bassedsouth
10-23-2007, 04:17 PM
Well all I can say is I've finally got pretty far with my 1st build , what a learning curve :eek: !!
I'ts taken longer than I expected and it's not over yet :hmm::D .
I'm about to route pickup cavities / do tuner holes / and do a little more neck shaping . Then I'll be at the final sanding phase and that is where some advice would be great .
I've used walnut for the top and see that it is quite a grainy wood that does not seem to sand to a really smooth finish ( perhaps it's just my lack of experience ) , does anyone have any advice on how to prep the walnut to smoothe it out for finishing ?
I'm thinking of perhaps using tung oil !
cricketfever32
10-23-2007, 05:14 PM
really fine sandpaper? or steel wool
amazing grain on the back by the way, would you mind listing the woods you used?
wilser
10-23-2007, 06:23 PM
walnut is a very porous wood that will not be smooth unless you fill the grain. You will not get a flat surface if you don't do this. You can use any of the grain fillers available. Epoxy worked well for me, thickened because it's easier to sand that way.
Greenman
10-23-2007, 06:28 PM
walnut is a very porous wood that will not be smooth unless you fill the grain.
+1
eleonn
10-23-2007, 08:15 PM
It looks really really nice. The wood in the back looks just soooo sweet. Do you have a pic of the whole bass?
JSPguitars
10-24-2007, 12:38 AM
Hey, you have a tiny hole in the end of your fretboard! :p
Really nice looking for a first build! That ash (I'm assuming it's ash) looks superb.
Yellow
10-24-2007, 01:40 AM
yea man, looks great I am on my first project myself, it is a big curve I am with you there, but looks like you are doing awesome.
if you go with tung oil, make a sealer coat full strenght and sand it down almost to wood, it will fill the pores and then you can build smooth finish from there.
bassedsouth
10-24-2007, 04:24 AM
really fine sandpaper? or steel wool
amazing grain on the back by the way, would you mind listing the woods you used?
neck=maple with walnut lam and cocobolo board
body=ash w walnut top ( I regret not leaving it ash ) / I also used some African rosewood ( bubinga I think ?) strips , nice wood I plan to use it in future builds .
bassedsouth
10-24-2007, 04:28 AM
It looks really really nice. The wood in the back looks just soooo sweet. Do you have a pic of the whole bass?
Thanks !! I'll put a full pic in a couple of days .
bassedsouth
10-24-2007, 04:43 AM
Hey, you have a tiny hole in the end of your fretboard! :p
Really nice looking for a first build! That ash (I'm assuming it's ash) looks superb.
Ash it is !!
I drilled that hole by the way in order to stop the fretboard 'slipping' while glueing / I stuck a jewellers screwdriver in to hold the board while the glue set ( the cocobolo board was sliding around like a car on an oil patch ) . I'll fill it w epoxy mixed w wood dust .
JSPguitars
10-24-2007, 10:43 PM
Ash it is !!
I drilled that hole by the way in order to stop the fretboard 'slipping' while glueing / I stuck a jewellers screwdriver in to hold the board while the glue set ( the cocobolo board was sliding around like a car on an oil patch ) . I'll fill it w epoxy mixed w wood dust .
Roger that, I was just being a smartass...:hiding: