What are YOU up to, DIY/projectwise? Ask for help?

[jibberish]

coming along nicely..

the deal with a couple coats of primer is that the primer still follows the wood grain contour. you probably could put enough primer on to get a sandable layer that filled the contours, but the problem with prepping for a glass smooth finish IS the wood grain contours that will never sand even. pretend the filler is like 50 coats of primer in one shot.

also the wood makes a lot of difference in what fill depth is needed to bury the grain. some real tight maple can almost be sanded smooth so maybe that would get by on a couple of primer layers.   primer is not filler as intended. it is the base coat for the finish coat. it ensures proper adhesion, proper layout AND proper color glowthrough. believe it or not, primer color is important to the final top color.

[Corey Y]

Generally when you're priming wood, you get raised grain and you sand it down between coats. If you do that, you get a nice smooth painted finish in the end. Just like sanding between paint coats. You usually put a primer or a sanding sealer or something on pretty heavy to raise the grain, knock it down, then hit it again to get it smooth for your finish coat(s). I think coating the whole thing in bondo and sanding it down would be pretty extreme as a grain filler, but it works fine for dents and dings. Doesn't mean you couldn't do it, it would just be really work intensive. I just filled in some dents, dings and a few really wide open end grain spots on my pine p-bass body with bondo, before priming. I'm taking a break from priming right now and I laid down a couple dusting coats, waited a few minutes between, then laid down some heavy coats to soak in and raise the grain (not enough to drip or run though). I'm going to let it dry for a day while I'm out of town for work, then sand it and prime it some more before I start painting.

Timber Mate or some other kind of grain filler works fine for thinning out with water and painting on, then sanding off on woods that are harder but have a more open grain. You can dye it to match or accent your wood color or stain/finish too. Some people like to just lay down really thinned dewaxed shellac. There's a lot of different methods that work, I've always used bondo for paint grade wood projects/work without a problem. It's never been with the goal of preventing the grain from raising though. That happens, you want it to happen. You just sand it down and reapply whatever you're putting on the wood and it comes out even as a result. No reason to fret over raised grain really, unless it's late in the process and it's ruining something you already did.

[showdown]

Slowly getting somewhere... 3rd coat of tru-oil is on, but some cotton lint is stuck in the oil. I have to sand a little bit when this coat dries.

[The Bandit]

Slowly getting somewhere... 3rd coat of tru-oil is on, but some cotton lint is stuck in the oil. I have to sand a little bit when this coat dries.

Looks good!

[Lip]

yea it does.

[Jake]

More pics please, showdown. Live blog that shit!

[showdown]

8 thin coats now. I think that'll do it, I don't want to fill the grain too much.

So here's a little mockup:



I'll leave it to cure for a week or so before buffing it out.

[Lip]

deff purdy

[Jake]

Telemaster porn.

[James1214]

I picked up a Squier bronco, and am in the process of converting it into a Bass VI type of instrument, hardware arrives Monday, so in the interim timei have I filled the existing holes in the headstock and have been working on the paintjob for the past coupla days. I call it a Sparkleburst, a glittery silverburst..... im pretty happy with it especially given its from a rattlecan. All thats left on the body are a number of coats of clear and lots of wetsanding, Headstock has 5-6 coaats of of clear, maybe this is the last coat or two.

[Slugfuct]

8 thin coats now. I think that'll do it, I don't want to fill the grain too much.

So here's a little mockup:



I'll leave it to cure for a week or so before buffing it out.

Dude.....seriously fucking awesome. I can't wait to see this finished so I can beg you to make me one!! haha

[spookstrickland]

I picked up a Squier bronco, and am in the process of converting it into a Bass VI type of instrument, hardware arrives Monday, so in the interim timei have I filled the existing holes in the headstock and have been working on the paintjob for the past coupla days. I call it a Sparkleburst, a glittery silverburst..... im pretty happy with it especially given its from a rattlecan. All thats left on the body are a number of coats of clear and lots of wetsanding, Headstock has 5-6 coaats of of clear, maybe this is the last coat or two.

That's really cool.  Are you going to change the scale length or just put some really thick strings on it with bass tuners?

[James1214]

bass VI is a 30" scale, which the bronco bass already is (sorry, i didnt clarify) it gets what are essentially thick as shit baritone strings, it uses regular guitar tuners.

[Lip]

That's a lot of tension for reg tuners... or at least - more than usual. Bass VIs don't have slightly more beefy tuners?

[eddiefive10]

I picked up a Squier bronco, and am in the process of converting it into a Bass VI type of instrument, hardware arrives Monday, so in the interim timei have I filled the existing holes in the headstock and have been working on the paintjob for the past coupla days. I call it a Sparkleburst, a glittery silverburst..... im pretty happy with it especially given its from a rattlecan. All thats left on the body are a number of coats of clear and lots of wetsanding, Headstock has 5-6 coaats of of clear, maybe this is the last coat or two.

I bought a Douglas les Paul bass and been getting ready to do the same thing converting it into a baritone/bass xi

[James1214]

 Lip, everything ive read and researched indicated the current reissues of the bass vi have standard fender locking guitar tuners installed. I'll also mostly be tuning mine C-c instead of E-e.... we'll see how it all goes. I'm actually more concerned about the bridge. I decided to go with a top loading hardtail strat bridge, mainly for max intonation possibilities. I will probably have to drill out the loading holes because of the increased string size.

[VOLVO)))]

So far, time included, is this more expensive than just buying the reissue bass VI? Just curious as to the amount of man hours involved!

[James1214]

I got the bronco for $60, I spent maybe $20 on paint, and $50 on the bridge. The pickup, tuning machines and other assorted electronics are coming from a donor MIM fender (has a cracked body and broken headstock) i was given, a wrecked as shit strat I was given like 10 years ago. Also as a tinkerer and someone who has done all my own setups for a decade i feel that modding is the next logical progression towards my goal of making a proper custom guitar (other than my cigar box guitars) from scratch. The education I'm receiving is worth the time invested.... so I'm totally happy with this as a project.

But fuck it, I don't gotta justify myself. After all Jake, you are like the King Tinkerer of the board.

[VOLVO)))]

Hey, man, you don't gotta justify nothing to me! I approach things with the same attitude, long as im learning, my time is covered.

Im on knife number five. :-D


Took me an hour from first cut, to heat treatment. Just needs a handle, at this point. I may stone wash this one, as well as my wee baby salvage kitchen knife. From a destroyed (high quality) filet knife. Stainless works way differently than high carbon.



Can't wait to see the outcome on this bronco. I love it already...

I might make some soap, soon... :-)

[eddiefive10]

I've been actually researching the bronco to bass xi conversion for a while, I was going to do a epiphanies ebo over instead, but got a killer deal on the Douglas lp bass which is 30 inch scale, and has basically guitar humbuckers in it already

[James1214]

Do it, Eddie. Its actually been pretty easy to do mostly researching the intricacies of the instrument i.e: the tuners. I'd say the most important thing i have learned is that the density of the dowel used to plug the holes really matters. I did the holes this morning, on my drill press, and one drifted around a 1/16", not the hugest deal ever, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.

Jake, i had an idea for using an old box-end wrench and forge into a knife, dig the idea of using old tools as a source for good blade steel. Dig the blades dude, good work. That drop-point mini machete is a beast and a half. Do you know Will Moon? He makes super rad custom knives (way way way out of my price range) but his Youtubes are super informative about techniques to make top-quality knives. I don't have the skill for that type of precision, yet. But it is inpiring.

[VOLVO)))]

That was a planer blade, Bieliebe it, or not. A beat to shit planer blade. Ive been torturing it around the yard, it is a wicked sharp beast. Smaller than a machete, but equally as heavy. It glides through everything.

I'm gonna check that dude out. I like seeing other people work. If I had the equipment some of these dudes have, i could make wicked knives. Using files slows me wayyyy down.

[spookstrickland]

bass VI is a 30" scale, which the bronco bass already is (sorry, i didnt clarify) it gets what are essentially thick as shit baritone strings, it uses regular guitar tuners.

Man that is going to to be sweet! post a vid of it when you are done.

[James1214]

absolutely, this thing thru the pharaoh should be heavy shit.

[James1214]

This is it right now, waiting on a bridge (should be coming in the mail Wednesday). Need to fabricate a nut. Leaving the singlecoil it came with in it for the moment, just in case it doesn't sound like total shit.

Once I figure the pickup situation out I'll get a mirror pickguard made... which should make it nice and flashy