Let's do a Sharp dressed Strat.....

[Ronkirn]

Shoot… I didn’t show ya the yellow….



Here it is.. looks pretty darn yaller don’t it? So I take a clean paper towel, soaked with alcohol and wipe it down, a few times.. this reduces the intensity by allowing the color to be absorbed into the wood… Oh… Dye vs.. Stain…. Dye soaks into the surface… the wood is now what ever cool you dyed it…. Stain lays on the top.. kinda like a thin paint…

So I wash it down a couple of times.. and let it dry to analyze the shade…. Then I’ll lightly sand…. What this does is take away some of the “high” spots, which leaves the lower areas really intense….



she’s now ready to get dressed….



The first stage is something beautiful and sheer from Victoria’s Secre* SMACK!!! Damn… the wife just snuck up behind me…. No sense of humor….

Ok… first thing is a few coats of a clear, very clear, sealer..



Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

OH yes.. I forgot… I do allow it to dry over night to be certain all the alcohol has evaporated….then I shoot it… front and back…



I’ll give it a few coats, then a good sanding with 220…. Maybe a few more coats… then it hangs for a few days….

I’ll be back…..

Ron Kirn

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

OH yes.. I forgot… I do allow it to dry over night to be certain all the alcohol has evaporated….then I shoot it… front and back…



I’ll give it a few coats, then a good sanding with 220…. Maybe a few more coats… then it hangs for a few days….

I’ll be back…..

Ron Kirn

Ron, I never saw you apply grain filler to the mahogany. Did I miss something?

BTW, as always these threads are so brilliant. Very generous of you.

[Fortsbest]

I was gonna ask the same thing. I thought Porous woods like mahogany, swamp ash etc needed grain fillling or you'd have to lay on tons of laquer to fill grain and seal pores.

[Ronkirn]

I never saw you apply grain filler to the mahogany.

Nope.. I rarely use it..... I'll apply the sealer, sand most off and recoat.... and it's ready for lacquer.

rk

[Ronkirn]

Ok so I have a coat of sealer on ‘er.. I keep applying coats until I have a completely sealed surface…. I watch the light’s reflection as I spray watching for small points where the coat doesn’t cover minute grain irregularities…. If a few show… I’ll touch them with a needle to release any trapped air while the coat is very wet…



Once I see complete coverage, I allow it to dry thoroughly. By thoroughly I mean is has to be able to “powder” when sanded. Many sealers will feel qute dry after a few hours, but try to sand it and it “loads up”. This means the particles of the finish removed are still sticky enough to bind together, leaving “globs: of finish stuck in the sandpaper. Imagine sanding old chewing gum… it just does not work….

So sanded….. it’s ready for the color…..





Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

I now give it a good sanding with 320…. This is to insure adhesion between the lacquer and the sealer.




And it’s time to begin… First I give the whole body a coat of clear lacquer… then begin with the edge by shooting a dark coat. Being careful to direct the overspray away from the center of the body..



I have seen many get carried away, trying to get full coverage with the first coat….not good… it’s a sure way to develop runs.. Runs + Transparent colored lacquer = major problem… take it slow and easy…. Adding additional color only after the last coat has “flashed”



And finally…



Every few coats of color, I will give the whole surface a coat of clear…. What this does is melt any overspray into the clear giving a gradual transition from the center yellow, to the dark edge. If you notice most ‘bursts have a very abrupt transition, giving them a “mechanical” appearance, the method I use makes for a very gradual flow from one shade to the next..

Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

Now, I’ll change color to more red… even though the previous shots looked red, they were a very dark brown, the lights just punched through….This shade is much more red…. I’m using an automotive detail spray gun, it holds about 6 ounces, in that I will put about 10 drops of red and one of brown Sherwin Williams Universal dye.



and I continue with the previous technique…. A thin coat of color, a coat of clear…. Allow it to flash.. and repeat allowing the tint to gradually build up to the intensity I’m looking for..

At this point I will begin tinting the edge of the back… I haven’t yet because I wanted to get the top’s veneer edge to closely approximate the density of the mahogany… now I’ll give it a coat every time I do the top..



I also give it a coat of clear to melt the overspray into the previously applied lacquer..



And continuing with the top… working the tint looking for a specific look…



Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

You may notice, the center looks a touch pink at this stage… ain’t no biggie, don’t sweat it… it’s mainly the lights, which seems to exaggerate Red…. But.. I continue, possibly 10 to 20 times, to get the correct intensity…



again, watching reflected light, to verify lacquer coverage…



and this is what she looks like at this point…



Here I have given it a coat of amber to bring the slight red hue back under control and give the whole thing a warmer appearance..



Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

Make use of the reflected light…. It makes applying the finish a lot easier, and as you near completing the final coats, the wetter you can apply them, the easier the wet sanding will be..





after the color is completed, I give the body about 5 good wet coats of cleat, allowing about 20 – 40 minutes between coats….





Now, I allow it to dry for a few days before giving it an interim sanding. And the last of the clear coats…

Ron Kirn

[robt57]

Does the lacquer buildup take care of the difference in thickness at the edge of the veneer ?


Robt

[hopdybob]

@ronkirn

as you take us on this project it seems so simple, it floats out of your hands.
almost unbelievable

[Ronkirn]

Rob.. when doing the final sand... I feather the edge so there is no thickness differential.

rk

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

Rob.. when doing the final sand... I feather the edge so there is no thickness differential.

rk

So is it safe to say when spraying you build it up more there so it is not too thin after the final sanding at the edge ??

Robt

[Ronkirn]

I apply the color dense enough to cover the edges then blend the varying colors into the surrounding areas, the red mahogany on the back, and/or the veneer on top....... then I apply the clear.... when wet sanding I don't go through the clear, so the color coat's density remains unchanged.

rk

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

I apply the color dense enough to cover the edges then blend the varying colors into the surrounding areas, the red mahogany on the back, and/or the veneer on top....... then I apply the clear.... when wet sanding I don't go through the clear, so the color coat's density remains unchanged.

rk

Thanks, I got a gun the other day, and I am trying to avoid getting myself in too much trouble on the first cloth paisley finish. ;)

[Ronkirn]

Opps. . .. you're goose is cooked..

rk

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

Opps. . .. you're goose is cooked..

rk

Not yet, but soon. ;)


All mine have been Tung oils so far, or pre-finished builds. ;)

[ajgus]

Hey Ron, any progress?

[Ronkirn]

It has been hardening for a few, before sanding and the final Clear coats.... I screwed up and lacquered the neck without even thinking of photographing it.... I'll snap it from here on though...

Sometimes I get in a "flow" and don't think of anything else other than building..

Ron Kirn

[magicguitar]

You're the king Ron. Nice build once again!

[Dean Gray]

Originally Posted by hopdybob

@ronkirn

as you take us on this project it seems so simple, it floats out of your hands.
almost unbelievable

That's such a good description! It is inspiring to see people do things they love so masterfully. I hope one day to be able to play guitar as well as you build them, and make it look so easy!!

[madmark]

sweet job

[milkshape]

boy am I glad I checked in tonight! Beautiful.

[Ronkirn]

Well.. Nothing too exciting….. I’m into the boring part… sand and squirt….. I have let the body sit for a few days so the lacquer would harden enough to sand without “loading up” the paper.

So, I sand… with 320..



sand thoroughly. . .



then, dust and check for anything I missed..



you can barely see at the edge an area that has not been touched by the sandpaper.

And here too. . .



while not hyper important, getting is all flat now makes the final sanding much easier..

Ron Kirn

[Ronkirn]

Now simply go over any areas that need further attention, betting them all “blocked out”.. the process of sanding with a flat, very flat sanding block until the entire surface is evenly matte.





and the front…



Now, I begin spraying wet coats of lacquer…. I’ll spray several, wait a while, spray a few more, until I have about 5 good coats. Then I let it dry and harden for a day, check for coverage, and if any is needed, I’ll give it a few more coats, checking the overhead lighting’s reflections to verify the coat.



after which, it hangs for a few weeks…. Sorry… I don’t make the rules…. This is the same kinda stuff Leo used 50 years ago, and he had to let ‘em hang for a few weeks too…

I’ll fool around with the neck this weekend..

Ron Kirn

[andy__woods]

looks fantastic. waiting is hard, but with your builds, its definitely worth it!

[Dann-O]

Interesting build love this kind of thread.

[ajgus]

Ron, help me understand. When you sand the color coats are you wet sanding? Also, do you sand between applications? On another note, do you begin to clear coat directly onto the "scuffed" color coats? Or does the color have to be "buffed out" so to speak? Sorry for all of the questions. Thanks.

[Ronkirn]

I'll apply several good wet coats of clear.... then let it dry for a few days then dry sand with 320, 400, whatever is handy.... then resume clear, and continue applying until i feel it's had enough.

So I sand the raw wood... apply dye, lightly sand... apply sealer, several coats, then sand (all sanding is with dry paper about 320 grit) put down the color coats.. NO SANDING before going to clear... several coats of clear, sand again, few more coats of clear... no more sanding, finish spraying clear, let harden for a couple of weeks, wet sand, I go directly to 600, then 1000 grit... and polish. It's so easy an old fart like me could do it...

Ron

[e-merlin]

There's nothing easy about sanding. It's work. Lots and lots of work...

[hopdybob]

maybe a little advise.
let the sanding paper soak a day before you use it.
won't scratch and is stronger lasts longer

[Ronkirn]

Yeah, soaking the paper is the norm, if using water. I use Mineral spirits, it's much faster cutting, but requires experience and familiarity to keep from cutting through the lacquer...

Ron Kirn

[Nick JD]

Gotta love that mahogany. Fantastic burst.

Is it getting a 'Hog neck, Ron?

[boris bubbanov]

Great work, Rob.

Obviously the lacquer you are using is better formulated than the rattle can stuff we others may use. I have to wait longer than you to sand, and I must use mineral spirits for virtually any stage I do sand, once the finishes start going on.

I have had some folks tell me mineral spirits leaves more residue than will the expensive naphtha or lighter fluid. My solution is to use partially used 800, 1000, 1200 paper as a sort of a tack cloth. Without more fluid applied, and yes these sheets still contain some spirits, but I can get a lot of the residue of the fluid, the "dust", debris from the sandpaper and so forth off the surface, and onto this tired sandpaper which was gonna be tossed anyway. In addition to clean cloths. A little loading of doomed paper is ok.

I guess the point of my comment is for years I've been afraid of sanding fluid residue acting as a release agent. I'm not gonna be afraid any more, I'm just gonna do my best to get off what I can.

[hopdybob]

@ronkirn
maybe a bit off topic but did you ever used danish oil to?
i am trying to find out a way to colour the wood and than use danish oil.
(why, because i am alergic to most of the solvent (i think one calls it that way in englisch)that are used in todays finnish products)

[Ronkirn]

Boris, I have never used naphtha, I find mineral spirits does the trick for me. But yes it does leave mere residue, this due to the speed with which it cuts.

If you want something a bit more manageable, try putting a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in a bottle or water and using that. The soap breaks down the surface tension. I’ll use that on some “power” techniques I haven’t shown, simply because is does not cut as fast.

Hopdy, I don’t typically venture into “off the wall” finishes, it’s a sure way to elicit gripes and complaints. If you’re allergic, try an automotive poly urethane. They’re as chemically inert when cured as possible.

You can color the wood, let it dry, and then clear coat it with the poly. But if you’re allergic, I would strongly urge you to have someone else do it. Breath a little of this stuff, and you could have a very bad day..

Ron Kirn

[hopdybob]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

You can color the wood, let it dry, and then clear coat it with the poly. But if you’re allergic, I would strongly urge you to have someone else do it. Breath a little of this stuff, and you could have a very bad day..

Ron Kirn

i know all about that so that is wy i was looking for another way
so this is where i am now
pine from an old bed with a top of oak floar pieces.
painted with black acryl hobby paint, washed in with thinner(don't know what you call it in english) sanded it littly than some gold powder wax rubbed onto than the danish

[Arlo]

Hey pardner this ones looking "Real Sharp" indeed!

Hope all is well with you and the kin. I have been a fishin fool lately and Friday starts the official vacation (even though it actually started 2 months ago) so I will be an even bigger fishin fool.

Did you get the little surprise I sent ya? Scotty sent you a box of goodies as well.

Always a pleasure to see a new build thread from you Ron!

Here's tippin a glass of Glenmorangie Sherry Wood to you bro.

[Ronkirn]

Arlo's alive...

I got the stuff from Scotty, but I haven's seen anything else. I've been busier 'n a long tail cat in a room full of rockin' chairs...

Ron