First Build, Want it dun right!

[brokebymonday]

Well here we go... I've been doing a lot of reading and researching.  A couple weeks ago, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Warmoth guitar body and neck.  I chose my first build to be a Jazzmaster style.  The theme I want is a black on black, with chrome/polished accents. 

My first question is grain filler.  I've read a lot and have gotten mixed answers.  The body is mahogany, so I know I'll need a grain filler (but which one).  I will be ordering the black Nitro Cellulose laquer, also sand sealer, primer and clear gloss.  So with those products, which would be the grain filler of choice?

Second question, how many cans should I buy?  I'm also going to be painting the neck and headstock black. 

 

[brokebymonday]

Nitrocellulose cans ordering from guitar reranch

 

[brokebymonday]

maybe i should've read the first post in this section.  Has a great breakdown of each material.  Ooops.  Newbie to the forum

 

[stubhead]

There are roughly four-to-more "families" of finishing processes. You got your spray-on nitro, your waterbased poly, your tru-oil/tung-oil hardening type ones, then easing into some exotic, really hard-to-do stuff like epoxy and superglue finishes - besides the stink, your dust control has to be brain-surgery level. The "more" consist of all the hybrids, there are oil-based polys that act halfway toward nitro, all sorts of things are involved - you can't actually, EVER get a "real" 1950's finish on a guitar anymore unless you synthesize some really ultra-pollutant stuff and buy a remote island where you can kill immigrants in your factory.

Regardless, at least three of these will yield a finish as good or better as anything the old stuff could do, and a lot easier too. This may sound cranky-old-fogeyish (wonder why) but the single biggest problem I see newbies run into, is trying to do all 4 or 5 finishing processes together, all at once. They come up with these incredible 30-step programs to make boards shiny and not moisture-warpy.... :icon_scratch: You just choose one, and do it right. You can spend your spare time looking up all the blindfold tests where people unequivocally prove that boards that breathe sound better, and list all the hit records made with breathing board guitars.

 

[brokebymonday]

thanks for the reply, i've decided to go with the zpoxy for grain filler. and use the nitro aerosol cans for the finish.  Decided. 

I'll also be posting pics during the build, even when I get a new part/item in the mail. 

Pumped up

 

[Cagey]

I've seen some rattle can finishes that turned out ok, but be aware that you will probably need a helluva lot more of those cans than you think. There's very little finish material in them; it's mostly reducer and propellant, and you sand a helluva lot of it off between coats. If this is the only guitar you ever expect to finish on your own, maybe that's ok. But, if you think you might do two or more you're better off buying into an HVLP spray rig. You can do that for roughly $300, and I guarantee you the results are better and more controllable. Plus, it's already there for the next job and you can use it for other things as well.

 

[bagman67]

Harbor Freight actually sells a HVLP rig that is similar, as far as I can tell, to the lower-end Earlex unit.  Dunno about replacement parts and so forth, but it's quite inexpensive.


http://www.harborfreight.com/high-volume-low-pressure-spray-gun-kit-44677.html

 

[Cagey]

If you can get smaller needle valves for it, that might be the deal of the century. But, if that feature is fixed, anything that will spray latex and varnish isn't going to be suitable for lacquer. You'll have drips and sags all over the place due to over-application.

 

[brokebymonday]

Well next build I will get a spray gun. Already pulled the trigger for the cans, we shall see how it goes then right? Pics will tell the story

 

[bagman67]

If you can get smaller needle valves for it, that might be the deal of the century. But, if that feature is fixed, anything that will spray latex and varnish isn't going to be suitable for lacquer. You'll have drips and sags all over the place due to over-application.

COmes with three different needle valves:  1.0 mm, 1.5mm, and 1.8mm.  Will 1.0 mm suffice for lacquer?

 

[brokebymonday]

On a good note, tuning pegs came in the mail the other day! First item to arrive. They're Grover rotomatics mid size lefty for the reverse headstock I ordered for this baby

 

[bagman67]

Nice.  I have some locking Rotomatics on my green Tele, and I really like'em.

 

[Cagey]

Comes with three different needle valves:  1.0 mm, 1.5mm, and 1.8mm.  Will 1.0 mm suffice for lacquer?

Yes. That's what I use, and it works out well. However, you should be aware that even with the 1mm valve you can blow one helluva lotta material out of the thing. You really need to shoot at something you don't care about to set the flow rate before you start on a body/neck. I use shipping boxes, but anything flat will do. The thing works sorta like a vacuum cleaner in reverse, in that it's "on" all the time. There's no compressor; it's a turbine that doesn't shut off. It's not like a regular paint gun where you only shoot when you pull the trigger. There's always air flow, so it's tough to judge. With these units, there's only material flow when you pull the trigger, but air flow is constant. It's a little surprising at first, but you get used to it. Plus, since it's low pressure, you don't get the overspray you get with a traditional spray rig. You'll still put paint in the air so no fair using it in the house, just not so much.

 

[brokebymonday]

This just in. Mastery bridge and tremelo

 

[Cagey]

Nice stuff!

Be careful putting in the bridge mounting bushings (or thimbles) as Mastery machines those parts super-close. If you're off by more than a couple thousandths or so, the bridge may not mount. I'd strongly suggest you use an arbor press or a drill press to get them in square. Trying to do it with a hammer may put them in slightly off, which will then necessitate the invention of many new cuss words.

 

[brokebymonday]

Nice stuff!

Be careful putting in the bridge mounting bushings (or thimbles) as Mastery machines those parts super-close. If you're off by more than a couple thousandths or so, the bridge may not mount. I'd strongly suggest you use an arbor press or a drill press to get them in square. Trying to do it with a hammer may put them in slightly off, which will then necessitate the invention of many new cuss words.

wow, thanks for the heads up!  i'll make sure to keep an extra lookout for detail when i'm installing that

 

[brokebymonday]

Z POXY - would you sand/sealer before or after application of z poxy?  Using nitro finish

 

[brokebymonday]

BOX STOLEN OFF MY FRONT PORCH ON CHRISTMAS EVE,  NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED? SO KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR A NO INLAY EBONY FRETBOARD ON TOP OF A QUARTERSAWN MAPLE NECK WITH REVERSE HEADSTOCK.  BODY IS A BARE MAHOGANY JAZZMASTER

LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE ANYTHING

 

[stubhead]

Aw shit, that's crazy. Isn't UPS fully liable? You've got a record or can easily get one from Warmoth detailing the full value - that's like TOTALLY the driver's fault, and obviously so. UPS will have the record of who the driver was, when he left it and all that.

 

[Great Ape]

Unbelievable!!! Best of luck with tracking them down or compensation...UNBELIEVABLE!!