Thunderbird is go

[T-Bay]

It has had three coats of ink, and three of lacquer so far. I will leave it over night then use a 6000 grit pad to just take any dust specs ir hairs out then do some more coats. Not sure how the end grain will turn out but we will see.

[No. 8 Wire]

On 3/30/2018 at 15:56, Andyjr1515 said:

I'll cover the basic method I use and then a couple of variations.  Like always, I just will outline 'this is how I do it - and it consistently works for me - but I'm not saying this is how it should be done!'

It's very simple.  For a basic stained finish, non grain-filled, I do the following:

• I sand down to 250 grit.  If it is a bought body, I take care that there is no releasing oil or similar on it and that I'm down to clean wood
• I vacuum the body with a brush attachment to make sure all the dust is out of the grain
• I apply the ink, straight out of the bottle, using a piece of old t-shirt or similar, bunched up and soaked in ink using a circular motion, making sure that the ink has properly gone into the grain.  Latex or nitrile gloves are essential unless you want very brightly coloured hands for a few days....
• I let it dry and repeat if necessary.  2-3 coats is usually fine.  Remember that each coat will darken the end result
• The colour when the ink is first applied and still wet is the best indication of what the finished, varnished, colour will be.  When the ink dries, it will look completely different - don't panic!
• I let it dry fully
• I finish it with Tru-oil or polyurethane varnish

If I need to fill cracks or grain, I use one of two methods.  Basically, the water-based ink will absorb differently on different woods and surfaces so, for example, if you sanding sealed it or used many types of filler, the ink colour would not absorb in those areas 

Grain Fill - Method one.  Stainable Timbermate

• I use the dark stainable one
• 
• This veneer had multiple deep fissures.  The Metolux Timbermate will mix with water stains and - to an extent - absorb stain once dry.  For best results I do both
• I mix some ink into the Timbermate
• 
• Then prefill the gaps, then when the timbermate is dry and sanded, apply the stain in the normal way
• 
• If I had just filled with the Timbermate out of the tub, the filled areas would have shown up as lighter shades.  If I'd used the 'light stainable' Timbermate, even premixing ink into it, the same would happen.  Using 'dark, stainable' Timbermate, premixed, the filled areas end up the same shade or slightly darker, both of which look fine on the finished result

Grainfill - Method two.  Tru-oil slurry and buff

This is a method I've never seen other people do.  Generally, it is said that you can't slurry and buff a stained surface because you will sand the stain away.  Actually, if you are careful, you can.

This is how I do it:

• I stain in the normal way
• I apply a coat of tru-oil and let it fully dry
• I apply a second coat of tru-oil, applied with 800 or 1000 grit wet and dry (you can also use micro-web) slurrying VERY gently.  The slurry WILL take up some of the stain but the trick is not to go deep enough to expose unstained wood.  Basically you are trying to slurry the first tru-oil coat, not the stained wood 
• The slurry will fill grain perfectly well.  While still wet (within 10 mins) very gently wipe the slurry off
• 
• Let it dry, then repeat the slurry and wipe
• Repeat once more then leave as is (hand buffing to satin smoothness once it's properly dry) or add more tru-oil coats for a greater gloss or over-coat with varnish, whichever preferred.

If you don't add the top gloss coats over the slurry and buffed finish, surely the ink will come off on your hands when you play?

Well - it doesn't seem to.  In fact, because I like satin necks, this is how I do all my stained necks nowadays - even for very, very regular players - so far they assure me they've never been caught red handed.

Hope this helps

Andy

 

 

Andy, what's your method of dealing with staining the end grain so it's an even colour with the rest of the piece?

[T-Bay]

Came back to it this morning and it seems much better. Not sure whether I was just in a rush yesterday or whether the lacquer hadnt fully gone off so gave a different look but either way it’s looking much better. More coats of lacquer today, up to six good coats. Will try and get three or four more tomorrow.

[Andyjr1515]

4 hours ago, No. 8 Wire said:

Andy, what's your method of dealing with staining the end grain so it's an even colour with the rest of the piece?

End grain will always stain darker than straight grain. It will even do that if you are simply clear varnishing plain wood due to the finish soaking in more into the grain pores where they are exposed.  It's one of the reasons that the effect of flame maple is enhanced when you add the finish. 

 I think you'll find that the effect looks pretty natural, though. 

I think I mentioned earlier that there's a stage in finishing where it really doesn't look great - hence the old advice of 'don't panic...it will be fine' 

[T-Bay]

All coats on and it’s looking nice. I will cut it back after the weekend then polish it up and see how it looks. The grain is very obvious but I am happy with that. I copper lined the control cavity and spayed a couple of small bits I wanted to match but forgot to take pics. Depending on a couple of small bits arriving it could be finished by the end of next week.

[Andyjr1515]

Excellent. Looking forward to seeing the pics wen it's all sorted 

[T-Bay]

I am getting quite excited now, I know there will be lots of fettling to do but it’s close so I can’t wait to fire it up the first time. Still waiting on some small screws for the rear cover and pickguard (on way from China) and replacement decal. Then it’s a matter of putting it all together.

[T-Bay]

Everything is now here so with any luck it should be finished (bar final fettling) this week. Only choice left to make is whether to go for T-bird style knobs or plain black knurled ones. I have both in my spares pot so will see which I like the look of best. I normally prefer plain ones but will see.

[SpondonBassed]

9 hours ago, T-Bay said:

Everything is now here so with any luck it should be finished (bar final fettling) this week. Only choice left to make is whether to go for T-bird style knobs or plain black knurled ones. I have both in my spares pot so will see which I like the look of best. I normally prefer plain ones but will see.

Although I like a good old knurl with the best of them, I'd favour a knob that has a pointy bit on it purely so that I don't have to look to see where it is set.  I like to know where my knobs are at all times.

On this instrument the look of the controls is going to take equal priority at least.  Are you reproducing any of the T'bird graphics?  Sorry, I'll rephrase that...  Are you thinking of using original T'Bay graphics?

The font in the following image is called Gibson Script.  Although it is not really like the headstock logo I'd say it's still near enough to play with.

Edited April 22, 2018 by SpondonBassed

[T-Bay]

I have something completely different planned for the pickguard, the chemist/ biochemist background is coming out and I hooping to get something very different looking. For the headstock I don’t have the talent to sign write it so have gone for a decal (design will be shown once it’s on). I had the pleasure of knowing an amazing sign writer who could done an amazing job for me but he sadly passed away not long ago (RIP Brian Jones).

[T-Bay]

u

[T-Bay]

Getting close! All the electrics are in, the rear cover has been made but need some different screws I think. The finish certainly is up to Andys standards but with the kit I have available I am am happy with it. A planer thicknesser would be lovely. Decal is on the head (as Fender and Gibson never made a Fenderbird and as itsbthe generic term for a marriage of bits of those two styles it seemed appropriate). So depending on time tomorrow could see the last few jobs completed and it fired up. Exciting times.

[SpondonBassed]

Pace yourself bro'.

It gets easier to cack things up the nearer you are to completion.  It's looking good and that headstock will be a conversation piece.
Softly softly catchee monkey

[T-Bay]

The only jobs left are fitting the neck (already been done and then removed), populating it, again already done and removed and then the bridge. That has all been measured up but final fitting has been left until everything else is in place just in case as have seen cases on here of alignment going out right at end somehow and the strings being too close to one edge or other. Then it’s just the strap buttons and it’s ready to play. The pickguard could be delayed as waiting on someone to do something for me before I can get the chemicals out which is a bit frustrating.

[SpondonBassed]

30 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

The only jobs left are fitting the neck (already been done and then removed), populating it, again already done and removed and then the bridge. That has all been measured up but final fitting has been left until everything else is in place just in case as have seen cases on here of alignment going out right at end somehow and the strings being too close to one edge or other. Then it’s just the strap buttons and it’s ready to play. The pickguard could be delayed as waiting on someone to do something for me before I can get the chemicals out which is a bit frustrating.

Sounds like you are planning to scratch an' etch...

[T-Bay]

[T-Bay]

A couple of shots of the (nearly) finished article. It’s been a push to get it done as work will go crazy for about 6 weeks after this week so it was now or wait an age. The final run in was not without incident. I bought quality parts throughout except the string tree. After all, what can go wrong with a string tree? The bloody screw can snap that’s what. So a quick fix was needed which is frustrating but no one other than me would know.

The pickguard is still not in my hands so will have to wait but other than that it’s ready for action. Ot made sound straight from the off, no issues there. It sounds fantastic, the genuine Gibson thunderbird pups would exactly like a Gibson Thunderbird oddly enough. Balance is perfect, weight is, wellllllllllllllll, let’s put it this way, my idea of a lightweight T-bird is scuppered unless lightweight is in comparison to a black hole. Finish is OK but not amazing - best described as a good ten footer. It plays brilliantly and I am very very pleased with it. After an initial set up to adjust the neck relief I set the intonation (calculations worked out and next to no adjustment was needed). My next gig is on the 18th and it will be in use for that.

 

Jobs to do - buy some decent knobs, I am not happy with either set I have spare. Sort a pickguard of some sort. And one last possible - I am wondering about routing out cavities in the back to reduce the weight somewhat. It would mean some ugly covers but could make a significant weight saving. So is it worth doing? Will wait and see.

[ezbass]

Looks great in the photos and as it plays well, it’s a job well done. The idea of routing out some cavities sounds like a plan (some nicely stained covers should look fine), but how much weight will you actually be able lose and will it affect the balance?

[T-Bay]

5 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Looks great in the photos and as it plays well, it’s a job well done. The idea of routing out some cavities sounds like a plan (some nicely stained covers should look fine), but how much weight will you actually be able lose and will it affect the balance?

I have some offcuts so when I get a chance I plan to work out the density and see if I can estimate how much I can save, at a guess I think I can save somewhere between 800-1400g depending how radical I go. The wood was bought as it was all I could find and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on the wood for the first in case I messed up. For the next one I will certainly get a better (and read lighter) wood.

[T-Bay]

New knobs on their way, gone for some black knurled ones with fake abalone inserts.

[Jimothey]

Looks really good!! Great job!! 

[Andyjr1515]

16 hours ago, T-Bay said:

Beautiful!  Cracking job - many congrats

 

...and now I predict you will have the build bug

[Bigwan]

I have a Tokai T-bird hanging on the wall that needs a refret... and I have a good Squier P-bass neck... and access to a router... a plan is formulating...

I didn't say it was a good plan!

This looks awesome, by the way!

Edited April 25, 2018 by Bigwan

[T-Bay]

8 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Beautiful!  Cracking job - many congrats

 

...and now I predict you will have the build bug

Yup! Want to do the super lightweight one now. Any suggestions on nice light woods with a good pattern but that finishes well?

[Andyjr1515]

3 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

Yup! Want to do the super lightweight one now. Any suggestions on nice light woods with a good pattern but that finishes well?

There might be a super lightweight build thread starting elsewhere on the forum soon