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Restoration project...

mojomike001

mojomike001

Mar 28, 2013
2,076
4,990
South Florida
#1
My acquisition cost was $0.00. A buddy of mine likes cruising thrift shops and he ran across this PJ in need of help for very small bucks, so he turned over to me to do what I wish. It was a badly painted white on white with a also badly painted black headstock and black painted back of the neck. For about a $15 investment in Rustoleum and a lot of man-hours, this is what I came up with.

I have no idea what brand this is, so I named it after myself. A little tweaking and it plays pretty well. Weight is a reasonable 8 3/4 lbs with perfect balance. I probably take it out and mess with for a couple of weeks and continue tweaking, and then ultimately donate it to be raffled of for a fund raiser. Definitely a fun project!
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#8
Eilif said:
Very nice results!

Can you describe your painting method?
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It was just rattle cans. Rustoleum Ultracover Ocean Mist. Basically I sanded the body down so that the crappy white paint that was in there was level and uniform. I used a primer the of the same brand, then wet sanded. I gave it several color coats, then wet sanded again, then clear coat. More wet sanding, polish and wax. I also painted the pickguard since I was unlikely to find a replacement. The neck took a lot of work. I sanded off all the black paint on the back of the neck and sanded the headstock until it was smooth. I matched the headstock with the body and finished the back if the neck with Danish Oil.

The key to a nice rattle can finish is avoiding runs and then plenty of wet sanding when you're done.
 
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#14
Eilif said:
A much better choice I think. I think most folks think a neck should be natural in color and an oiled neck is a great feeling.

Is that a hammered finish on the pickguard?
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Interesting story about that. I bought a can of Rustoleum Ivory Gloss. When I sprayed it on, it came out slightly pebbly instead of smooth. I'm not sure why. Maybe a defective or mismarked can? In any case, I actually liked the look. but it felt like rough sandpaper. A few coats of clear finish smoothed it enough to the touch, yet still maintained a somewhat pebbly finish.
 
#15
mojomike001 said:
Interesting story about that. I bought a can of Rustoleum Ivory Gloss. When I sprayed it on, it came out slightly pebbly instead of smooth. I'm not sure why. Maybe a defective or mismarked can? In any case, I actually liked the look. but it felt like rough sandpaper. A few coats of clear finish smoothed it enough to the touch, yet still maintained a somewhat pebbly finish.
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It looks cool, almost like vinyl.

I like mottled finishes. I recently redid my pickguard in rustoleum hammered silver.
"Hammered" finishes...? Update: Pics of Hammered PG installed.
 
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#16
mojomike001 said:
It may wind up getting donated to a kids' organization that puts instruments into the hands of kids who are motivated to learn to play. (Music For Minors)
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Good deed on your part! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I do the same, only more on a one-on-one basis. I'll zero in on a kid that very obviously needs a far better instrument than what their parents can swing them. I'll only speak to the parents about doing it for obvious reasons. And I'll also suggest that since I'm giving it to the parents, they present it to their child as own their gift to them. Because I think it's extremely important that the kid sees he/she has the support of their parents when it comes to music.

I grew up in a family that preached practical-mindedness and "responsibility" to a fault. So I never received any (as in zero) support or encouragement from my parents when it came to my musical ambitions. It's not that they disliked music. Music was fine to listen to. Both my parents enjoyed music a good deal. But beyond that, they thought of it as something other people created. In my family, playing music was considered a hobby at best, and a silly waste of time otherwise. So I guess I'm trying to do something for some kid that my parents weren't willing to do for me, and also something their own parents can't afford to do for their kid by themselves.

To me that's a big win-win for everybody. :)
 
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#18
Man, that is really sharp, great job, also love the idea of donating it to a youth music program, there's plenty out there and they are always in need. Also church youth groups often can use instruments. That is so cool!
 
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