2023 Brotherhood Build = Kitchencaster

erix · May 10, 2023

Gluing week!
Using titebond ii. Overkill but I like how it sets up fastest.

smooth it out

Clamp it, Jed!

Next day I had a bit of a moment - one of my big plywood blocks was stuck to the body. Turns out a little glue had leaked through around one of the knots. I managed to separated them without too much trauma.

I weighed the blank as best I could - on a bathroom scale as I held it - and it says the weight is 6.4lbs. I don't believe it but I added more lightness anyway.

And now the third part is under pressure!

erix · May 22, 2023

It was a beautiful Sunday to be in the garage!
Before starting I dug out a more accurate scale. 4.5lbs

I ROSS'd it to the lines on goes the well used template, this is body #7 to come off of it.

Much routing later, this is the result. Looks like I need to sharpen or replace my pattern bits. #7 on them too! I routed the pickup and control pockets as deep as I could get away with to shave some weight.

After a lot of hand sand

Neck pocket was next. Wish I took a pic of the set up but imagine two aluminum plates flanking the neck, clamped to the body and clamping to the table. Small scrap between them with two sided tape.

Special "TonePockets(TM)" exposed during the routing...

Starting to look like a real thing!

Removed 1/2lb of weight, now a 4-pounder.

Saved my scraps for finish samples.

I'm kinda torn on the finish. The neck is just enough different in color that it looks odd. Like a bad color match. I think I'll stain the neck with a strong batch of dark antique maple transtint, sand it back, then tru-oil. The body has a place of tear out on the top, right behind the control plate. I could live with it and finish over but I'd rather not. I might z-poxy it a few times to fill but I know that will tint the body amber - which may be ok - but I don't want it to look too much like the neck! Maybe not dye the neck.... decisions decisions...

1bad914 · May 22, 2023

Looking good

idb6 · May 23, 2023

If that mock-up assembly is an indication you've settled on using the red pickguard, I approve!

erix · May 27, 2023

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

erix · Jun 2, 2023

I was bummed: I forgot to get string ferrules. For a minute I thought about making a top loader ala Jim Capilongo's 58 but I don't have a top loader bridge either. I did have some 3/8" long by 3/8" diameter aluminum knobs with a blind 8-32 threaded hole...

A few drill bits later the threads are gone, the hole is opened enough for the ball end, and a through hole for the string to pass through. On to the holes in the body.

I was afraid of blowing out the wood between the holes so I took it slow and went up through the bit sizes. Unfortunately they wandered about at each size change. Close enough for rock-n-roll!

See all that tear out?

Yech!

There is more on the front..

erix · Jun 2, 2023

I've used z-poxy before so I thought I'd give this body a bath. Here it is after one coat and a sand back.

This wood DRANK IT UP! The endgrain on the sides especially. I still had a few low spots so it got another dose. I also did the scraps for finish experiments.

Rememebr when I mentioned that 59? I couldn't get the look of that guitar out of my brain. I've never liked the yellowish tint of this wood anyway. In 1959 Fender would stain the bodies with a weak wash coat of white, seal it, and then finish with lacquer. I want to do the same thing but... stain won't sink into z-poxy so a LOT of sanding is required.

The upper sample is a mildly sanded chunk, the lower is sanded in anger, and the little chunk in the cutaway never had z-poxy. I like the look of the cutaway chunk but I won't get there with the z-poxy - no matter how much I sand. And the endgrain? Fugetaboutit.....

Even though it didn't fully tint the sample, it does seem to take away the yellow shade of the body.

In the mail are cans of Mohawk Tone Finish White Wash, a translucent lacquer shader that I will spray over the whole body with extra attention on the endgrain - maybe even opaque it just like Leo used to do. After the shading will come the Mohawk Tone Finish Clear Gloss.

Also did a little stain experiment on the neck. I have Dark Antique Maple and Honey Amber transtint, trying to find the right blend without looking too yellow. More work to do on this front!

1bad914 · Jun 2, 2023

Looking good.

erix · Jun 10, 2023

Lats night the temp was in the low 70's and the humidity was around 37 and climbing. I don't like to spray when the humidity is over 50% and it looks like the next few days were going to be a little damp so - it was now or wait several days. I only figured this out after finishing a beer but I took a chance and got on with it.
Product Menu was all Mohawk Lacquers:

My neighbors were all outside so I had to spray in the garage. Here's my paint stand:

After 3 coats of vinyl sealer:

Off to dinner, a light sand with 320, and onto the toner coats. Legend says that Leo would put a lot more toner on the sides of the multi-piece bodies to hide the fact. Since this body is made of 13(!) pcs of wood, I decided to follow suit! Here it is before the first coat of toner:

Another before, trying to figure out the lighting..

And after a the first pass. Following stew-mac's finishing book, I aimed the spray up toward the top edge, down toward the bottom edge, then filled in the middle.

Another coat or two and the sides are almost opaque. I haven't sprayed anything on the top or back yet.

I stopped here, barely a hint of the grain showing.

Two coats on the top and back followed by a sunburst pattern around the edges, spraying into the top, to blend the opaque sides into the translucent top.

I'm liking this!

erix · Jun 10, 2023

Shooting the toner is pretty hairy if the light isn't good. The product is very thin, theres very little colorant in the mix. You really need to see all the sides under good light or you'll get runs and holidays. I started to develop a drape run on the bottom edge so I stopped for the night, hung it up to off gas and see what it would look like in the morning. Pretty good, says me.

Just enough grain shows through on the faces.

Glad I stained first!

And the run. Looks terrible but sanded out pretty easily. I'll probably go around the edges one more time with toner to blend it in and then clear.

Meanwhile, time to put some color on the neck. Looks like I forgot to cut the nutslot...

Most of this color will be sanded off, I just wanted to get some color in the grain to help pop before finishing.

Debating on doing the neck in tru-oil or clear lacquer with the body. The former will add more color...

And now that the color of white is known it is time for obligatory mock-up shots! Here she is dressed in red:

Or a monochromatic theme:

But hark! This jis an unexpected turn....

badscrew_projects · Jun 10, 2023

This neck is looking great!

robt57 · Jun 10, 2023

1bad914 said:
Could it be poplar?

fir id say.

looking good to my eye, very!

erix · Jun 12, 2023

Time for clear coat1 But first a toner touch up along the edges and maybe another pass or two over the front and back.

Scuffed with grey scotchbrite pad, tonered, blew off, and ready for clear.

I got 1 tack coat and 4 full wet coats out of one can of clear. Here it is right after a coat.

After 30 mins it is no longer tacky, let's take it out in the sun!

Hard to see in these shots but there is enough grain visible to know it is not solid white.

The sides aren't opaque either but you really have to look to see the grain.

Just right!

The knots on the back were knocked back quite a bit with the last bit of toner.

I'm loving how this came out. I wish the color was a touch on the warm side vs the cool side of white but on the whole I like how the toner worked, sprayed, covered, etc.

Now to hang for 30 days before a color sand and buff! Meanwhile I'll get the neck fretted, finished, and do a bit of metal work...

robt57 · Jun 12, 2023

Don't leave it in the sun if you used a non catalyzing sealer.

You are asking for a gas out situation quite possible. Go look at my 48 Proto posts. The bright white dot isn't reflection, but a drop fill bubble gas out repair. And that wood was 45 years old at the time....

"Looking good Louis!!"

BTW, My first semi relic was from same, I didn't learn. I don't use Bullseye dewaxed shellac for sealers anymore...

Pointer FWIW, use the template on the back to start the holes for ferrules next time. Drill in from both front and back. 1/8" bits walk/whipstock across sap lines every time pushed thru 1-3/4 body.

erix · Jun 12, 2023

I believe the sealer is non-catalyzed (it is vinyl sealer) but it was sprayed Friday night, followed by the toner and then it sat for 36hrs before putting the non-cat clear on. I only had it in the sun for the few minutes it took to photograph, now it is in a dark basement. I love the way off-gassing lacquer makes my basement smell!

robt57 · Jun 12, 2023

"I love the way off-gassing lacquer makes my basement smell!"

Your central nervous systems would be better served to not have your folks in the building inhaling these fumes, yo!

"I wish the color was a touch on the warm side vs the cool side of white"

Maybe use a lighter PG, soften the white body to the eye.. Especially if one ply and white. The contrast of black lines on 3 ply, even if white will make body color look brighter hue.

Did you say if you planned rosewood or maple neck?

erix · Aug 20, 2023

The Saga Of The Neck
Maybe it was...5 years ago?... I found this maple board in the reject pile at work. It was amazing, surfaced four sides and over 6' long. I think it was rejected because it was too beautiful. It wanted to be a neck. So back around October 2021 its wish was granted!

There was a hole in it but I could work around it. I ripped it to almost thickness and finished it up in the neck planing jig.

I kept the blank flat and square as long as I could. Truss rod went in next.

Then fret slots...

Then tuner holes. After that I thinned down the headstock and sanded in the transition with a rollers from the ROSS. I also wiped naptha on the neck to watch the color pop...

Time to set the neck free..

Cleaned up sides on the ROSS and sanded in the radius

Abalone markers next...

Then it was shaping time with my favorite all-purpose wood-removal apparatus.

First facets in.

erix · Aug 20, 2023

You can't carve the entire neck with a shinto. But you can carve a lot of it.

Then the other hardware store files come out.

Feeling organic around here..

The carving brought out new dimensions in the grain. Also installed some abalone side dots.

Another naptha bath.

And there the neck sat, from Oct 21 till this summer. Time to finish it up! I wanted the grain to really punch you in the eye so I mixed up some transtint honey amber and antique maple and gave it a bath.

Looks kinda fakey but that's ok, most of it will get sanded off.

After a sanding and with a naptha bath. Pay no attention to the wide slot on #20...

Fret 'er up!

Trim 'em off!

erix · Aug 20, 2023

I thought about shooting nitro on it for a second but then went with tried-n-tru-oil. I wipe it on REALLY thin, that stick in the background is where I keeptrack of the coats.