"Burnt" Finish Help?

[toddfan]

This is supposedly a "blow torch burnt" finish on an ASH body.






I have a basic idea of how to achieve the "burnt" part....my question is this...

Would you "burn" the body, and then still do grain filling, since it is ash? Or, would you grain fill first, and then do the "burn"? I would like to attempt this with a swamp ash body.

Stain before, or after the grain fill?

THANKS for any advice!

[swla]

I'm not sure you would really be able to burn the grain if you filled it first. You might just end up burning th efiller and causing an uneven finish anyway.

Here's one I just finished. Burned, then stained, then applied poly. You can feel the grain (which is what i wanted), but seeing how the poly smoothed it out some, it should be possible to get a smooth finish.

[big country]

instead of burning it you could stain it using a very dark stain then sand the stain off in hopes that the grain will absorb stain deeper in the hard part of the wood

different woods and grains, hardness and how deep they absorb will vary with species

(oak color grain with ash figure)

delicately color the stain just on the grain to limit the mass amount of sanding it takes to get the dark stain off the non grain part of the wood

[swla]

You could also use a dark grainfiller to simulate the burnt grain look

[Mongo Park]

I would tend towards a heat gun than a blow torch, does not sound as cool but results are more controlable, nobody will know but your hairdresser, old joke.
Cheers Ron

[swla]

Originally Posted by Mongo Park

I would tend towards a heat gun than a blow torch, does not sound as cool but results are more controlable, nobody will know but your hairdresser, old joke.
Cheers Ron

Butane torch works really well

[barbrainy]

Can't post a link cos I'm on my phone, but if you search for a recent thread in this section, started by flyingbanana about a blue and black strat, you may change your mind about needing fire to achieve that result...

[barbrainy]

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/finely-fi...trat-pics.html

There you go

[Vizcaster]

Yeah, I'm still puzzled where the "burnt" comes in. When Flyinbanana has demonstrated how it could (should) be done with tinted filler, I'm not sure why you'd be tempted to attempt something that's so much harder to control (like fire). When it's done you can call it anything you want (nuclear fallout for instance), it doesn't have to actually be "burnt."

[lookslikemeband]

I've tested this method with a heat gun and a mini torch..... the heat gun is a little more controlled... but keep in mind the resins in the wood crystalize and definitely effect the finishing...

[SixShooter]

Originally Posted by lookslikemeband

but keep in mind the resins in the wood crystalize and definitely effect the finishing...

Can you elaborate on this?

[Zillinois]

I haven't actually started on refinishing "Smokie" here, due to my lousy "work/life balance", but someone mentioned in a previous thread that I might want to burn the rest of the body to make it consistent before applying a nitro or poly cover.

[barbrainy]

Originally Posted by Zillinois

I haven't actually started on refinishing "Smokie" here, due to my lousy "work/life balance", but someone mentioned in a previous thread that I might want to burn the rest of the body to make it consistent before applying a nitro or poly cover.

Ah-hah! He's back!


Remember, we mostly voted for 'leaving this guitar alone as it is'!! And I even offered to buy it off you as is. PLEASE PLEASE don't change it's finish. It is genuine and has a great story. It's unique. Leave it alone!!

Having said that, it is your guitar....

[SmokeyBC]

Blow torch guitar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZp2zDVsKMo

[AussieAndrew]

Originally Posted by barbrainy

Ah-hah! He's back!


Remember, we mostly voted for 'leaving this guitar alone as it is'!! And I even offered to buy it off you as is. PLEASE PLEASE don't change it's finish. It is genuine and has a great story. It's unique. Leave it alone!!

Having said that, it is your guitar....

I 2nd that. That baby looks like it was rescued out of impending doom (a fire). If it were mine I'd be hap hap happy to play "as is"

[toddfan]

That is my quandry....I mostly hear that Swamp Ash would need grain filling,...but if I grain fill first, then "burn" (or, heat, etc.) the "fill" might pop out or consume....and if I burn first, then fill, I would just be covering the "burn".

I appreciate all of the responses above....looks like I may have to get some scrap Swamp Ash to practice upon!

I also realize that "it's only a name" and I could get a similar effect by using a dark grain filler, then sanding back before adding color....but, since the TDPRI is such a fantastic resource for experience of others whom have gone down that road before, I thought I would ask...just in case anyone else had some insight!

BTW....if anyone else has some first hand experience with this process....PLEASE add to this thread!

THANKS!

Originally Posted by swla

I'm not sure you would really be able to burn the grain if you filled it first. You might just end up burning th efiller and causing an uneven finish anyway.

Here's one I just finished. Burned, then stained, then applied poly. You can feel the grain (which is what i wanted), but seeing how the poly smoothed it out some, it should be possible to get a smooth finish.

[toddfan]

This suggestion has the added benefit (for ME) of the fact that I already own a Heat Gun So, this method will definitely get tried out.

Originally Posted by Mongo Park

I would tend towards a heat gun than a blow torch, does not sound as cool but results are more controlable, nobody will know but your hairdresser, old joke.
Cheers Ron