The Emeraldcaster Project (aka Son of Meloncaster)

[reddogbass]

Still trying to sell the checkerboard guard!

[Buckocaster51]

Well, now that you put it that way.

It does have a certain panache about it!

But I think I'll pass.

Like I've said, I'm not really into bling.

[bendecaster]

Buck,
You are my hero! A true educator!
A question: How many Teles have you made?

OK, another question: Has Will Ray ever contacted you to do one for him?

They do look very Hellecastery!!!

Thanks for the entertaining thread!!!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by bendecaster

Buck,
You are my hero! A true educator!
A question: How many Teles have you made?

Well thank you. That is part of the reason I do this...the education thing.

How many Teles...that is a good question...11 or 12*...but since I have never made a neck...I haven't really "made" any - if you know what I mean!

and no, Will Ray has not contacted me...but thanks for asking!



*I put "serial" numbers on all of them...and could give you an exact number...but it is too early in the morning for me to do any heavy ciphering!

[Hockey Rocker]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

I'm still trying to figure out this size tuff on flake.

The purple experiment that I did on scrap was 0.008. It went through the PREVAL just fine.

The green stuff is 0.015 I think. It would not go through the PREVAL.

Not sure what the units are. I think I have heard "micron"...but I don't know if that is inch microns - which I think it is - or metric microns (what I would call micrometers = 0.001 m)

I do know this green stuff is looking great.

Yes, Buck, the Emeralcaster is sweet!

Regarding Flake sizes (Glitter, Metal Flake, Polyflake, Sparkles) they are usually given in inches or, more specifically, thousandth inches. So .015 like the Emerald Green is .015 inches. .015 inches is equal to about 400 microns. That's pretty big.

Most traditional pigments, and even special effect pigments like micas or "pearls", are measured in microns. Glitter has traditionally been measured in thousandths of inches.

As a rule of thumb, .001" or one thousandth of an inch = 25 microns.

For spraying or screen printing, .008" or 200 microns is about as big as is possible to use. The gate openings on sprayers and mesh counts on screens are too tight to pass the Emeraldcaster's .015" Hex (tiny hexagons) particles.

From what I've seen of vintage glitter jobs like the Dick Dale, Fender used mostly .015" square throughout the 60's. That was metalflake, glitter that was precision-cut from colored aluminum foil. In the 70's the custom shop went to Polyflake and started using the smaller .008" hex.

Gretsch used some HUGE (.062" square, sixty-two thousandths of an inch!)metalflake glitter early on for the White Falcon headstock and binding. There are some beautiful examples lining the walls of the high roller room of the Vegas Hard Rock Casino.

[John Backlund]

I've been fascinated with this thread, watching the guitar progress is great stuff and your bound, sparkle tele is going to be outragiously cool. Thanks!

(And yes! NO gold hardware)

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Hockey Rocker

...Regarding Flake sizes (Glitter, Metal Flake, Polyflake, Sparkles) they are usually given in inches or, more specifically, thousandth inches. So .015 like the Emerald Green is .015 inches. .015 inches is equal to about 400 microns....

so now, it's all clear as mud!

I'm just kidding...thanks for the explanation. It is beginning to make sense.

After work tonight, just for kicks, I ran the pieces up to Bob the Painter.

He looked it over and asked, "How did you do this?"

I told him I just sprayed on some DEFT, sifted on the sparkles, let it dry for a bit, and then bush off the excess. (Which IS how I did it.)

He's thinking that I can spray on a couple of cots of miracle two part clear goop, let it set for a day, sand it smooth, spray a final coat, sand and polish.

That sounds a LOT easier than building up 50 coats of DEFT over the next few months!

Bob made me feel pretty good about how this one is turning out. HE was asking ME questions about technique!

I haven't learned so much, and had so much fun, since I was in college studying Bose-Einstein statistics!

Thanks again everybody.

[GhostofJohnToad]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

I haven't learned so much, and had so much fun, since I was in college study Bose-Einstein statistics!

Ooh! Bose-Einstein Statistics. Good fun indeed, but don't forget our good friends Fermi-Dirac either

Your threads are great and I have learned a lot from reading them. Especially painting. Kudos and thanks!

[Buckocaster51]

I'm "on the road" this weekend...not playing music...just doing stuff that needs doing...

If all goes well, the Buckocaster will have a new Porter-Cable air compressor, touch up gun, and assorted notions in the shop when he returns!

Then maybe I can get this thing done before it starts getting way cold!

[getbent]

Bucko,

would you consider your being on the road this weekend more:
A) on the road again - canned heat style
B) further on up the road - clapton style
C) on the road again - Willie Nelson style
D) the road - Jackson Browne/Danny O'Keefe style
E) Chevy Van - Sammy Johns style

Would you describe your driving methodology as?
A) kevin costner in his vw van driving from Minnesota to Iowa to save his farm to the tones of Dickey Betts.
B) Bullit - McQueen
C) Franco in Gumball Rally
D) Levon Helm and Wilford Brimley in that weird movie where they steal the tractor and drive it hundreds of miles
E) Larry David in a Prius.

Press continue to add additional questions to the quiz.

[jwells393]

the Buckocaster will have a new Porter-Cable air compressor, touch up gun, and assorted notions in the shop when he returns!

I see the $100 rule being broken once again ......... blame it on inflation.

[Westerly Sunn]

Wrapped up at work, and don't get by too often... (periodic increase in the rate and intensity of company growing pains), but when I do I'm checkin' out this thread! This one's a real beauty... Old School Technique? Old school or no, Your process is your own and you are really becoming a master at it...
A reglar' ar-tiste', indeed...
Thanks, for the entertainment, Bucko! sure do appreciate it!

[Buckocaster51]

DUDES!!

I have a compressor...it works...I can (and have) sprayed clear nitro in the friendly confines of my garage!



Some chucklehead left his camera/computer cable elsewhere today...so said chucklehead can't post pix...but the chucklehead is smiling ear to ear right now!

and YES! I did blow the $100 rule COMPLETELY out of the water...and enjoyed EVERY minute of it!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by getbent

Would you describe your driving methodology as?
A) kevin costner in his vw van driving from Minnesota to Iowa to save his farm to the tones of Dickey Betts.

I work with people that were extras in that movie. Was filmed about 20 miles from here.

Who's Dicky Betts?

[Buckocaster51]

Events took me back to the cable...so I can post some pictures. (I know how you are all EAGERLY anticipating them!)

This weekend's travels were in the Mighty Ford Power Ranger.



Among the necessities, I was able to get the compressor in the back.

Looks pretty heavy duty, eh?



It should do what needs doing.

Here's the $25.00 spray gun I picked up. I'm just going to be spraying lacquer...most of which will get sanded off. It will probably work



It also came with an extra 2.0 mm tip...which should be just about big enough to shoot some flake. But to tell the truth, I am very happy with the way the flower sifter worked.

Here is the Emeraldcaster sitting with the first coat of non-rattle can lacquer.



Notice that open can of DEFT in the bottom right. I was able to spray it right out of the can. No thinning. It might build fast enough that I will still have some black hair when this project is finished!

I'm stoked!

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

Here is the Emeraldcaster sitting with the first coat of non-rattle can lacquer.

There's the little vixen... I was longing for another picture of her.
Bucko- got the feeling that you where standing there in your garage gun in hand looking around saying ..."what else can I spray????"

[bobthecanadian]

Yeah! Way to go Bucko!

[lambchop]

Mmmmmm new tools for the workshop, almost as good as a new guitar!!! Have you got yourself an airgun attachment, excellent for blowing dust off things

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by lambchop

Mmmmmm new tools for the workshop, almost as good as a new guitar!!! Have you got yourself an airgun attachment, excellent for blowing dust off things

Like...what are you getting at?

You hinting there might be TOO MUCH DUST in that shop?



Yup...got the airgun attachment!

and

MY TIRES HAVE AIR IN THEM!

[Buckocaster51]

Today is some lame holiday.

I'll be busy scaring kids tonight.

It might be more fun spraying lacquer...but sometimes a ghoul has to do what a ghoul has to do!

So...

only time for one picture.



That first coat is drying and shrinking down nicely.

Hope to get another on tomorrow.

I'm going to LIKE this guitar!


BOO!

[andy__woods]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

I'm going to LIKE this guitar!

Bucko, I think we are all going to like that guitar