The Hossenfeffer Bass Build

[Matt Liebenau]

I’d tend to agree with Rockhewer. I’ll use 600 grit Abranet (carefully) to level color or early clear coats but when wet sanding the “final” clear I usually start with 800 and go up from there.

I do want to try the Abranet and Abralon but i generally don’t want to wait when I need more sandpaper and end up buying more 3m paper. Plus, they have the 1000 - 2500 grit kit at the store where my wife works so I get a discount. Someday I’ll be a big boy and plan ahead and order the Mirka stuff beforehand.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Hmmmm.... Maybe I should get some Mirka Autonet 800 if 600 is too coarse? I like it because it doesn't clog at all, the dust just goes up into the mesh and you just vacuum it out. It's actually pretty cheap, and last a while, but you have to factor in postage. I've begun the obsessive Youtube watching process for level sanding and buffing out waterbase finishes, kinda a thin selection, but here's one where the guy uses Varathane over a transtint red finish. He dry sands for the whole process, but he also has a buffer. He recommends only 10-15 coats, but obviously he is a pro builder with more experience level sanding. @mapleglo said she had sand-through problems in anything less than around 20-30 coats. The problem I'm having is the lack of established technique for WB finishes, people are still working out the bugs and process, unlike traditional nitro which has a huge track record for what works. If anybody has some direct experience to relate on level sanding and buffing Varathane, please chime in. The WB finish thread is really a discussion among pro builders, all of whom seem to have buffing stations, so not everything they discuss applies to an amateur.


I still have my sample half-body mockup, I think I'll shoot the mockup with exactly the same number of clearcoats, level sand with same grits, etc. In theory, that will allow for an eff-up on the mockup first, so I don't repeat the mistake on the real bass.

 

[ICM]

That CB looks damn nice, your hard work has paid off!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Hey @mapleglo, did you level sand the clear after each 5 coats? My worry would be burning through the first 5-10 coats when its still pretty thin. I leveled the colorcoat with 1000 grit for the first couple attempts, even that cut through at edges and angles. Maybe 10 coats before level sand? This stuff is not like nitro, each coat is very thin. I haven't had much luck using Bruce's techniques, he has the experience to make it work for him, me not so much.

 

[mapleglo]

Hey @mapleglo, did you level sand the clear after each 5 coats? My worry would be burning through the first 5-10 coats when its still pretty thin. I leveled the colorcoat with 1000 grit for the first couple attempts, even that cut through at edges and angles. Maybe 10 coats before level sand? This stuff is not like nitro, each coat is very thin. I haven't had much luck using Bruce's techniques, he has the experience to make it work for him, me not so much.

I sanded with the 600 Autonet after each set of 5 coats, just to take down any bumps and unevenness. I did not try to make it perfectly level.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Yeah, wow...the stuff you guys are using goes on way thinner than the high build, high solids stuff I was describing. Don't listen to me about anything having to do with sanding techniques for a given "COAT" ammount.... completely different animal.
But I think you already knew that.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, it's not like nitro, where you can "puddle" it a bit and it will flow out. You have to spray it on really thin or it runs. When it first goes on, it looks like horrendous orangepeel, with each drop of finish it's own tiny island. If you try to keep spraying until it flows, it will will run. You just have to mist it on and walk away. After about 30 mins it flows out like magic. It's not easy to use, at least with my low-budget spray setup. The line between too little and too much is razor-thin.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Clearcoat finally done! And not a moment too soon, last 5 coats last night, temperatures dropped into the upper 30's here on the Cape. I had a space heater going in my spray booth, but I still think it got a little chilly for paint. The last 5 coats went on very thin, trying to avoid any last minute runs. I wouldn't call this "orange peel", how about "Sandi-Kote" (trademarked, all rights reserved ). Not a bad looking finish on its own for some other project (but not this one). I had to scrape and wet-sand a couple previous runs with Naptha and 600 grit, and it seemed to level out nicely, so I'm cautiously optimistic this will level and buff to gloss. Otherwise I'll just have to cut my own throat, of course, just to spite the bass. This WB finish is just a completely different animal than nitro or enamel. What you see here is 30 coats of clear over 5 color coats. Sounds like a lot, but in person it doesn't look like one of those thick poly finishes, and each coat goes on very thin. Every attempt to spray it on thicker resulted in runs, so it never really "flows-out" like nitro.

Going to let it hang in my heated inside closet for at least a week to harden up. I didn't get any blueish clouding, so I think it dried OK between 5 coat batches. I think I'll start level sanding with 1000 grit, see how it goes. If that feels too slow I may drop back to 800. Hopefully 30 coats is enough to avoid sand-through. Per usual, I'll go Gilmour-Slow and see what happens. Thanks for looking.

 

[Rôckhewer]

That looks great acually... and I am sure it will sand/polish out easily. Very consistent.
I would be very happy about that result.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

That looks great acually... and I am sure it will sand/polish out easily. Very consistent.
I would be very happy about that result.

Thanks Rock! That makes me feel better, I really don't know what to expect with finishes, pretty much Terra Icognita for me. I would have been equally unsurprised with a "you botched it" evaluation, not much baseline to compare with on WB finishes.

 

[Jon Clegg]

I expect that should polish out fine. I had the same kind of stuff going on when I used WB Poly on the Danobacker and it polished out fine.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Well, I don't know from WB results. But that looks similar...(or better) than what my final coats are looking like... and you've seen how they polish out.
(Not trying to brag or anything)

 

[Jon Clegg]

Well, I don't know from WB results. But that looks similar...(or better) than what my final coats are looking like... and you've seen how they polish out.
(Not trying to brag or anything)

Ain't braggin' if you can do it.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Like here, kinda hard to see....but I can never seem to get a coat to "flow out" wet. (Without runs, etc.) So I am really happy with a consistent orange peel..
Even 'pebbly' final.
I am far from an authority on the subject... but all sins are forgiven with careful sanding / polish!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Hey @Jon Clegg , what was your sanding process? I am avoiding water wetsanding altogether, got some Mirka Autonet and Abralon for dry sanding, but wetsanding with Naptha is another option.

 

[Jon Clegg]

I wet-sanded with mineral oil, starting with 600 grit then 800 then 1000. Used Naptha to clean up the mineral oil.

 

[sgtpepper]

It looks amazing!!!

 

[chinjazz]

Looks great!!! Can't wait to see it after sand & buff!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Gilmourisgod, I don’t know if this helps but here’s my current project / refinish. This is 6 coats of Behr black mixed in the Parks. I’m using a Harbor Freight HVLP gun and, if I had to guess, it’s probably set to lay down more material than your turbine gun. Looks like my color coats came out maybe a little smoother. Probably Saturday I’ll hit it with 600or 800 just enough to smooth a little and knock down the dust bumps. Then I’ll switch to the LVHP detail gun (also HF) and do a burst on the front and get more black on the sides until they’re opaque.

The clear coats are coming out a little smoother but, again, I’m not thinning it as much as Bruce’s original recipie. I seem to be having better luck adding a little Floetrol.

I’m sure your bass will turn out great.

 

[Nomad98]

Looking great... sanding with mineral oil?! Interesting idea.