[pics up] My First TheFretboard build thread! The 50's USA car-a-caster

ThePrettyDamned

@impmann sold me a really, really nice looking 2 piece swamp ash guitarbuild body.  It arrived today, and it was already sanded really nicely to what feels like 320-400 grit.  Lovely!  You even get my nan's arm and my dad's slipper.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5540/11802241506_bf130192f5_b.jpg

I finished work and immediately came home to set to work again! First, I marked off and drilled the screw holes for the scratchplate and control plate, then used a 1/8th bit to drill the 4 mounting holes for the bridge (which were partially pre drilled, though in a smaller bit size and only shallow).  

Time to test fit...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/11801729173_526c4c1df7_b.jpg

A couple of scratchplate screws went in at a slight angle... But it's a home build and I only have access to a hand held drill.  Besides, once they're in, they actually end up righting themselves really well - so they look alright.  I hadn't yet threaded the last hole for the bridge when this shot was taken, but light was fading...

On a side note, the screws for the Gotoh bridge are cheap pot metal.  Despite using some candle wax, of the 4, 1 has completely lost it's head and another is well on its way.  All 4 holes are properly threaded now, so I'll see if I can find some stainless steel replacements (any help guys?) and they should go in a treat.  

Anyways, that minor disappointment of hard work and sweaty-as-ballsness asides, I also have a blister from the hard work of using a screw driver to get the threads cut...

ANYWAYS

It's now prepared.  I give the body a quick wipe over with a dusting cloth, and mix the wudtone - I basically used a 50/50 mix of the T-bird colour and the white base coat to get a colour that's slightly lighter than the pure T-bird.  

First coat is only on the front and sides, but it has gone on nicely.  It looks patchy, but I'm confident that after 5 or 6 coats, it'll start getting really solid, and Andy @ Wudtone is happy to supply extra materials for the cost of postage alone, so I've no worries over getting a solid or near-solid finish I'm completely happy with.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7329/11801722823_42bd5be5d7_b.jpg

That's a pretty accurate shot of the first coat.  It goes on thin, but some of the grain has visibly sucked up LOADS of the finish immediately, so the first coat uses a fair ol' bit of finish.  Never mind - I put the rest of the left over mix in the white bottle and added the rest of the T-bird.  Perfect 50/50 and loads of finish for the rest of it!

More to follow.  Also, just realised I didn't drill out for strap holes.  I doubt that'll be a problem, though, I'll do it before the clear coats

Any input greatly appreciated, whether you like it, hate it or think I'm a knob.  

impmann

Great stuff, Paul. I can't wait to see this finished, as that body had beautiful grain.

thermionic

Looking forward to see how it turns out - I'd like to try a "solid" colour Wudtone finish on a guitarbuild body at some point.

JookyChap

Looking good - warming up me Wows already:)






p.s. If you could nick some material off your Dad's slipper, it'd make a lovely pickguard

ThePrettyDamned

Cheers guys. Hoping it'll just get better an better. Hoping to do the back first coat tomorrow morning, then a second front and sides tomorrow evening. Not sure how that'll work but we will see...

@jookychap, tescos

jd0272

Excellent, these is the sorts of Threads I likes!

frankus

Have a wow that looks like a great start

ThePrettyDamned

Cheers man.

First coat on the back done, no point in taking a picture as it's the same as the front however, some bled over the side so I've also just done a tiny bit on the back half of the sides (if that makes sense) and it is a very obvious increase in colour depth.

So I'm very encouraged. Next coat will go on the front tonight (if the back has cured solid and I can lay it down) or tomorrow after work. Pics will be posted

I feel a bit daft for not drilling the strap pin holes though. I'll do it after all the colour coats but before the top coat.

ThePrettyDamned

The back was totally dry, so I took a risk and flipped it over a few hours early to do the front. I only did this because most of the first coat is absorbed - now, it's a strict day between flips and coats of finish.

Anyway, coat 2 is now on the front and sides. It went on great, and the colour is much more obvious. I suspect I'll need to do this at least 6 times to get near solid, but it'll be worth it.

Here is a pic. Obviously, it's still pretty (totally) see through. The finish dries to a nice matte effect so is sort of 'pre keyed' for the next layer, I just very gently rub with the grain with 0000 wire wool, but I'm not convinced it's totally necessary with this particular finish. The top coats and other kits, it certainly is.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/11825013446_e00f083fe2_b.jpg

I've tried to keep the same lighting conditions (not great) but hopefully it's illustrated how a super washed out look from the first coat has now become something with a fair amount of colour. A few more coats and it'll look really great I reckon. So far, this kit has been a doddle! It doesn't seem to be taking to a couple of areas around the edge, so I might rough those areas up with some sandpaper a bit more, perhaps a larger grit than 400.

Where the first coat drank loads of finish, this second one required such a tiny amount - the small amount I poured out was too much, literally only a few millilitres were used. So many coats as thin as possible is infinitely better than fewer thick coats.

La di da

Doug

Lookin Good!, love these build threads, I think I sold you the flamed Strat neck I had for sale on the old forum. How's that one doing? any pic's/details of the actual build?

ThePrettyDamned

It's on the jazzmaster, the build was up on the old forum, I don't think I'll be remaking the thread. But it plays well, and sounds amazing!

I'm hoping the tele will play really great (jazzmasters are a pain to set up) and be generally easier to sort out.

Now that second coat has cured, it looks pretty good. I'll flip it over and do the back tonight, won't be doing the front third coat until tomorrow after work.

GSPBASSES

When I Wudtoned my T/C I made a small jig so I could put the Wudtone on the sides, front and back at the same time, this saved a lot of time on the build. It also stopped the sides form getting more coats then the back and front.

The link below shows the jig.

http://simnettguitars.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4130.0

frankus

Have a wisdom for that jig - I felt the need for that making my Bass VI

It's great stuff to work with...

dchwhite

@ThePrettyDamned that looks great already

@GSPBASSES thanks for sharing the jig - I was just about to ask some questions about finishing on one side one day and then the other the next (I'm working on a T type at the moment, and the main cause of the errors in the finish was my trying to do a single coat in one pass), and now I know what I need to do - thank you

impmann

The simplest ideas are the best - thanks for sharing that jig. I shall be building one this weekend for my Jazzmaster project.

ThePrettyDamned

Genius jig, thanks @gspbasses . I might see if I can get hold of some materials for that, looks dead easy. Wisdom earned!

For now, I'm quite happy body flipping. It's doubling the finishing time, which is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but as you say, it'll help with getting an even finish all over, especially the sides which are prone to getting extra from each face.

Coat 2 on the back when I've finished at work, then tomorrow it'll be the third on the front and sides. Unless I can piece together a little jig to hold it in place.

ThePrettyDamned

Also, I'll drill the strap pin holes. What size bit am I after? I think (!) I used a size down from 1/8th last time, but I can't remember and don't have any screws for comparison.

Woops.

ThePrettyDamned

Okay, today the... 4th coat goes on?

Anyway, it's starting to look really, really great. After 4 coats I suspect it'll be a rubbed, worn looking finish for top coating. I'll do a few more coats to get a nice, more even colour that still shows the grain. Yummy.

Pics up later. I'm finally going to drill the strap pin holes, too.

DartmoorHedgehog

I think that looks really good after the second coat.  For my tastes I'd stop there, perhaps with a darker blue stain though.  I really fancy building a similar telecaster - in fact I almost did last year, but since I won a Melody Maker Special in a prize draw at Hartnoll's my chances of getting any more guitars into the house without becoming a eunuch are pretty slim!  I've never had a Fender-style guitar (and really dislike strats), but I'm quite drawn to teles.

Good luck with the build!

ThePrettyDamned

DartmoorHedgehog said:

I think that looks really good after the second coat.  For my tastes I'd stop there, perhaps with a darker blue stain though.  I really fancy building a similar telecaster - in fact I almost did last year, but since I won a Melody Maker Special in a prize draw at Hartnoll's my chances of getting any more guitars into the house without becoming a eunuch are pretty slim!  I've never had a Fender-style guitar (and really dislike strats), but I'm quite drawn to teles.

Good luck with the build!

Thanks man

The original plan was a totally solid finish, but the body @impmann sold me has such a nice grain pattern, it'd be criminal to not show it a little bit.  So that's what I'm working towards.  

ThePrettyDamned

Okay, not a great pic.  Used flash, but it's a half decent representation of the colour thus far.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/11872500764_33ac470986_b.jpg

Next coat on tomorrow.

Drilled out for neck mount holes and (AT LONG LAST) strap pin holes.  

Still got loads of finish left, and although it's slow going, you can definitely see a clear difference between this pic and the last pic (2 coats versus 4 coats) so these thin coats *do* work.  Time consuming, waiting for it to cure for 24 hours or so between each coat, but it really is the best finishing method for me - safe to do in the bedroom!