Some Cocobolo, Maple, and Black Limba ... Lap Steels Rule!

[Tom Pettingill]

Here is a fun one I just finished up and thought I'd share, FireDog 001.

Some basic specs
24" scale
Body is chambered black limba with a curly maple top
fretboard is cocobolo rosewood with mother of pearl fret and position markers
pickups are some custom BG-Pups 8 string HotRods with rosewood trim
4 way rotary switching
matching rosewood knobs
String through rosewood set bridge with bronze saddle
Hipshot locking tuners
Tru Oil finish, maple coloring achieved with a wash coat of amber shellac flake
.

[bullfrogblues]

Tom, you never cease to amaze me!!!

[jimdkc]

Really nice! Love the headstock emblem!

[glen smith]

Seriously nice!

[Colt W. Knight]

Damn, that is a lot nicer than mine.

[dwdantzler]

Tom, do you cut your string paths in the nut at an angle?

[fretman_2]

He's built a few more of these. I consider you both to be masters. That tru oil finish is to die for. Just a seriously beautiful instrument!!

Originally Posted by Colt W. Knight

Damn, that is a lot nicer than mine.

[guitarbuilder]

Excellent. That would make a nice full size body shape as well

[Tom Pettingill]

Thanks all! ... I am very happy how she turned out ... easy on the eyes with a great voice too

Originally Posted by jimdkc

... Love the headstock emblem!

Thanks! ... I've been doing that round raised style for a while now and like it a lot. I'm in the process of designing an etched nickle silver version that should be cool too .. will see soon enough.

Originally Posted by Colt W. Knight

Damn, that is a lot nicer than mine.

Nothing wrong with your steel, I liked it a lot! Fancy wood does not make them sound or play any better.

Originally Posted by dwdantzler

... do you cut your string paths in the nut at an angle?

Not as a rule. The angle your seeing is because I took the pics before I fully filed the slots in the nut. At this point all it had was the shallow starter cuts from the razor saw.

Originally Posted by fretman_2

... That tru oil finish is to die for. ...

Tru Oil can really bring out the beauty in wood, but to be very honest, its a pain in the butt when going for that flat mirror gloss finish. Its not so hard as it is just plain time consuming. Its about a 2 week process and by the time I'm done, the whole guitar has been fully wet sanded 5 - 6 times before the last coat goes on. Its basically an exercise of building it up and blocking it down till all is level and flat.

Originally Posted by guitarbuilder

Excellent. That would make a nice full size body shape as well

I've thought the same as well ... one of these days I'll have to give it a go.

[fretman_2]

I've only done necks with Tru Oil. What's your procedure for wet sanding (grits, etc??). Do you find that you sometimes sand through one layer into the next?? Do you get witness lines?

I wet sanded my last neck and got a very smooth gloss finish, but I couldn't tell if I had sanded through one layer into the next.

Originally Posted by Tom Pettingill

Tru Oil can really bring out the beauty in wood, but to be very honest, its a pain in the butt when going for that flat mirror gloss finish. Its not so hard as it is just plain time consuming. Its about a 2 week process and by the time I'm done, the whole guitar has been fully wet sanded 5 - 6 times before the last coat goes on. Its basically an exercise of building it up and blocking it down till all is level and flat.

[dennyman]

Wow, that's like a work of art. Like others on the forum, I'd luv to see that body style as a full-sized 6-string guitar.

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by Tom Pettingill

Tru Oil can really bring out the beauty in wood, but to be very honest, its a pain in the butt when going for that flat mirror gloss finish. Its not so hard as it is just plain time consuming. Its about a 2 week process and by the time I'm done, the whole guitar has been fully wet sanded 5 - 6 times before the last coat goes on. Its basically an exercise of building it up and blocking it down till all is level and flat.

.

Ever considered some automotive clears? You can spray and sand within a few hours on some stuff.

[Tom Pettingill]

Thanks again all!

Originally Posted by fretman_2

I've only done necks with Tru Oil. What's your procedure for wet sanding (grits, etc??). Do you find that you sometimes sand through one layer into the next?? Do you get witness lines? ...

Because Tru Oil does not burn in like a solvent based finish, witness lines are a concern. Add to the fact that Tru Oil is best done in thin coats and the possibilities of witness lines is compounded.

Working within those realities, my whole thought process / approach is to level as I go ... build it up and block it down. During the film building phase I'll wipe on 2 - 3 coats a day, let cure overnight, then wet sand the next morning before that days coats. For me, I've found that wet sanding with 1000 grit and a drop or two of mineral spirits works well. The 1000 grit seems to be a good balance as it cuts fast enough for results without being overly aggressive on the fresh and fragile new finish.
Once I hit the point where everything is flat and level, I'll spray the last couple of coats and use 1500 grit between those. Once the last coat is sprayed, I let it cure / harden up for for 5 - 7 days and polish as needed.
If you did a good job building up and leveling as you go, often just a light polishing is all thats needed in the end.

Originally Posted by Colt W. Knight

Ever considered some automotive clears? You can spray and sand within a few hours on some stuff.

I have looked into some of the catalyzed solutions as well as some other popular alternatives and there are several good options. Up to this point my output has been fairly low volume, so the extra work in the grand scheme of things has not been a big concern of mine. There is just something about the look and hands on feel of a Tru Oil finish that keeps me coming back.
I do plan on developing a more beginner / intermediate focused steel and will need to standardize on an alternative product for that price point. For the higher end stuff I'll continue to keep Tru Oil as an option.

[Rockdog]

I don't play lapsteel, but this makes me want to. Stunning!

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by Tom Pettingill

I have looked into some of the catalyzed solutions as well as some other popular alternatives and there are several good options. Up to this point my output has been fairly low volume, so the extra work in the grand scheme of things has not been a big concern of mine. There is just something about the look and hands on feel of a Tru Oil finish that keeps me coming back.
I do plan on developing a more beginner / intermediate focused steel and will need to standardize on an alternative product for that price point. For the higher end stuff I'll continue to keep Tru Oil as an option.

A friend of mine owns an automotive paint and parts supply store, and he walked me through his Dupont paint setup, and was showing me some of the cars and motorcycles he and others have painted. I was amazed at the depth and clairty of that stuff. Plus, it builds thick enough that you don't need to spray a lot of coats. In some cases, just one or two. Bob showed me one Dupont clear and basecoat system that you could spray and buff within a few hours.

The down side is that it is expensive. Over 100$ a gallon, and doesn't store very well.