Apply dye to body first or put the dye in the sealer/filler with an emulsifier...

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by ChicknPickn

Tru-oil over that dark stain will look great. The only real risks I can see are the ones you've touched on already. If excess stain is well blotted and dried, I'd think the rest of the project would go well.

Well, I did apply the Birchwood Casey Sealer/Filler over the dye...2 layers was really all I wanted to put on. It probably could use 3 or 4.

However, as it is, I sanded down the sealer a little taking care to sand right through on one edge of my trial piece. (note to self...don't sand so frickin much) Lesson learned.

So anyway, it got real smooth. I sanded it with a piece or 600 grit paper. Then I applied the first coat of tru oil. I must say.....just with that and even before drying, sanding or polishing, the tru oil really makes the grain, the color stand out a lot. I cannot wait to get home and lightly scuff the tru oil and apply another layer. I figure I'll apply it maybe 5 times and see where I'm at with things. At that point I'll probably do the carnauba wax thing and get it nice and shiny.

[jimd]

As you found out, you have to be very careful sanding or you will go through to bare wood. I just learned this the hard way. I stained a swamp ash body, then grain filled and sealed it. It was a very tedious process of staining filling, sanding, restaining, refilling, resanding, restaining, sealing, etc. The next time I do something similar I am definitely going to try filling, sealing and then spraying with a tinted clear coat. On the positive side, I am really happy with the way the body is looking.

[Vizcaster]

Ash doesn't blotch the way cherry, birch, or sometimes maple does so you really don't need a washcoat or conditioner before the dye.

Also consider a wipe down with a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol rather than naphtha if you're going to use a water based dye.

It kills me not to comment about the Tru Oil stuff...

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by Vizcaster

Ash doesn't blotch the way cherry, birch, or sometimes maple does so you really don't need a washcoat or conditioner before the dye.

Also consider a wipe down with a 50/50 mix of water and denatured alcohol rather than naphtha if you're going to use a water based dye.

It kills me not to comment about the Tru Oil stuff...

Why? Choo gotta problem wit da oil mon?

I am absolutely loving the way this stuff is turning out on my practice piece. I have a couple more coats of tru oil going down on it. After, I'll polish it up and post a pic....maybe tomorrow. I'd like to see what you guys think of it.

If I get a good response, I'll probably just go ahead and plunge into the swamp ash body with the dye.

Happy new years day by the way.


Edit: I came out of the garage, and my wife said I smelled good. I said...I'm not wearing any cologne. Can you believe she likes the way the tru oil smells?

Weird.

[flyingbanana]

Here's the body after dying it. I have since sanded it and applied a little more dye, will sand it one more time. The little blotches are gone...don't know what they were.

[flyingbanana]

Update on body. I have applied a nice coat to Birchwood Casey Sealer/Filler. It will dry until Sat late morning, and then I'm going to sand real good...making sure not to go through the color on the edges.

That's such a tough thing not to do.

After sanding down a little and getting some of the in between grain wood to show more, I'll add another coat of sealer. I think it will need 3 or 4 coats. I will reapply until I get no more dye on the cloth. Then I can start building up the tru oil. I can't wait for that. That ought to be the easy part.

Sorry for the lousy pic. I'll take a better one outside Sat.

[flyingbanana]

Updated photo. I've been trying to put the sealer on while the guitar is hanging from a doorway. Not working to well because of the light. I missed a couple of spots and rubbed to much in others. That's why it's still darker in areas. That goes away when sanding. The finish is getting really smooth...like a mirror. (Well, it will be later.)

Here's a pic of it outside. Don't mind the redneck patio.

[flyingbanana]

Update...4th coat of tru oil and no signs of stopping yet. Well, ok maybe a little. I'm starting to see more shine on the body now, but many places are still in the absorbing stage. Ironically enough, the end grain is shiny and smooth now. After a few more coats, I'll put up a pic for you to see.

I'm not the happiest with the coloration of the wood. In retrospect, I should have used a pre-stain conditioner. However, I was told by a few that it was unnecessary with swamp ash.

Well...live and learn. I think that things are coming along pretty smoothly now. Speaking of smoothly...I also should have spent more time simply sanding. It was and is smooth to the touch, but it could have got a little better before finishing.

PS. Anyone have a set of six inline Fender Schallers they want to sell on the cheap?

[flyingbanana]

Well! I must say that I am very happy about how the body is turning out. The tru oil is finally building up to the point where it's starting to smooth out. I'm no where near finished yet however.

Here are a couple more pictures. They do not do the guitar justice though. It really is a beautiful piece. Even my friend Barry really likes it...and he's as hardcore of a butterscotch tele man as any of you guys...; )

[flyingbanana]

Roughly 6 or 7 coats of tru oil. Pics taken indoors. I tried to be artistic. I'm no photographer...that's for sure.

[ChicknPickn]

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Roughly 6 or 7 coats of tru oil. Pics taken indoors. I tried to be artistic. I'm no photographer...that's for sure.

Kind of reminds me of a Twix bar.

MMMMmmmmmm.

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by ChicknPickn

Kind of reminds me of a Twix bar.

MMMMmmmmmm.

Duh duh duh duh duh...I'm lovin it. (kfc?)

It came out a little brown in those last pics. I blame it completely on the lighting.

[flyingbanana]

Tru Oil finish building up nicely...

[DUY1337GUITAR]

Originally Posted by Phat-o-Caster

If you want to accentuate the grain you want to stain the wood black to start, then sand and stain your desired colors. I found doing a burst was easier blending the stains with a pad rather than spraying tinted lacquers. I simply had a spray bottle of water to damp the wood prior to applying the stain to stop any blotchiness. I did something like is shown in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhSrQHmnmmE
I'm very happy with the results and got the exact colors I wanted-Brian

whoa, that's my video. I was like huhhh when I saw it lol

[DUY1337GUITAR]

dude, I love that natural finish. what does the surface of the tru-oil finish feel like, by the way? I want to try a finish with it.

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by DUY1337GUITAR

dude, I love that natural finish. what does the surface of the tru-oil finish feel like, by the way? I want to try a finish with it.

Glass...

[DUY1337GUITAR]

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Glass...

wait, no way? compared to a polyurethane or nitrocellulose finish?

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by DUY1337GUITAR

wait, no way? compared to a polyurethane or nitrocellulose finish?

Well....yeah. I can bounce a nickel off of it and it leaves no dent or nick, and it's as smooth as glass...before I even polished it. I'm not kidding.

I still need to build up the tru oil a bit to completely cover the grain, it is really nice. I'll probably sand the body at the end and then I'll be polishing and applying wax. I'll put up more pics as I go along.

[DUY1337GUITAR]

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Well....yeah. I can bounce a nickel off of it and it leaves no dent or nick, and it's as smooth as glass...before I even polished it. I'm not kidding.

I still need to build up the tru oil a bit to completely cover the grain, it is really nice. I'll probably sand the body at the end and then I'll be polishing and applying wax. I'll put up more pics as I go along.

Alright, now I really want to try out tru-oil. I'm not gonna build another guitar though, I just finished mine today (the one on the video). Maybe a CBG?

Looking forward to seeing more pics, I gotta see the final result.

[flyingbanana]

Here's the neck....couple more coats and then polishing. It's shiny now, but I want to lay more tru oil down (making sure to steel wool in between)...then buff it out.

Lovely quartersawn and Brazilian Rosewood fretboard and jumbo frets.