BR06623's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED

[RogerC]

Looking very nice. You've pretty much got it whipped now

[BR06623]

Originally Posted by RogerC

Looking very nice. You've pretty much got it whipped now

I could whip myself for what I did to the neck!

[RogerC]

What happened? What caused the splotchiness?

[BR06623]

Roger, I really don't know. I tried a small area on a scrap I had, but it was unsanded so I stained on the milled side. It looked real nice. I have read that maple does that sometimes, but I don't know why or how to fix.

[nosmo]

Soft maple will get splotchy because the density of the wood varies so much from spot to spot. If you can sand it back to where you're happy with it, you might try to seal it & sand it first and then spray a tinted clear over the sealer.

Hard maple doesn't seem to be as bad, but it can still be splotchy. Figured maple soaks up the stain in the end grain of the figuring so it usually looks nice with stain, or at least hides the splotch in the figure.

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by nosmo

Soft maple will get splotchy because the density of the wood varies so much from spot to spot. If you can sand it back to where you're happy with it, you might try to seal it & sand it first and then spray a tinted clear over the sealer.

Hard maple doesn't seem to be as bad, but it can still be splotchy. Figured maple soaks up the stain in the end grain of the figuring so it usually looks nice with stain, or at least hides the splotch in the figure.

+ 1 on this

[emoney]

This Ambrosia is the King of Blotchiness, I've found. Look on the bright side, you're not
fighting with the whole top, lol.

What's working for me is this;
1) Wet the wood first and then allow that to dry. The grain will standup that's creating
the blotchiness. Sand it back with 320 (or in my case, 220 + 400)
2) Apply very light coats of your color, sanding the uneveness after each coat dries.
Don't be aggressive with the sandpaper, just knock the darkest of the blotches back.

You need to get all that stain off, of course, and even though it's going to take a bit, it
will come off. Another option, and if I was doing a neck and didn't need this specific color
that's in my head, would be to spray an Amber Lacquer and not use any tint. For a neck,
that would probably look pretty sharp giving you a slightly aged tone. I'd still wet the
neck and then sand-back as mentioned above, but you won't have to fight the color as bad.

Side note: It's best to get something on top of the sandpaper that's not your
hands. If you look at your neck, you'll notice the ridges are clear of color,
while the low spots are still stained. A small block of wood works. It will make
it easier to get a consistent color too.

[BR06623]

Originally Posted by nosmo

Soft maple will get splotchy because the density of the wood varies so much from spot to spot. If you can sand it back to where you're happy with it, you might try to seal it & sand it first and then spray a tinted clear over the sealer.

Hard maple doesn't seem to be as bad, but it can still be splotchy. Figured maple soaks up the stain in the end grain of the figuring so it usually looks nice with stain, or at least hides the splotch in the figure.

Ok, here is where my beginner status really comes into play. I will try the sand & seal. Can you stain over sand and sealer or am I just out of luck on coloring the neck the shade I want?

Thanks Nosmo, Adirondak5, & Emoney for your help on this.

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by BR06623

Ok, here is where my beginner status really comes into play. I will try the sand & seal. Can you stain over sand and sealer or am I just out of luck on coloring the neck the shade I want?

Thanks Nosmo, Adirondak5, & Emoney for your help on this.

If you go with sand and seal then you can tint your next coat that you spray over the sand and seal to get the neck the tint you want , then go with clear over that .

[emoney]

Y'up. If you want color, you'll need to spray it. There's a product called Maple Conditioner
that comes in a rattle can I'm pretty sure. If you have a Woodcraft nearby (or similar),
you can get colored lacquer in a spray can too.

[crazydave911]

Sweet neck!

[BR06623]

Seems like it is my turn to make mistakes. I got the neck looking much better and I think a clear or tinted lacquer will look good.

However...I decided it was time to drill the holes for the tuners. I NEED a drill press. When I was done, the holes were misaligned, too close to the edge, and the last one actually hung out past the end of the headstock.

So, I used 1/4" dowel rod to plug the holes. Measured the proper distance between the pegs, made a line and spaced the holes properly. I used a punch to mark the spots, but I do not have a drill press and I hesitate to try again with a hand held drill.

[Barncaster]

Originally Posted by BR06623

Seems like it is my turn to make mistakes. I got the neck looking much better and I think a clear or tinted lacquer will look good.

However...I decided it was time to drill the holes for the tuners. I NEED a drill press. When I was done, the holes were misaligned, too close to the edge, and the last one actually hung out past the end of the headstock.

So, I used 1/4" dowel rod to plug the holes. Measured the proper distance between the pegs, made a line and spaced the holes properly. I used a punch to mark the spots, but I do not have a drill press and I hesitate to try again with a hand held drill.

Hey BR,

Throw some veneer on the front and vintage tuners will hide it from the rear. Ask. Me how I know about veneer........

Barncaster

[BR06623]

I worked on the color of the back of the guitar as well, today. I think this is what it will look like. Haven't decided to go with this. May just paint a solid dark brown. It looks a little rough, but I am working with old, used wood.

I know the joints look rough, but I do not have access to a jointer. So, I clamped two pieces together and ran a skil saw between them. Had a little tear out. I will have to fill the cracks with something.

Anyways, the color is a stain made from black, water based paint, thinned and painted on with a brush, then wiped off quickly. I did a board to hang 3 of my son's guitars this way and it turned out good.

[BR06623]

Originally Posted by Barncaster

Hey BR,

Throw some veneer on the front and vintage tuners will hide it from the rear. Ask. Me how I know about veneer........

Barncaster

Ha ha, we learn from experience...hopefully. The new holes will be very close to the old ones. I may not need to cover them. If I do, I have a piece from the front of the guitar that I may use for a veneer.

So, how do you know about veneer?

[BR06623]

I filled the visible cracks at the joints in the back with stainable wood filler. We will see what happens when it is cured, sanded, and stained. I also filled a few other spots that I knew were going to need it. The pictures posted of the back of the body somehow don't look as good as it does live....usually it seems that pictures make it look better.

On another note...a neighbor/friend informed me that he has a Fender noiseless pickup for me....no cost! Sweet. Just have to buy the other one. Does anyone know if I need to get an actual Fender pickup to match or will something else work with them? I don't know yet whether it is a bridge or neck pickup.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Easter Sunday. Headed to church now, 1 of three services today.

[BR06623]

Can anybody help me identify the position that this pickup is for? All I know is that it is a Fender Noiseless for Strat. If it is a neck position, I may use it. If it is bridge or middle, would it sound good as a neck position on a tele?

Thanks in advance. Sure is nice to get something for free, anyway.

[BR06623]

Here are some photos of a much improved body. Not perfect, but much better. I am ok with it.


Still got so much to do.

[BR06623]

Ok, did a little more work on the heel of the neck and the pocket. Fitting nicely!

Having a hard time getting a photo without a shadow. Cell phone without flash, inside a garage.

[BR06623]

Well, I am having fun working on this. I am learning a lot! Thanks for everyone's help, comments and suggestions.

Now I will have to wait on parts....control plate, input jack, string trees, ferules, etc. However, if I can get the tuners installed I can set the bridge. Gotta get the neck screwed on first....Not too sure about what order these steps should be done in. I figure I am doing it all wrong. rookie!