Extreme Newbie - First Build

[BillyBoy]

Hey Everyone,
    This is my first post to the site and my first build ever. :help:
Hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew with this project but I thought it would be a lot of fun.

I just received my new unfinished Warmoth Standard Tele swamp ash body. I already own a Warmoth Strat I bought from a friend that has a Warmoth Tele neck. It came with a bridge Van Zandt Tele pup and a Neck Van Zandt Strat pup. I'll use that neck, pups and a GoToh Tele bridge I bought. Lastly, I've attached a pic of a Tele body that I really like the finish on. He also says how he did it.

I have never done anything like this before and thought I better get some advice. What are the very first things I should do? Is it first apply grain fill? Then seal. Then apply my nitrocellulose clear coat? Allow time between coats of everything to cure? Do I need to sand the body at all before I apply the gain fill? Satin or glossy clear coat? 

I really appreciate the help. I've seen some amazing builds on this site so I know I'm definitely in the right place.

Thanks!

 

[DangerousR6]

Welcome Billyboy, nice project you got on you hands. It's a little intimidating at first but you'll get there.

I believe the sanding sealer is before the grain fill, I've never used it personally, only one I have with a sanding sealer on it is my cherrywood tele. And it had the sealer on it when I got it, so I just did the nitro on it straight away. My others I've done finishes on I used Danish oil..

 

[Cagey]

Mr. R6 is correct. You want to put on a coat of sanding sealer before you grain fill. Keeps the stuff from shrinking too much. You can sand in between those two steps if you'd like, but it's not completely necessary. You're going to be sanding your little heart out from this point forward anyway.

How much grain filler you need depends on a couple things. First, how deep the grain of the wood is, and second, whether you want to sand filler or sealer. Six of one, half dozen of the other, really, although sealer is usually nice and clear. Problem with relying on that to fill is it takes about a million coats - filler builds faster, which is why they invented it.

Once you're happy with the level the filler has taken you to, then you start with more sealer. Opinions vary on how much of this you need, but plan for at least 5 or 6 coats, and probably more. Sand between each with 320, and always remember to clean thoroughly after each step. In other words, buy lotsa Naptha and a bag of clean rags.

Now you can start playing with the nitro. Either clear or color coats. If you're going for color, do that first, then the clear. Opinions vary on how much of each you need, but again, plan for at least 5-6 coats, and more is better. Some guys go as many as 12 on the clear.

Again, sand with 320 between coats, and clean with naptha. It's still not going to look good, but that's ok. Finishes never look very good until you're finished. Hang it somewhere it won't be disturbed for a couple weeks so it can harden properly. Don't be fooled by the feel of the finish; it needs the time.

Finally, wet sand it with 600/800/1200, buff it out, and serve.

All told, it's probably a 4-6 week process. Lotta "hurry up and wait" time.

 

[BillyBoy]

Wow! Thanks you guys for the advice. That's just what I needed to get me started. I plan on doing it natural so I can just use clear nitro.

So, I don't need to do anything to it before I put that first coat of sanding sealer on it, right?

 

[Jusatele]

nice looking body
I like Swamp ash Teles, but I will tell you if you are going for natural, get a good clear sealer and buy more than you think. Swamp Ash takes a goodly amount of filler. just apply 3 or 4 coats and sand, notice you went through some and it is not flat, then repeat, It is going take a few coats. then go for the finish, If it is going be nitro again you will be doing a few multible coats and sanding, repeat till you get it uber smooth.

 

[Tonar8352]

I would start with a question, which is "how much do you want the filler to impact the color of the wood and pop the grain"?  If you fill the wood first with a slurry mix of the filler, let that shrink for a few days, spray one coat of sealer and then do a non-thinned coat of filler your wood will be heavelier impacted by the color of the filler. In the below 2 pictures you can see the difference of the raw wood and then the wood after filling. I used Jasco oil base filler on this strat body.

If you want the wood to stay closer to the more natural look then seal it before you put filler on it and then the filler color will mostly stand out in the grain. There will be a slight darkening of the overall appearance but not nearly as dramatic as in the pictures. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of an ash body done this way but I have done it and there is a big difference in the look. If your not sure which route you prefer I suggest doing a sample board with half done in the first method and the other done with the second.

]

 

[BillyBoy]

I think I want to stay closer to the more natural look. I really like the example of the one I attached to this post. Whatever that is, but I think it's closer to natural.

 

[BillyBoy]

Actually, the more I look at your finished Strat Tonar8353 it might be closer to the example I attached. It's definitely a beauty. Would look great with the pickguard I bought.

 

[BillyBoy]

The other thing I'm wondering about is where to work on it. I don't have a basement but I do have a garage. I also have an empty spare bedroom. Do I need to keep this thing out of the cold? Will the dust and fumes be too much for the house?

Yes, I'm definitely a newbie.  :doh:

 

[bagman67]

If you're usin lacquer you need lots of ventilation.  Or a good booth. and a respirator.  once its sprayed most of the nastiness flashes off quick so you can bring it in the house to cure.  I would personally avoid letting it get real cold unless you're simulating the relic look and want to encourage the clearcoat to crack.

 

[Tonar8352]

I think your example was filled before it was sealed. Remember every piece of wood is different and the filler your using might not tint the wood that same as mine so they will look slightly different. Here is a Tele that was filled first with same filler. I added a picture of an even lighter one so you can compare. Notice on the second one I did not put filler down in the routes so you can clearly see the difference between the color of the original wood and the filled wood.

 

[Cagey]

The other thing I'm wondering about is where to work on it. I don't have a basement but I do have a garage. I also have an empty spare bedroom. Do I need to keep this thing out of the cold? Will the dust and fumes be too much for the house?

Even with an airless or HVLP sprayer, you can't shoot in the house without some serious ventilation. You're going to put a LOT of acetone in the air as well as a lot of solids that will settle on things and make a mess. Also, you can't shoot outside (which includes the garage) if the temperature is below 65°F, or the relative humidity is above 65%, and that's pushing it. You really want it warmer and drier.

But, it is as Bagman says - if you can meet those temp/humidity requirements to shoot outside, give the thing an hour or two and you can bring it in without killing all the plants, pets, and children. You don't really need to, though.

Also, don't worry too much about dust settling on your workpiece. Lacquer dries to the touch surprisingly fast, so it's unlikely anything will have a chance to stick to it. The vehicle boils off so quick it's not even tacky a few minutes later. But, what solids do float through the air will settle on everything. It's not the nasty overspray that some paints will leave, but it's still a bitch to clean up so you'll want to cover whatever you don't want contaminated.

 

[BillyBoy]

Yeah, I definitely like the lighter one you have Tonar. So I guess it's fill first. What fill did you use?

Cagey, I was going to use the spray cans from ReRanch. I'm in Atlanta. It's been in the 60's here. I guess I could run a heater in the garage if it's too cold and bring it in the house after an hour or so like you said.


I really appreciate all the advice from everyone. This is really a big help.  :hello2:

 

[Cagey]

Be sure to buy lotsa ReRanch. Those cans don't have nearly as much paint in them as you might think. Most of it is solvent and propellant. By the time you're done, you might wonder why you didn't just buy a sprayer. If you think you might ever do this again, it'll definitely be cheaper to own a sprayer now. You'll get better results. Just tell the wife/girlfriend that if you had a spray rig, you could  paint anything she wants <grin>

 

[BillyBoy]

Any recommendations on a sprayer? Never know. I could do it again if this one works out and I really enjoy it.

I could always spray paint her car. That way she'll never ask me to paint anything again.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Cagey]

I'm a big fan of this HVLP unit from Earlex...

The only downside to it is it's only a sprayer. So, if you wanted a compressor for other things such as air tools or filling your car tires, you'd be out of luck. But, it's inexpensive ($320-$360), it's easy to use, easy to clean, doesn't take up much space or power, produces great results, etc.

 

[BillyBoy]

The ReRanch is about $15 a can. I guess if I ended up using 20 cans of the stuff I'd be better off getting the sprayer like you said. It would work for me. I have no need for a compressor.

As DangerousR6 said, it's a little intimidating but I'm in no hurry so it should be fun.

Thanks

 

[Jusatele]

I found the best way to get over that intimidation factor was to do a lot of practicing on some 2x4s I bought and cut up into 18 inch sections. I learned each step on those things and made the newby mistakes on them also. I learned a step, and then did it on my first project, by the time I learned how to do the next step, the last step was well cured.
On my second build I found I did a practice piece first just to brush up. I also was so delighted with the results of the first one I had no trouble with waiting between finish steps.
Good luck, it is a lot of fun to watch it develop, and very satisfying to know you did it yourself.

 

[BillyBoy]

That's a good idea Jusatele. Thanks.

This example is what I'm really going for.

 

[BillyBoy]

Okay, here's the first coat of filler that I thinned with Naphtha. I did a filler coat first because I want it to look like the one Kenny Blue Ray is holding in one of the attachments. It doesn't seem dark at all. The side shot shows where some ran down the side and I waited too long before wiping it off.

I'll let that dry for a couple of days then hit it with sealer.

Please feel free to make any criticisms or concerns. Not only is this my first build but I've never even refinished anything.  :dontknow: