Veneering a Hayman 4040 headstock

[Andyjr1515]

Hi

I've done veneering threads before but thought I'd combine a Hayman headstock refurb thread with a quick ABC.

This was a spin-off from the slim-down of Paul S's Shergold neck. Another Basschat member contacted me to see if there was anything I could do or suggest to get a Hayman headstock back to looking acceptable. I've got a short gap between builds so suggested that I did a veneer, matched as best as I could.

The reason is that holes and dints had needed to be filled and - even if 'pine' wood filler had been used - it's impossible to do an invisible mend through this method. Solid colour painting was another option, but we agreed that trying to preserve the look of the original would be preferable, if possible. I suggested a plain maple veneer, colour toned - as far as possible - to the fretboard

This is how it was to start off with:



The big round hole at the top is for the logo disc which had been removed pending the work and will be later replaced.

The two small holes are for the string trees and, clearly, need to be re-found after the veneering.

Just popping down to do the next bit so will continue the thread in a few minutes!

Andy

[ezbass]

I adore your build, finish and repair threads. Looking forward to this.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1442145178' post='2864631']
I adore your build, finish and repair threads. Looking forward to this.
[/quote]
Thanks!

So the first thing with veneer is to make sure you are going to be able to find any blind holes or chambers you need to use again after it has been covered! Easiest way is to just run your finger nail along the outline and features on a piece of paper:


This doubles up as a reverse template for working out the best area of veneer to use...in my case, I want some even vertical lines to match the back of the headstock:



I cut out the appropriate area of veneer with scissors. Care is taken here...it is relatively brittle prior to the PVA being applied... :



...and we're ready to veneer

[Andyjr1515]

As many of you know - for flat surfaces or simple curves (eg arm relief) I use the iron - on technique.

The equipment is simple and cheap (I use an old heatshrink iron from my R/C modelling days, but a normal domestic iron does just as well):


[list]
[*]as already said, normal domestic iron works just as well
[*]foam roller and tray not essential but they are dirt cheap and very good for applying a full and even coat of PVA
[*]the little squirt bottle (I think it was £1 from superdrug) contains water
[*]Standard Evostick PVA wood glue has never let me down so I always use this
[/list]

Pop some PVA into the tray and apply an even, thin coat to both the headstock (taking particular care at the edges to make sure there's a coverage) and the back of the veneer:




Note on the veneer that it starts to curl immediately the wet PVA goes onto it, as that surface expands with the moisture. If you leave it unattended, it will carry on curving and end up looking like a brandy-snap! :




A little spray of water on the other side, flattens it off...this has returned to flat entirely by itself:



Leave to dry - about 20 mins



Don't worry about any bubbles in the glue - they will melt during the ironing process - but DO make sure there are no bits stuck in the glue - they will show through (even tiny ones!)

Then it's a quick dashing away with the smoothing iron, easing and firming the veneer round any curves:




Glued, ready for trimming

[Annoying Twit]

I've got some excess veneer, a neck, and some evo-stick wood glue identical to yours. I want to give this a go. I would never have thought of some of your tricks such as the paper guide to find the holes and the iron-on technique.

Did you sand down the headstock before gluing? Or does some finish on the headstock not make a difference?

Edited September 13, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[Andyjr1515]

For trimming, I use the Stanley disposable knives - sharp enough but also strong enough to 'saw' the veneer, placing the blade at 45 degrees flat against the headstock edge which acts as the blade guide. This means that you get a good close cut, with the minimum vertical pressure on the veneer but with no chance of digging into the headstock:



For a headstock, with a bit of care and edge sanding, it doesn't take long to get to this:



The through holes are easy, because you can score through from the other side:



Then for the position of the hidden holes (and in the case of a body, the chambers), this is where the paper template comes in



Next job is to test some stains and varnishes on some scrap veneer so I can see how close to the original colour I can get. But that will have to wait until tomorrow....

Thanks for looking!

Andy

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1442160642' post='2864768']
I've got some excess veneer, a neck, and some evo-stick wood glue identical to yours. I want to give this a go. I would never have thought of some of your tricks such as the paper guide to find the holes and the iron-on technique.
[/quote]
Hi, Annoying Twit

Yes - as you can imagine - learnt from the number of times I got it wrong

[Andyjr1515]

Quite a common issue with veneer is splits and parting along the grain. For a highly figured finish, this can be left to enhance the 'real wood' effect like this entry-level Ibanez refinish:



But for a maple headstock, it wants to be visual grain pattern and not textural. The filler I like to use is Metalux 'Timbermate' stainable filler for this:



I just mix a drop of the stain into the filler and then you are left with a finish-toned fill (eg just south of the D string tuner hole)...the excess sands off easily.

In terms of colour, I use wood dye, not stain. The colour choice, though, is trial and error because it is hugely affected by the wood you are applying it to. For Paul S's Shergold, I used Mellow Pine, but on a sample of the maple veneer, that looked shocking! I had a go with Light Oak ... which should have been all wrong ... and have got a very close match

Clearly, you need to do a sample with your intended finish applied because that, also, affects the final colour. Here's the before and after on my sample strips:



So the first two coats of dye have been applied and are drying prior to the varnishing, which I will cover in the next bit...

Thanks for looking!

Andy

Edited September 15, 2015 by Andyjr1515

[Grangur]

Thanks for posting Andy. You clearly have this down to a fine art. It's always good to watch again.

[allighatt0r]

Lovely to see your work as always Andy

[Andyjr1515]

Thanks, fellas

The varnishing is going well. I wiped on a couple of coats of the wood dye and let it dry, and then started with the Ronseal Hardglaze (actually this time I used Rustins polyurethane gloss varnish as the local B&Q has stopped doing the small tins of Hardglaze).

There is, inevitably, a tone difference between the new and the old so I have added a small amount of brown wood dye (with a 'Very High' VOC content to avoid compatibility problems) to the varnish to tint it slightly. Here it is after the third coat:



In some of the grain, you will see that I let the dye sit a little to try to make sure it doesn't look TOO pristine for a 30 year old neck! There are, however, also a couple of fine splits down from the D string that the dye has absorbed more (and there's also one at the bass side of the nut that you can't really see in this shot. The veneer is completely sound and, again because I think it enhances the aged look, I have recommended we leave be rather than trying to hide them.

This probably only needs one more coat before leaving it a week to harden, then final flattening and final skim coat

Edited September 16, 2015 by Andyjr1515

[Andyjr1515]

Just a bit of detail on the varnishing - as I said above, I use standard poly varnish (Ronseal Hardglaze or Rustins Clear Gloss Varnish) for most of my gloss finished guitars and basses, because:[list]
[*]It's tough
[*]It's readily available
[*]It covers pretty much anything without nasty reactions
[*]It can be wiped on
[*]It can be done (if like me you don't have a workshop or the patience to wait for a dry and windless day) inside.
[/list]

The key to wiping on is:[list]
[*]Using microfibre cloths...cheap is fine...because they really are lint free
[*]Thinning the varnish down adding between 30% and 50% with white spirit
[*]Multiple thin coats, flattened after an overnight cure every 3rd coat
[*]Doing a final flattening with very fine wet and dry (1000 grit) once the varnish has properly hardened, then one or two final coats of the thinned varnish
[*]NOT buffing as you would with a nitro finish!
[/list]
Here's the stuff I use (plus the wet and dry):



...the jam jar is what I mix the varnish and white spirit in!


Anyway, back to the headstock, part of this game is knowing when to stop. If it looks right, I generally stop! Too many times I've thought 'I'll just smooth that little bit out a bit more...' and ended up buggering it up and having to start it again.

This one is, in my view, done. And I'm pleased with it.

Close inspection will not hide that it has been veneered, but, particularly when the tuners and badge are back on, I think most people would not notice that this hasn't been there for the past 30 years




It is certainly a bit better than it started out

BEFORE:




AFTER:



I'll let the varnish cure for a few days before shipping it back to it's owner, who might (hint, hint) post a shot of the finished and reassembled bass sometime soon?

Thanks for looking and for your ever encouraging feedback

Andy

[BigRedX]

Fantastic job!

And thanks for sharing your methods.

[Dad3353]

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:167485]

[tauzero]

Very impressive piece of work.

[Andyjr1515]

Thanks, folks...it should be safely back with its owner tomorrow

[Norris]

Cracking job Andy

Could the same veneering technique be used when there is a bit more curvature up to the nut e.g. on a telecaster guitar? Or would you not spray water on the back where you want it curved? There again it would curve with the grain rather than across it?

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1443005568' post='2871309']
Cracking job Andy

Could the same veneering technique be used when there is a bit more curvature up to the nut e.g. on a telecaster guitar? Or would you not spray water on the back where you want it curved? There again it would curve with the grain rather than across it?
[/quote]

As long as it is a simple curve (on one axis) it will generally bend quite sharply...it does depend a bit on the type of wood the veneer is made from, though.

[discreet]

Sorry for the 3-month delay, folks!

Here's Andy's fine work on the finished and reassembled bass. Despite my efforts to ruin a perfectly good rare and valuable vintage instrument, Andy was able to bring it back from the brink. In fact it's better than it was when I first got it. Thanks, Andy!

This is such a great bass. Playing it again makes me realise just how good these Hayman/Shergold necks are and has done no favours for my increasingly insistent Shergold Marathon GAS...

Edited December 21, 2015 by discreet

[Andyjr1515]

It's like seeing an old friend

Looks good now it's all reassembled. Brill! Thanks for posting

Andy

[discreet]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1450730791' post='2935375']
It's like seeing an old friend Looks good now it's all reassembled. Brill! Thanks for posting
[/quote]

You are more than welcome. Thanks for doing a great job and apologies for the delay.

[Norris]

Lovely. Have you got a shot of the whole bass?

[discreet]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1450774120' post='2935617']
Lovely. Have you got a shot of the whole bass?
[/quote]

[AntLockyer]

Looks great.

[Paul S]

Sigh. That is gorgeous.

I always feel a pull towards these. My first 'proper' bass was a Hayman 4040 and it was probably my first real love - but I know I don't get on with them.