Finished Pics! SG-style in Yew

Andyjr1515

Well, this probably looks exactly the same as the previous photo, but to the dedicated air-guitarist tester (me), it actually feels completely different





Going to leave it now until the morning.  The one thing I might do for the aesthetics is bring the heel transition further into the body - although playing-wise it actually feels fine right up to the 24th fret on the bass strings.  These things are best left to gestate a while.

Andyjr1515

First coat of Ronseal on:





With my way of varnishing, it's done when it looks done   Might be tomorrows coat, might be five or six.  I'll see how it goes.

TJT1979

That’s looking great. The top has really popped with the finish. 

the_jaffa

That looks brilliant. Very different to stuff I’ve seen before but really cool

Andyjr1515

Thanks, folks.  Much appreciated   

SteveRobinson

The heel looks great the way you've blended it into the cutaways

PeteC

That looks great.  Ive found this a very inspiring thread. 

What ronseal do you use ? 

Andyjr1515

SteveRobinson said:

The heel looks great the way you've blended it into the cutaways

Thanks, Steve.  I have to say that those rear cutaways also transform the ease at getting to the top (24) frets too.  

It's one of a number of things I wonder why they didn't / don't incorporate on the original, much that I regard that as a masterpiece  

Andyjr1515

PeteC said:

That looks great.  Ive found this a very inspiring thread. 

What ronseal do you use ? 

It's good old-fashioned Ronseal Hardglaze.  It's their original polyurethane varnish.  They've had to reformulate in recent years to reduce the volatiles but it remains pretty high volatiles, which I'm sure will be an issue in the longer term.  But comparing Hardglaze with even some of the better low-volatile brush-on paints and varnishes are still like comparing chalk and cheese.

This is my own lightweight 6 string and @impmann 's Alembicesque.  Mine is Osmo Polyx Gloss - and don't get me wrong, I'm a BIG fan of Osmo - and Tim's is Ronseal Hardglaze.  The woods for the body are identical - both built from the same plank!



So while I understand and support the push towards low volatiles, I will personally be using Hardglaze until legislation tells me I can't.


Hopefully, they will eventually develop a decent low volatile gloss varnish - after all, it only took them twenty years to develop a low wattage lightbulb that didn't shine green...  

LastMantra

Looks lovely! The work of an extremely talented individual.

Andyjr1515

Second coat and the back is there.  I know that if I put another coat on it will get worse and not better:


The top...hmmm...close:


There's a couple of small (and inconspicuous) areas where it will probably polish up when it's fully hardened.  While I could do another coat, I don't actually want it to end up too thick.

I'll have a look in the morning when it will be hard enough to handle properly so I can see where the light catches it and decide then

Teyeplayer

Just incredible, looks absolutely beautiful. 

Andyjr1515

Teyeplayer said:

Just incredible, looks absolutely beautiful. 

It's a nice bit of timber, isn't it 

Thanks

Roland

The sides look done too in the pictures. Does the top really need another coat?

Andyjr1515

Roland said:

The sides look done too in the pictures. Does the top really need another coat?

I'm hoping not.  Just need to see what happens to the couple of places once the finish shrinks down.  No great shakes if it needs another light coat (I usually end up doing 3 to 5) but usually the 'just one more' ends up as about 3 more

PeteC

beautiful ! 

TheMarlin

It started looking amazing, and just keeps getting better!

Andyjr1515

Thanks folks.  

I'm going to let this cure for another day or two before I make the final judgement on whether the next stage is to polish (which will be after a week or two of curing) or a final 2000 grit flattening and a couple of final, final coats.

The reason for that judgement (and I have to make it every time I do gloss this way) is that you can't - in fact you mustn't - buff this type of poly varnished finish as you would with, say, nitro spray.  The reason is that each application of nitro and similar, melt into the previous dry coats.  This type of poly varnish doesn't.  Each cured layer is a distinct layer.  So if you buff - cutting through layers, you expose the under layers and you can get unsightly contour marks.

But you can polish a poly varnish done this way.  The polishing works on the final coat - it smooths minor lumps and bumps, dust buggies, light brush ridges.  It needs to be rock hard before you do that otherwise even this risks cutting through to underneath layers.

Either way, I can get on with finishing the rest of it, because if I do a final flattening and a couple of light top coats, it needs at least a week hardening first anyway.

It's very close though and so this may not need anything more than the final polish.  
This is always a decent test:



I never worry about the finish sinking into the grain - I think that actually enhances the organic feel - but there are a couple of non-grain lumps and bumps that - again - may polish out or might need flattening.  

But, whatever, this is going to end up as eyecatching as I had hoped at the beginning   The obligatory mockups





So while that's curing, next focus is oil and buffing the neck, levelling and crowning the frets and positioning and fitting the tuners

PeteC

Now that is a guitar that you want to pick up !! Though I love traditional faded cherry SGs - this looks absolutely killer in the Yew.  

PhilKing

It does look stunning at this point.  I'm sure it will look even better in the flesh.  Neck through SG's make so much sense.