FINISHED - Oh, Well - why not

Andyjr1515

sinbaadi said:

Is it just me that sees swifts in all the folds of your table cloth?

Nah - it's just you  )

The only reason is that we have two or three pair that nest in our eaves each year.  They are the last of the migating birds to arrive and first to leave again.  When they are here it's summertime  

They also look cool so...why not!

sinbaadi

Absolutely, no need for a reason at all, I just wondered if there was one.

TTony

Andyjr1515 said:

Here it is sanded and first quick coat of varnish.

Very nice work there.  One day, I'll try something similar.

imalone

Do you think cutting for the inlays could be done with just a small chisel and scalpel, or would depth control be too difficult without the router base?

Andyjr1515

I'm sure with a VERY small and VERY sharp chisel it would be possible, although I've never tried it. Depth-wise, it is not overly critical as long as you don't press the inlay in too far ( you need it to stand a little proud to then sand it flush). It's no problem if the inlay is sitting on a layer of epoxy rather than wood... Don't try straight on the neck, though. Practice on some scrap wood and see how good a dry fit you can get. Remember that the neck wood is generally very hard!

imalone

Thanks. More decisions...

Andyjr1515

Back from the overseas trip!

I said that my stain had also gone too dark on the top.  The back and sides, on the other hand, had a mix of two inks, a bluey turquoise and a greeney turquoise.  With even a spot of lacquer, the effect was great - bit like a mallard's neck:

 

With more varnish, this will positively shimmer!    

So, I sanded the top back to the veneer and did a light coat of the greeney turquoise, followed by some random swipes of the bluey turquoise.  Result is something like this (again, with the first coat of varnish on it):

Much better!

This is the mock-up so far:

I'm in the UK this week so will start to varnish the body while sorting the frets & fretboard & neck angle and starting to also tackle the electrics and fingerboard...

TTony

Nice!

Andyjr1515

What do you reckon best for the vastly reduced pickguard?:

• White?
• Pearl White?
• Carbon fibre matting as on my Squier?  (and by the way, the control panel will be the 4 hole version of the same chrome plate):
  

TTony

I like the contrast that you've got between the white (in the cavities) now and the blue, so I'd say white.

And I think flat white rather than pearl so as not to distract from the activity that you've got in the figuring of the veneer.  If you do pearl white (which normally I'd prefer), the top might look too busy?

Andyjr1515

Hi @TTony

Yup - I think you've confirmed my own thoughts.  I did a strat once with similar colours and a flat-white pickguard and I always thought it  enhanced the body colour . 

Flat-white it is!                       

TTony

White would also match the headstock inlays too ... we know we're right

Andyjr1515

Blank pickguard sheet, roller bridge and graphite(ish) nut on order.

Andyjr1515

Another tip about veneering.  As I said earlier in the thread, the veneer moves around a fair bit until its varnished with the different humidity. 

For the cracks, they tend to open up a little even if they have been filled.  For these, the 'slurry' method during varnishing/lacquering usually sorts it.

But, if the glue underneath hasn't been completely stuck during the initial ironing process, the wetness of the first few coats of lacquer causes the veneer to expand and you get a bubble forming.  Don't panic!  The great thing about using the PVA process is that the gluing process is completely repeatable.

I put the first couple of 'soak it up' varnish coats on the body yesterday.  This bubble popped up:

 

Just get the iron out, up to temperature and then pop a sheet of kitchen roll or thin cloth over the area to prevent scorching, hold the iron firmly on the offending area, take the iron away and then hold a rolled up teatowel or dust against the bubble area until it has cooled enough for the glue underneath to solidify again.

Just firm pressure will do - don't dig the iron or your knuckles in - you will dent the soft veneer.

This is how mine finished:

 

As I said earlier, the cracks will progressively fill as I use the sanding slurry technique in the mid and later stages of the finishing process.

Thanks for looking

Andy

 

imalone

Andyjr1515 said:

But, if the glue underneath hasn't been completely stuck during the initial ironing process, the wetness of the first few coats of lacquer causes the veneer to expand and you get a bubble forming.  Don't panic!  The great thing about using the PVA process is that the gluing process is completely repeatable.

I put the first couple of 'soak it up' varnish coats on the body yesterday.  This bubble popped up:

 

Just get the iron out, up to temperature and then pop a sheet of kitchen roll or thin cloth over the area to prevent scorching, hold the iron firmly on the offending area, take the iron away and then hold a rolled up teatowel or dust against the bubble area until it has cooled enough for the glue underneath to solidify again.

Just firm pressure will do - don't dig the iron or your knuckles in - you will dent the soft veneer.

 

Has me wondering if this would have worked for bubbles in the fabric covering method too.

ThePrettyDamned

Wow, that's a beautiful colour.

Pearl white guard would be my choice but... I'm such a tasteless tart.

Andyjr1515

imalone said:

Has me wondering if this would have worked for bubbles in the fabric covering method too.

Hi, @imalone

I'm not sure either.  Trouble is, with the glue on yours (was it PVA based?) soaking through the fabric, you might have ended up with just a sticky mess.  I think it was the safer option to do what you did - and it looks great to me anyway!

imalone

Good point.

nutbox

That's what happened to mine andy ,but I think I must of pressed to hard and left dents in the veneer doh! But I have been lightly sanding and then revarnishing ,it is slowly building up the dents now.

Andyjr1515

nutbox said:

That's what happened to mine andy ,but I think I must of pressed to hard and left dents in the veneer doh! But I have been lightly sanding and then revarnishing ,it is slowly building up the dents now.

Hi, @nutbox

Funnily enough I did too on some smaller ones at the back.  Trouble is that the fibres of the veneer can easily get crushed until it has the protection of the lacquer / varnish.  Glad to hear that yours is smoothing out...especially now that I'll be having to take my own advice  )

By the way, when are we all going to see your veneer project.?  ..it's too good to keep to yourself...

Andy