Fretless Fretboard gloss

chinjazz · #1 07-22-2007, 10:41 AM

Howdy, I know this is probably an old topic.. I bought an SX Fretless as an entry into the fretless world and upgrading:

http://www.rondomusic.net/sjb62mgfllpb.html

First off, since it's a rosewood board, and I like DR Sunbeams, it's gonna tear up the board. I'd like to give it a few coats of "something" to gloss it up. I know it'll still tear into it then, but that's ok. Any suggestions on an easy home remedy path to this? Any info, or old thread links would be mucho appreciado!

Thanks,
Adam

Cerb · #2 07-23-2007, 04:53 AM

Epoxy is the standard fretless board coating. Linas has an epoxy tutorial here

Dirk Diggler · #3 07-23-2007, 11:46 PM

Nothing wrong with multiple coats of Poly, actually much easier than epoxy to deal with. I've been doing poly for over 20 years and haven't had to re-do one yet.

Dirk

#4 07-24-2007, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Nothing wrong with multiple coats of Poly, actually much easier than epoxy to deal with. I've been doing poly for over 20 years and haven't had to re-do one yet.

Dirk

+1....The Poly seems to hold up pretty well and looks great. I have Ebony boards and I play flatwounds so I don't think the Poly on my next fretless would help me that much though.

George

Yankeesfan1115 · #5 07-24-2007, 12:05 AM

hate to hijack a thread
what poly do you use?

chinjazz · #6 07-24-2007, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan1115

hate to hijack a thread
what poly do you use?

1+ That was my next question for Dirk

chinjazz · #7 07-24-2007, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Nothing wrong with multiple coats of Poly, actually much easier than epoxy to deal with. I've been doing poly for over 20 years and haven't had to re-do one yet.

Dirk

Hi Dirk, what sort of Poly do you usually use? By the way, that's a really cool looking bass you've made! How does it sound?

Thanks!
Adam

Dirk Diggler · #8 07-25-2007, 12:38 AM

Hey Guys,
Thanks for asking and the kind words on my build. I love it and it's my #1 bass for fretted.

I use a Spar Poly. I think the last batch was even minwax brand, great stuff to play with actually, levels pretty well and will gloss great with a bit of buffing.
I will warn you most of my fretless basses have at least 30 coats on them. But each layer dries fairly quick. If I recall I could do about 3 coats a day.

Dirk

chinjazz · #9 07-25-2007, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Hey Guys,
Thanks for asking and the kind words on my build. I love it and it's my #1 bass for fretted.

I use a Spar Poly. I think the last batch was even minwax brand, great stuff to play with actually, levels pretty well and will gloss great with a bit of buffing.
I will warn you most of my fretless basses have at least 30 coats on them. But each layer dries fairly quick. If I recall I could do about 3 coats a day.

Dirk

Very cool! I'll start researching Spar Poly. Not bad, 3 coats a day for 10 days --- No sweat. Being down in the humidity capital of the USA, and I don't have as much of a controlled environment, I think I'll have to pick and choose the times when i can do my finishing in my garage.

On a humorous note, I'm now motivated to change my name on here to something a little more BoogieNights-Esque.

Thanks Dirk!

Dirk Diggler · #10 07-26-2007, 02:31 PM

Hey Adam,
No problem man, happy to help. Yes humidity will affect dry times for sure, you'll know when it's dry enough to continue. When you touch it and it leaves no finger print it's time to move on. Don't forget to sand between layers after the first couple. Also if you want it to shine use a buffer and make it shine!

And Yankeesfan PM'ed me which Poly I used and my current favorite is:

Minwax Indoor/Outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Gloss variety.

I only ever use rounds on my fretlesses and this stuff works great, after 30 some odd coats it gets almost as strong as Pedulla Diamondkote. I wish I could find that stuff.

Read the directions and heed the warnings.

Good luck,
Dirk

chinjazz · #11 07-26-2007, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Hey Adam,
No problem man, happy to help. Yes humidity will affect dry times for sure, you'll know when it's dry enough to continue. When you touch it and it leaves no finger print it's time to move on. Don't forget to sand between layers after the first couple. Also if you want it to shine use a buffer and make it shine!

And Yankeesfan PM'ed me which Poly I used and my current favorite is:

Minwax Indoor/Outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Gloss variety.

I only ever use rounds on my fretlesses and this stuff works great, after 30 some odd coats it gets almost as strong as Pedulla Diamondkote. I wish I could find that stuff.

Read the directions and heed the warnings.

Good luck,
Dirk

Hey Dirk,

Super! Thanks a bunch for passing on that info from YankeesFan! This is the way I'm going to go, and I'll heed the warnings on the can..

Mind if I ask you another question thru PM regarding a different neck finish I'm going to do, or I'd like to do?

Thanks,
Adam

Dirk Diggler · #12 07-27-2007, 04:32 PM

Hey Adam,
No problem I'm happy to help in any way I can.

Hey PM's are free.

Dirk

coolrunner989 · #13 07-27-2007, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Hey Adam,
No problem man, happy to help. Yes humidity will affect dry times for sure, you'll know when it's dry enough to continue. When you touch it and it leaves no finger print it's time to move on. Don't forget to sand between layers after the first couple. Also if you want it to shine use a buffer and make it shine!

And Yankeesfan PM'ed me which Poly I used and my current favorite is:

Minwax Indoor/Outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Gloss variety.

I only ever use rounds on my fretlesses and this stuff works great, after 30 some odd coats it gets almost as strong as Pedulla Diamondkote. I wish I could find that stuff.

Read the directions and heed the warnings.

Good luck,
Dirk

so to get a nice shiny finish you would sand between the first few layers, apply the rest of the layers, and then buffer it after the last layer?

thanks for all the info!

volt9stormrider · #14 07-27-2007, 07:35 PM

hey... i've got the same bass, and i just use flats on mine.

they are better IMO anyways and they won't tear up the fingerboard.

chinjazz · #15 07-27-2007, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volt9stormrider

hey... i've got the same bass, and i just use flats on mine.

they are better IMO anyways and they won't tear up the fingerboard.

I put my flats back on until I can get this finish done. I like the flats for certain things, but I'm more of a round wound player. I took lessons years ago with Carol Kaye, and she really turned me on to the Flats vibe, but it just wasn't in my blood or something

Very cool vibe though

Dirk Diggler · #16 07-27-2007, 10:55 PM

To answer coolrunner,
The first few coats (which I consider base coats) I did not sand between, just stacked them up to create a thick base. Then after about the 3rd or 4th coating it was sanding every layer or 2. And by the end it's only 000 steel wool, then buffing for the shine.
Good luck,
Dirk

T. Brookins · #17 07-29-2007, 01:01 AM

You might like the superglue, or, cyanoacrylate (CA) finish. it takes about 3 hours from start to finish and dries VERY hard. It buffs to a shine with 600 wet and Scratch-Out. I've done it and it is tons more durable than any poly. It is an epoxy. When set, it sands slowly, levels evenly, and wears almost none.

I LOVE IT!

See: Dan Erlewine.
Or run a search.

Woodturners love this stuff!

chinjazz · #18 07-29-2007, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T. Brookins

You might like the superglue, or, cyanoacrylate (CA) finish. it takes about 3 hours from start to finish and dries VERY hard. It buffs to a shine with 600 wet and Scratch-Out. I've done it and it is tons more durable than any poly. It is an epoxy. When set, it sands slowly, levels evenly, and wears almost none.

I LOVE IT!

See: Dan Erlewine.
Or run a search.

Woodturners love this stuff!

Hey T,

Do you suggest a high viscosity one?

I was using some medium viscosity CA on a different project last night (built up a thick coat and it took about 2 1/2 hrs to dry).

Do you have time to share some more specific details like product you used, how thick a coat, how long to wait to sand/buff? What you used to sand/buff (because this is some tuff stuff to sand).

I'm very interested in this

Thanks in advance!

Adam

**Rodent** · #19 07-29-2007, 08:19 AM

CA was discussed recently in another fingerboard finishing thread, and the consensus was that Dan W had a few too many Nitro fumes floating around his head when he wrote that article.

IME CA is a awful finish to apply and accurately level. I simply refuse to use it again. Take a look in that other thread and you'll see many who share a similar dislike for finishing a fingerboard with CA.

all the best,

R

chinjazz · #20 07-29-2007, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodent

CA was discussed recently in another fingerboard finishing thread, and the consensus was that Dan W had a few too many Nitro fumes floating around his head when he wrote that article.

IME CA is a awful finish to apply and accurately level. I simply refuse to use it again. Take a look in that other thread and you'll see many who share a similar dislike for finishing a fingerboard with CA.

all the best,

R

Thanks R!

I think I'll try the Dirk Diggler path then: Minwax Indoor/Outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Gloss variety.

It certainly seems the be less involved than boat epoxy with all that mixing, etc...

Cheers!
Adam