First Build - "Lucifer"

[Beej]

This is nitpicky, but I'd personally be hitting it with 220, and maybe 180 if 220 didn't get enough high/low spots. 150 to me is in "final shaping" grit territory rather than "fine sanding" which is what's needed here IMHO.

Love, Dad.

 

[TerribleTim68]

This is nitpicky, but I'd personally be hitting it with 220, and maybe 180 if 220 didn't get enough high/low spots. 150 to me is in "final shaping" grit territory rather than "fine sanding" which is what's needed here IMHO.

Love, Dad.

I'm quite okay with that input.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Small Update -
So, after working all day my four coats of Zinsser Seal Coat were good and dry. Only one problem, that really showed all my issues on the prep. There were spots that still showed rasp and file marks, spots that even still showed saw marks and some spots that I'm not even sure WT... that was. But none of it was good!

So I guess my prep sucks. Or, is this the prep? Or do you need to prep before you prep? I don't know how any of this works, I'm kind of just winging it. Anyways, I went after it with the RoS and some 220 grit after the suggestions here to not get too crazy. I used the OSS on areas that the RoS couldn't get in. It was slow going, take your time, try not to get frustrated and rush kind of stuff. You know, the stuff I kind of suck at! Luckily my in-laws were over visiting with my wife, so it was a good excuse to not deal with them. "Sorry, didn't know you were coming!" But, eventually I got it to a point where I wasn't unhappy with it. There's large areas that feel super smooth, I'm really happy with those areas. Then there's areas that I feel like could still use some love. They aren't "bad", they just aren't as good as the good areas. KnowUmSayin?

Anyways, I put one more thin coat of Zinsser on it, trying to be a little more careful about keeping it even. We'll just leave that alone 'till tomorrow and then I'm thinking I'll hand sand it with something a bit finer. We're gaining on it! I know this is the "make or break" part of this build and the very first thing the entire build will be judged on by everyone who holds it, so I don't want to cut corners here, even if it means doing this process a dozen times. But man, it looks stunning already!

In Other News -
The Amazon cart has my copper tape and a reamer in it. I need a good reamer to clean up those holes for things like pot shafts and tuners. I currently have....nothing. I don't even want to think about the money I've spent on tools along the way, but at least the next build will go way smoother!

 

[Videojunkie]

Yeah, the first couple of coats really shows you how good you did your final prep work.

At least you only have a couple of coats done... should be relatively easy to sand down and get it right. Imagine if you had done a thick epoxy finish and found those scratches ..

 

[Rôckhewer]

Dude...Ya just gotta find that Zen/chi/yin-yang/chakra-khan... meditative state...
... conducive to sanding.

I get there with a doobie.

And... frequent trips outside.... indirect daylight is your friend in finding scratches. Also a flashlight at a low angle.
Keep slogging.

Looking gorgeous

 

[ctmullins]

69 bonus points to @Rôckhewer for “chakra-khan”!

This has become a highly entertaining thread!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I knew I was missing something In my sanding technique. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[RichterScale]

Darkening the room and shining a light across the work at a low angle is a good way to expose every microscopic flaw. It's a good way to crush all your self confidence after you've sanded for for 2 days and think you done good.

 

[dwizum]

Darkening the room and shining a light across the work at a low angle is a good way to expose every microscopic flaw. It's a good way to crush all your self confidence after you've sanded for for 2 days and think you done good.

AND it makes good mood lighting for your zen sanding dance.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

BTW, Zen Sanding Dance is an excellent band name. Just Sayin.

 

[Beej]

Zen Sanding is pretty important to maintain sanity IME

two-twenty grit pad
the sanding hand sways lithely
as the tree once did

My smooth surface tips include those here already, plus raising the grain and doing detail steaming. I know there are those that will disagree, but I think a random orbital is a prep sanding tool not a final sanding tool. I don't have a Festool RO though, so that might change my mind.

My final sanding after the RO is to block sand all the flats to get them razor straight and then go over the whole thing with 180 and then 220, each time paying very close attention to following the direction of the grain, especially on corners, rounds, edges, curves, etc. This can be painstaking, but it's the best way I've found to get a consistently baby-butt smooth finish.

Coupled with raising the grain a few times and detail steaming the surface, I find I can almost always get a glass-smooth professional finish. That final sanding prep I find is a real deal-maker when it comes to getting the cleanest end point.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

By Detail Steaming do you mean getting dents out? I try to do that with a wet rag and soldering iron, which works pretty well. I dinged my Hossenfeffer 2 AFTER Tru-Oil, will steam raise a debt after oil finish? I definitely have to up my game on sanding, I seem to miss scratches someplace every time.

 

[Beej]

By Detail Steaming do you mean getting dents out? I try to do that with a wet rag and soldering iron, which works pretty well. I dinged my Hossenfeffer 2 AFTER Tru-Oil, will steam raise a debt after oil finish? I definitely have to up my game on sanding, I seem to miss scratches someplace every time.

Yes, but it will also help the grain raise up in any fine scratches and small grooves pushed in the surface by the sandpaper that are present running along with the grain. I go around all the edges anywhere with detail steaming along with regular grain raising to help get things really smooth.

I've steamed dents out that have an oil finish, depending on the depth and how much time/heat is needed to steam it out, I've been able to blend in repairs no problem and other times had to refinish.

 

[TerribleTim68]

It's just so much sanding at this point. I gave the last coat of sanding sealer a hand sanding with 220. Found some areas I was really unhappy with and had to go clear back to the rasp and file on one of them and reshape the whole area. Not sure what happened there, but man this sanding sealer shows every little flaw.

Anyways, sealer coat #6! -

We'll let that dry overnight and then come back with the hand sanding tomorrow. It looks better in the pictures than it does in person, trust me. I'll stop when I'm happy with it or at the very least when I'm ready to take the beating I'll get for giving up before it was "ready". I'm also trying to remind myself that at some point I'm gonna clear this thing with 2K and I can use the 2K to fill some of these smaller grain areas that I can still feel, and the 2K will surely buff and polish to a higher shine and smoother feel than this will ever get to.

We'll get there. I need to keep telling myself....we'll get there.

 

[Videojunkie]

Keep working at it. Everything you are doing now pays off in spades once the finish is done. (And it's looking really great! )

Honestly, it's my least favorite part of building an instrument. Has been since I built my first guitar. But looking at the finish on those early instruments makes me want to be better each time.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Thanks!

So for those of you who have worked with sanding sealers before, here's a question:
When I sand it, the sealer turns that ugly white, like when you sand epoxy. So the whole thing has this ugly scratched up look to it. Am I doing something wrong? Or is that normal? Do I need to sand with something much finer to avoid those scratches, or is that just part of the game? I'm aware of the process with epoxy from some wood turning projects, you end up sanding it up to 2000 grit and then coming at it with wetsand micromesh pads up to super fine grits. Am I gonna have to approach this in that manner? The only way to make that white haze disappear is to come back over it with another coat of sealer, but the sealer isn't smooth at all when it dries. I feel like this is a never ending circle here. Unless I'm doing this wrong.

 

[deff]

Thanks!

So for those of you who have worked with sanding sealers before, here's a question:
When I sand it, the sealer turns that ugly white, like when you sand epoxy. So the whole thing has this ugly scratched up look to it. Am I doing something wrong? Or is that normal? Do I need to sand with something much finer to avoid those scratches, or is that just part of the game? I'm aware of the process with epoxy from some wood turning projects, you end up sanding it up to 2000 grit and then coming at it with wetsand micromesh pads up to super fine grits. Am I gonna have to approach this in that manner? The only way to make that white haze disappear is to come back over it with another coat of sealer, but the sealer isn't smooth at all when it dries. I feel like this is a never ending circle here. Unless I'm doing this wrong.

Three coats, sand flat and smooth. Most of the sealer will appear buried at that point. If you still have concerns, try a piece of scrap and run through the process, then apply some of you gloss coat and any residual unsightliness should disappear, but if you sand smooth it likely won't be ugly anymore.

 

[41hzthunder]

My experience is that any flaw in prep work is 10 times worse when the final finish is done. The clear coat doesn't cover, just emphasises the flaws. At each level of sanding 120, 150, 220, 340 . . . . you have to get it flat and the scratches from the previous sanding out. Its not done 'til both goals are met, then move to the next level. I'm currently working on a 4003 rebuild finish and having to go back to 1500, 2000, 2500 . . . because some very minor scratch/swirl marks keep showing up. Maybe I'm the only one who will notice, but they are there! Patience and time. Then I can start playing it and put scratches and dings in it. Sigh.

 

[TerribleTim68]

So, taking a break from sanding for a bit to clear my vision and mind.
I started watching YouTube videos on soldering basics. Right away I figured out why I always sucked at it. Then my wife says "Are you really watching videos on how to solder?"
Umm.....yeah?
She says "You do realize I literally did that when I worked at DeWalt, right?"
Uhh.....no.
She says "Yeah babe, I had to solder stuff on all those tools I repaired. I did it it for like 15 years or whatever that I worked there."
Umm....okay, are you gonna solder my guitar together for me?
She says "Do you want me to?"
Uhh, YEAH! Can I film it so my YouTube hits increase?!?!?

So anyways, I marked a piece of cardboard and poked some holes in it and "mounted" everything to it that I can pre-assemble outside the cavity. Now we have this -

Yeah man, it's all pretty tight. I really wish I could have made that cavity bigger, but it is what it is at this point. Everything fits in there, there just isn't "room to spare". But I've also got a TON of "stuff" in there, so realistically the cavity isn't small by any means, I've just filled it to the brim.

Edit: For those who are gonna ask -
There's a volume, a Darkglass Tone Capsule, kill switch for each pup, coil split for each pup, series/parallel for the pups and a pre-amp bypass to run it all in passive mode. Yup, lot of stuff.

Not much gonna get done this weekend. The wife and I are running off to the Northern Washington coast to try and see the Aurora tonight. It's been a life long dream of my wife's to see that, so if we have a chance like this, I better make it a priority. I'm hopeful that getting out on the coast north of Ocean Shores will put us in a spot where the Olympic mountains shadow the Seattle lights and we're looking away from the bigger cities on the coast such as Ocean Shores/Westport. Cross your fingers for me, I'm hoping the trip is worth it. I'm taking the drone too, just in case. If it works, pics upon our return!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Cool. The northern lights came far enough south for us to see them pretty clearly once when we lived in Idaho. It was pretty amazing.


Yes on the soldering! If the (I’m assuming) lovely lady wants to help, by all means take her up on it. Together time and all that.