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Show and tell: finishes

Fasoldt Basses

Fasoldt Basses

Mar 22, 2005
240
1
Stevens Point, WI
www.thompsonstrings.blogspot.com
Disclosures
Karl Thompson, Builder (Formerly Fat Karl)
#1
I'm wondering if we could put together a list of finishing teqniques acompanied by photos of the finish. For example, If I had finished a bass with nitro, I'd post a picture of that bass and then explain the finishing process. A few words on how it feels would be nice too. This way we can make sort of an encyclopedia of finishes. It would clear up a lot of questions in my head.:)
Thanks in advance everyone.
 
#3
Nate - I'd be interested in how epoxy has been the greatest thing ever for you. Maybe we could run a point/counterpoint series as I have experienced a number of available the lows that can be experienced trying to get a useable finish out of epoxy products. Lacquer and oil have produced my favorite finishes; polyurethane, spar varnish, and epoxy have produced my highest rates of hair loss.
 
#4
nateo said:
An excellent idea, Karl. Let me just say that as of tonight epoxy is the greatest thing in the world, ever. I'll leave it to someone with more experience to post pictures and methods, but my first experiences with epoxy coating have been great so far.

-Nate
Click to expand...


Epoxy:

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Method: Brush. Spray available, but takes many many many coate to achieve desired "slippery" feel. Takes a long time to dry...IME.

Feel: Mmmmmmm...like buttah.

Note: Usually only used on fretless fingerboards
 
#5
FBB Custom said:
Nate - I'd be interested in how epoxy has been the greatest thing ever for you. Maybe we could run a point/counterpoint series as I have experienced a number of available the lows that can be experienced trying to get a useable finish out of epoxy products. Lacquer and oil have produced my favorite finishes; polyurethane, spar varnish, and epoxy have produced my highest rates of hair loss.
Click to expand...

I think he refers to epoxy as the greatest thing for coating protective finish on fretless fingerboards. He's doing that right now. I like epoxy for pore filling and pseudo-stabilizing wood. Works great for me. I would never use it as a general finish, though.
 
#7
I've got a Warmoth lined fretless neck in that has had the fretboard coated by HG Thor down in Florida.

OMG! :eek:

Aerospace precision seems to come as close to describing the finish as I can conjur. This thing is incredible. They live up to their claims

I just got done with some poly on top of TruOil'd walnut this weekend. Nothing to show yet till I do some wetsanding then I'll lay it on you.
 
#8
FBB Custom said:
Nate - I'd be interested in how epoxy has been the greatest thing ever for you. Maybe we could run a point/counterpoint series as I have experienced a number of available the lows that can be experienced trying to get a useable finish out of epoxy products. Lacquer and oil have produced my favorite finishes; polyurethane, spar varnish, and epoxy have produced my highest rates of hair loss.
Click to expand...
Wilser and Geoff are right, I'm currently using it to coat a fretless FB. This experience, though, is giving me far too many other ideas. It went on incredibly easy with only a foam brush and cured out to a beautiful self levelled gloss inside of 4 hours. If it wasn't for a few craters and bubbles I don't think I'd even need a second coat, such was the success of the first.

I'm actually considering it for a general coat since it builds so fast (when brushed, anyway) and because it makes such a hard gloss. In my mind it seems a lot like the polyester coating you'd find on either a cheap plywood clone or a high end botique guitar (but not a middle of the road Fender, for some reason). Of course, there's always the obligatory "but what's it do to the tone!" that I never really pay attention to. Right now it looks like a poor p-bass clone will be the test bed for an epoxy clearcoat. It's been the test bed for any number of crazy finishing ideas already, what's one more?

I'd love to talk epoxy with someone more knowledgable than myself. I've got what I think are some neat ideas about using heat to increase penetration and whatnot. Looks like I'll be doing some experimentation in the next weeks.

-Nate
 
#10
nateo said:
I'd love to talk epoxy with someone more knowledgable than myself. I've got what I think are some neat ideas about using heat to increase penetration and whatnot. Looks like I'll be doing some experimentation in the next weeks.

-Nate
Click to expand...

From what I've read, you have to be careful with epoxy and heat. Not only does it speed up curing time, but also there's fumes consideration (I don't know about flamability)
 
#11
wilser said:
From what I've read, you have to be careful with epoxy and heat. Not only does it speed up curing time, but also there's fumes consideration (I don't know about flamability)
Click to expand...
My fancy little epoxy handbook that came with the system says using a heat gun helps to thin the epoxy and allows bubbles to escape faster. The problem becomes if you heat the wood the air will expand and more bubbles will form. However, if you preheat the wood (to around 140° F) and apply the epoxy as it cools, the air in the wood will shrink pulling more epoxy into the wood and decreasing the number of bubbles escaping into the finish.

I'm going to test how much the penetration increases the next time I mix a batch (which should be tonight or tomorrow, if all goes well).

-Nate
 
#12
I finished a bass with epoxy a few months ago, didn't have anything else at the time. It was only a build from a raw neck and body that I bought a while ago. No big deal, but good enough

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Supplies
--------
- The epoxy used was Invalid Link Removed. This epoxy is not as thick as West Systems or some of the others, so many coats are required for the fretboard
- Cheap standard brushes and foam brushes, and some thin cotton rags (business shirt will do nicely) to apply the epoxy
- Wet & dry sand paper I had lying around was 280, 340, 400, 600. I may not have used the 280
- Thin sticks to mix the epoxy
- Small measuring cup to contain the epoxy
- A garbage bin lined with plastic shopping bags
- Detergent and water to wash my clothes
- Furniture polish to buf

Application
----------
- Mixed a small amount (6ml) of epoxy to coat the fretboard and neck. Could have used a smaller amount for the fretboard, but my measuring cup only had measuring points at fixed locations
- Many layers of epoxy applied with cheap brushes
- Sanding between coats with various grits of wet & dry wrapped around different sanding blocks. Used a dust mask and goggles (occassionally) for protection
- I started with few coats on the fret board to build up some layers, then applied multiple layers to the whole neck always sanding between coats. The final few coats were thin and applied carefully with a rag
- More epoxy (~12ml) required for the body. Multiple thicker coats were applied to the body. The last few coats were thin and carefully applied with a rag
- Final coat was lightly sanded and polished with furniture polish
- Coats were applied in summer, which was not problem for the neck. However, I had to paint fast when applying epoxy to the body
- Fumes weren't a real problem since I worked with the doors and windows wide open
 
#15
Let me just clarify the purpose of this thread. It is not just for pictures of different finishes. It is not for extensively discussing different finishes. It is for pictures of finishes YOU have done and specifics on your supplies (exactly which type of epoxy/oil/laquer/what have you) and your techniques.

Just thought I'd clarify to keep us on track.:)
Thanks, Include, for your contribution.
 
#16
Fat Karl said:
Let me just clarify the purpose of this thread. It is not just for pictures of different finishes. It is not for extensively discussing different finishes. It is for pictures of finishes YOU have done and specifics on your supplies (exactly which type of epoxy/oil/laquer/what have you) and your techniques.

Just thought I'd clarify to keep us on track.:)
Thanks, Include, for your contribution.
Click to expand...

Karl, not sure if you're referring to my post or just clarifying the criteria. The only thing I omitted was specifics on the supplies. Also, are you asking for the exact detailed technique (very boring and possibly stiffling for some. What works for some may not work for others) used to apply the finish? Anyway, I've added more details above.

r379, yes it is an alder body.
 
#19
This is one of the pics from an upcoming "How to defret your bass the hack way" tutorial that Wilser put me up to (If I keep saying stuff like that he'll be forced to become the coordinator of the TB DIY posts.).

20%20Second%20Epoxy%20Coat.jpg


This pic was taken just after I spread the second coat of epoxy onto the fingerboard, so it hasn't cured yet. I used a standard 2" foam brush to spread the epoxy and went over it with a heat gun afterwards to help get rid of some bubbles (I'm still experimenting with the heat thing, hopefully I'll get some more concrete information soon.). I believe the two glares are, from left to right, the celing light in my shop and the flash from my camera.

The epoxy system I used was called 51-Cure from Industrial Formulators. I picked it up at my local Windsor Plywood along with a pump system. They say you should really double check your ratios even when using the pumps, but they seem to get it right for me. Using the pumps makes mixing incredibly easy, too. Just one pump of resin and one pump of hardener, then mix. The result is enough epoxy to coat the fingerboard and still have enough to epoxy up a sanding block or two.

18%20Epoxy%20System.jpg


I'm using a fast cure hardener, so you only really get 15-20 minutes of pot life out of it. Luckily that's plenty of time to get the fingerboard done and to use up the rest of the mix. It's also hard within a football game (~3 hours) and ready to be wet sanded. Odours don't seem to be a big problem even when applying heat. There is a distinctive smell, but I haven't let a single coat sit long enough to see how long it takes for the finish to completely degas.

-Nate
 
#20
Can i add a little post on Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil?
body3.jpg

Really, really easy to use. Wood is sanded down to 800 grit, then a few drops of tru-oil rubbed in well using a scotchbrite pad to wet out the surface and sink into the pores. After 2 hours some more is applied by soft cloth; a few drops on the surface, then rubbed in well. Dry overnight, rub in another few drops, just wetting out the surface, then sand back once dry with a fine grade paper, 1200 grit to remove any nubs.
Repeat the process for about 6 - 8 light coats, rubbing back with 1200 grit every other coat. I do one in the morning before work, then another in the evening when i get home. Once you've done 6 or 8 coats and you're happy with the build-up, then allow a day or two to fully harden.
Then wet sand all over with 1200 grit using a drop of washing up liquid as added lubricant.
Finally, dry off and buff with fine cuttting paste/t-cut, etc. then buff up with a good quality furniture wax to a nice lustre.

Note: Pics above are before the final cutting and waxing stages, but at the end of the Tru_Oil application.
 

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