It is now Oct the 10th and I have removed the guitar from the gluing rack and done some rough finishing of the guitar. Using a palm sander with 120 grit I worked on getting the seams and the contours to butt up as close as I can before the final finish. Once I have the high parts almost where I want them, I switch to a 220 grit and then to a 320 grit but that I do by hand. Just before the finish is applied I would plane the wood with a micro scraper and polish with #0000 steel wool. After that I would use a very fine jeweler's rouge and a buffing wheel to get the figure to pop. The 220 grit is where I'll stop but if I were to apply any finish, it would be about 10 coats of Tung Oil with a light buffing between each coat using #0000 steel wool. Buff just enough to take down any high spots or bubbles. Tung Oil applied in the manner gives the wood a deep luster and is easy to repair.
Figured wood is normally not finished with sand paper due to the fact the wood lacks consistancy and goes in and out depending on the figuring and that is why a micro planer is used. Since hard rock maple is so solid, you can actually buff it using a 10 or 12 in buffing wheel and be amazed at the luster it brings out in the wood. Using a lint free rag or cheese cloth, pour a small amount of tung oil on the rag and wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Use very thin coats and allow to dry over night before buffing and appling the next coat. I use Tung Oil on the neck and the head stock as well but not on the fret board. You can wipe mineral oil on the fret board to keep it happy.
The guitar looks great and I am liking the layout. I should begin routing out the pickup cavities and be able to complete the drilling early next week. Stay tuned.
More pictures:
No comments:
Post a Comment