Guitar 803 – Gold!
November 2, 2008
I’m scrambling to be ready for Larry when he comes over tomorrow as I promised I would be ready to stain. I really need to get the surface baby bottom smooth, and make sure I get any surface glue sanded away to ensure an even stain absorbtion. I’m working with 100 grit paper to get all the rough spots levelled down and all the glue from the binding shaved off the maple surface. In between sandings, I’m wetting the wood to expose where there are still glue patches. The wetting also pulls grain up out of the interior of the wood to the surface, allowing further sanding and assuring of a completely smooth surface.
I found an old post where I documented the stain we will be using. I say 75% green, 25% tobacco brown in a 65% solution (whatever THAT means!). I think it’s this….if you use 10 drops in 2 oz. of water, then 7.5 drops green and 2.5 drops tobacco brown at 100% for 2 oz. water. 65% fewer drops = .65 x 7.5 green = 5.5 drops. And .65 x 2.5 tobacco = 1.6 drops. Make 10 oz. of solution with 28 drops green and 8 drops of tobacco brown.
I finished fretting the neck as well as post stain will be a sanding sealer (50% solution of KTM9) over the entire guitar body and neck (including frets). Then I start the spraying of 100% KTM9 in 3 coats an hour apart, dry overnight, then repeat the 3 coats up to 12 coats, then let cure for one week before installing neck and bridge. Oooh, it’s getting close!
Larry picked gold frets to go with his gold tuners. They look pretty good!
Here’s the guitar with the fretted neck dry fit. I realized I have the inner ring of the soundhole rosette fully exposed, so had to insert a little BWB sliver in the top gap. It looks OK! Only I will notice that it’s not one continuous piece.
