Finish testing!

[CTN]

ok so i did test 3 and am slowly working on test 2.

So far this is how it's panning out:

Test 1:
- Mixed all the paints into danish oil with fairly paint-heavy mixes.
- Wash coat of Prussian blue, wiped off. Then dabbed on French Ultramarine for the darker edges, and a little bit more Prussian blue for the light to dark transition area.
- Wiped on orange thinly, wiped off minimally.
- Nicest looking burst transition, fairly blah-looking orange side colour.

Test 3:
- Rubbed paints on directly onto wood. Same technique as Test 1 for the transition. Then rubbed on danish oil afterwards.
- Most vibrant looking orange for the sides back. A bit more difficult to get the burst transitions.
- Major downside is that the colours don't stay put. Applying danish oil just smudges the blues all over each other and doesn't allow the creation of a transparent burst. A lot of the orange lifts off too, but it still really vibrant even after wiping down with danish oil.

Test 2:
- Thin wash coats, that are supposed to build up. I foresee the burst being really difficult to do because of how thin the mixes are. I also foresee the orange possibly coming out really nicely.
- I am probably not going to experiment much with this since the orange on test 3 was so nice and easy to do as well. I could see this being a nice option for a solid colour, but not for a burst.


It dawns on me that Test 1, for the burst part at least, is sort of a mix of Test 2 and 3. So my plan for now is to go with the Test 1 technique for the top, and the Test 3 technique for the orange sides and back.

I have one unused test block left. Sadly it's the one with the ugliest coloration, but fairly even grain. So I might just use it up anyway and try my final technique on that and see how it looks. I'll get to that sometime next week.

[Securb]

I have one unused test block left. Sadly it's the one with the ugliest coloration, but fairly even grain. So I might just use it up anyway and try my final technique on that and see how it looks. I'll get to that sometime next week.

One thing to keep in mind is when you strip a guitar you never know what you are going to get for wood. This could be your most important practice block. If you can make this look good you are well on your way. Practice makes perfect.

[CTN]

One thing to keep in mind is when you strip a guitar you never know what you are going to get for wood. This could be your most important practice block. If you can make this look good you are well on your way. Practice makes perfect.

Fortunately i'm getting a raw wood body. No stripping involved. Got it from KNE guitars, same guys who made the body for my polaris/charvel star build. And i specifically told Mitch at KNE that i'd be doing a transparent finish so he's selected a piece with nice looking grain.

Either way, i am going to practice on that last block. Actually i could still use the other blocks too, just using the bare surfaces which i didn't touch.

[Securb]

What I am saying is. If you get your hands on a solid sprayed body and decide you want to strip it and refinish, there is no way of know that is underneath. Most manufacturers leave the worst wood for their opaque finishes. By playing around with sub-par planks you are bettering your skills.

[CTN]

Shhyeah!

[lreese]

Too late for this build, but if you want to experiment later... Just remembered it - sorry... brain cells are getting old.

I remember some instructions for spraying bedding compound (as a finish) with an airbrush. I know the books are somewhere downstairs and I could photograph the articles if Google Books doesn't already have them.

Should be able to get a very thin, tough as nails finish with it with the ability to buy and make in very small batches.

Its just a type of epoxy so should be able to buy in the great white north.

[CTN]

ehhhh too much trouble.

rubbing oil on with a rag is a lot more idiot-proof than an airbrush setup.

[lreese]

rubbing oil on with a rag

Sounds scandalous.:wwe:

[CTN]

Today:


More tests!
And I'm going to fill and redrill the neck mounting holes. huzzah!

[CTN]

Here are the neck test pieces. Going for a vintagey amber tint. L-R: plain untinted oil, oil with raw sienna paint, oil with a 3:1 mix of raw sienna and burnt sienna, oil with burnt umber.



The raw sienna does a great job of approximating the vintage amber. I compared it to the neck of my MIJ '62RI strat and it was within a few shades of matching. The burnt sienna mix looks a bit too orange. Great for the body but not the neck.