

Now the varnish has fully dried and shrunk, the top will have its final two stages - wet and dry 2000 grit used wet followed by the final wipes of thinned varnish. Then it's left for a couple of weeks and simply polished with Meguiers Ultimate Compound. For reasons too complicated to explain in this brief update, you do NOT buff this type of varnished finish.

It's fortuitous that I have that final stage to do....you might be able to just see to the left of the clamp a bruise in the top....yes - dropped the clamp #-o    I'm actually quite relaxed about it as I think it will be pretty invisible in the final look even though it's irritating that I let it happen!

Andyjr1515

Not a lot to show, but actually not a lot still to do  

The next job - hopefully tomorrow - will be fitting the fretboard.  Now the neck is on properly, I've been able to quadruple check the angles and heights and am pleased to find that I can fit the 'feature stripe' under the fretboard.  It is a length of maple veneer:

 

I don't recall actually seeing this on a guitar neck before, although I'm sure it's a very well trodden path.  Whatever, it should link in nicely to the bwb stripe on the binding....

After this it's fitting the bridge and then final bits 'n pieces 

paulnb57

Proper job Andy, another stunner, will we hear you play it?

usedtobe

Crikey!

Andyjr1515

paulnb57 said:

Proper job Andy, another stunner, will we hear you play it?

Hi, Paul

Thanks!  Yes - I'll record some clips of my c**p playing before we present this on his birthday to Chris, our old-gits-band's very old git vocalist 

Andyjr1515

Today was fitting the fretboard.  

I had already applied the veneer to the back of the board, so now it was a case of a quintuple check of the fretboard positioning and an final check that, when all was clamped down, the action was still going to be in the right place!

As I normally do, I used violin clamps, with a piece of offcut wood at the back of the neck as a protector and to give the clamps somewhere to tighten against.  This was the final dry-fit check:

Action should be spot on!

Next was application of titebond extend (the modicum of extra sliding time before it grabs is useful) and some heavyweight clamps for good measure:

This weekend is fitting the bridge!

Andyjr1515

Onto fixing the bridge.

I have used a fairly standard approach for this.  The only variation from when I did the OM is that I had bad floating issues with the OM when I was trying to clamp the glued bridge, so this time, after checking and checking and rechecking the bridge position, I drilled a couple of undersized holes in the two E string positions to put some temporary positioning pegs in:

Then scored round the perimeter:

 Then scraped off the varnish:

Added some masking tape:

Then added the titebond and positioned it using the pegs for an initial clamping and glue squeeze out:

Then pulled out the pegs, popped a larger caul underneath and a top caul I made last time to clamp the main area, using the captive screws to push the sides fully down:

 

Last job was cleaning up the final squeeze-out and removing the masking tape.  I'll be leaving this clamped up overnight...just to be sure   

TheOtherDennis

Awesome job, this. To think you're going to give it away, too!!
:-O

richardhomer

Just read through the thread for the first time Andy.

You have a fair few extra 'Wows'....

Andyjr1515

TheOtherDennis said:

Awesome job, this. To think you're going to give it away, too!!
:-O

Well - I suppose the old git I'm giving it to would be regarded as a good cause  )

richardhomer said:

Just read through the thread for the first time Andy.

You have a fair few extra 'Wows'....

Thanks, @richardhomer !