? How to match-finish post-routing on a pre-finished body

[Prometheus]

Hi all

I have on order a new body, and am trying to get organized while I wait for it. I have a question regarding finishing around some milling that I have planned.

The body back and sides will be black. I will be using threaded inserts for the neck. I'll be drilling out recesses in the body back for the ferrules. I would like to be able to not leave those holes with the bare wood showing (I know, hardly any, but still there). Rather, I'd like to paint them black inside and clear coat them. Also, I am not fond of the typical football-style edge-located jack plates. They sit on top of the body, and look kind of industrial, quite inelegant, and kinda clunky. I'd like to route out a recess for it, so the plate surface is flush to the body. So that route, as it's more visible than the neck mounting, is even more important to me to get looking good. I might even consider countersinking for a flush-mount trem cover too.

Just to be clear, I'm not looking for "patch-up" solutions. Nothing that "will do OK" or is "pretty good". I'd like to know how to approach this so that it looks "factory", of the same top quality as the rest of the body. I'm not so much concerned with how to do the routing, or gently rounding the sharp edges. My worry is how to get paint on there, and then clear, and then get it perfectly blended into the existing finish with no trace of edge, feathering, or "bumps". I believe Warmoth uses polyurethane clear, which could make invisible blending pretty challenging.

Maybe this has been covered in an existing thread, but if so, I couldn't find it. If you know of such, I'd be grateful just to be pointed in the right direction. Otherwise, I welcome any and all suggestions and details - specifically type of finish, finishing materials, and techniques.

(Tonar, you out there..????)

Thanks!

 

[Cagey]

I typically just dye the routes. Some alcohol and a heavy load of black tint does it. It ends up with a dull, flat finish, but that's sorta what you want. No reflections. Plus, it's easy. All you need is a Q-Tip to apply it. It soaks into the wood pretty deep because it's so thin, and it dries right away. I know you're looking for something a little fancier, but I submit that you'd be wasting your time.

 

[croquet hoop]

If you want a recessed jack, why not use a barrel-style jack instead of a football-style jack plate? It will be easier to route into the side and the result will me more stramlined than an oval plate with two extra screws.

Otherwise, I'll side with Cagey — in those areas, black dye will be perfect. Otherwise, you could use some sort of touch-up black lacquer thingie, but getting it to blend into the existing finish may be tricky.

 

[Prometheus]

Thanks guys.

Cagey, I like the simplicity of the dye approach. I suppose I could verrrryyy carefully wipe on a tad of some sort of sealer too. That'd take care of the color issue, especially as all the routes are intended to have something stuck into 'em that'd fill up the cavity completely. But I was wanting to roll the sharp edges of those routes. Just a little, like you would a new sharp-edged neck. For one thing, I think it'd look nicer. But secondly, and more importantly, I'm worried about that sharp edge leaving exposed the stratum of clear coat over the body wood. Wouldn't that be pretty susceptible to chipping. Which would look pretty bad, and probably harder to repair than any preventative steps would be.

Is it possible to round that just a bit, and get some clear on it, without it looking like hell? When you said I could be wasting my time - did you mean it's not worth the effort, or that it's not possible?

C-hoop, I'd thought of using a barrel jack, and that's still an option. It'd maybeprobably be simpler to deal with for my concerns here. But I do like that bit of plate, a little finish protection/insurance against thick-fingered operators fumbling around with pointy plugs while jacking in (no jokes please)

 

[Cagey]

I think you may be overly concerned about those routes. They don't see any wear to speak of, so chipping isn't really an issue. You're liable to do more damage trying to mitigate a non-existent problem.

As for coating the dye after the fact, I don't see the necessity there, either. Nobody is going to see those holes, including you, and you want them to be unobtrusive so a flat finish is in order. No reflections. Invisible. That's what you want. Dye it and call it a love story.

As for barrel jacks, I'd avoid those like the plague. They're failure-prone and difficult to find in an emergency. They look nice, but that's cold comfort when they stop working. A standard 1/4" Switchcraft phone jack is as common as dirt - even Radio Schlock sells them. Plus, when push comes to shove, you can often just bend the contacts and get one to work for another couple hours. Can't do that with the panel jacks.

 

[stratamania]

What about an electro socket ?

http://www.warmoth.com/Electrosocket-with-Switchcraft-Jack-Black-P727C68.aspx

There are other colours, but they are functional and not as obvious as a jack plate.

The barrel type I would also avoid they work but I have one in my old 80s Hamer, and it had to replaced and they are not too easy to find in a hurry. Actually it was better when it completely broke as before that it was intermittent at the worst of times.