Nashville Tele Finishing

[tfarny]

Okay, this'll be my post about finishing this first W. ANY comments or advice are very welcome.
Plan:
1. Stain with light amber-brown oil stain (Minwax Golden Pecan was the choice)
2. grain fill with Stew mac waterbase grain fill
3. Sand carefully
4. 8-12 coats pure tung oil.
Based on what I learned from this board, that's one of the cheapest and easiest ways to do a nice natural-type finish.
Here's the body ready for staining

 

[tfarny]

Then I gave it three light coats of the Minwax stain, rubbed on with a clean sponge and let it dry overnight.  It got just about the result I wanted and the grain is really nicely highlighted.  This is just about exactly what I wanted!

 

[tfarny]

Today I hit it twice with the clear grain fill, what weird stuff - looks like dish soap, dries into clear plastic in about 5 minutes. I started out trying to squegee it in there with the Stew mac grain fill squegee (should have just used on old ruler or credit card), but ended up rubbing it in by hand / using paper towels.  After it started to harden I wiped it off with the scraper and then hit it pretty hard with a clean rag.  I guess it's working, it's hard when you can't compare it to anything.  Anyhow I did this twice.  Tomorrow I'll sand it down and do it again, I guess.  I can see the potential of this finish now, it's gonna be cool.

 

[tfarny]

the back

 

[Alfang]

That looks great, good job.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Will look wonderful!

 

[-CB-]

No need to tape those holes...

 

[guitlouie]

Man, that's looking really goooooddddd......

 

[-CB-]

Oh yah schweetness in color too.  Great color.  Reminds me of a gal I once knew.... er... still do! (dont tell the missus)

 

[tfarny]

Thanks all for the encouraging words.  So, I filled the grain, and sanded back w / 220 then 400, using a block, carefully.  Those contours are much harder than they look and all the corners were a pain. I know I'm not a great sander but did my best.  Anyhow, the grain is sufficiently even to my eyes, but I sanded back a little too much (I guess) and removed some stain from the (harder?) areas of wood. Now it looks like an 80's acid-washed jean jacket, in a way, but in another way it looks kind of black korina-like coolish.  I don't know.
So, what do you guys think?  Put on another coat of stain, or go ahead and starting in with the tung oil?  Let me know, I really can't decide right now.

 

[tfarny]

closeup

 

[tfarny]

back

 

[tfarny]

This kind of the eventual idea

 

[jackthehack]

Sanding back through part of the stain/dye finish is typical, especially at the edges; just reapply some more stain and even it back up; all part of the process....

 

[CD]

I'd follow Jack's advice. It looked really awesome before the sanding. I think it would look cool with another coat.

 

[riarojr]

i don't know....while it was gorgeous before the sanding, i kinda like the accentuated grainy, weathered look too....maybe even more :dontknow:

 

[tfarny]

Thanks guys.  I went ahead and stained it one more time, it's still less evenly stained than it was originally, kind of best of both worlds.  I'll start tung oil today.

 

[tfarny]

Update:
That tung oil takes a while to dry, or maybe I put it on too thick / didn't wipe enough off.  Did three coats, and when I went to do a fourth yesterday, I buffed it a little bit with a simple cloth, and wax-like (half-hardened oil, I guess) stuff came off in little dandruffy flakes.  The surface, especially the bottom, felt greasy too.  Today it was harder but still feels like it's got a fine coat of soft wax that comes off on your fingers a bit.  I buffed all the dandruff flakes off, and will let it sit another day, then continue the tung oil w/more thorough after-wiping from here on out. It's not at all shiny like that Korina-caster, it's much more of a matte-look.

 

[Soloshchenko]

Update:
That tung oil takes a while to dry, or maybe I put it on too thick / didn't wipe enough off.  Did three coats, and when I went to do a fourth yesterday, I buffed it a little bit with a simple cloth, and wax-like (half-hardened oil, I guess) stuff came off in little dandruffy flakes.  The surface, especially the bottom, felt greasy too.  Today it was harder but still feels like it's got a fine coat of soft wax that comes off on your fingers a bit.  I buffed all the dandruff flakes off, and will let it sit another day, then continue the tung oil w/more thorough after-wiping from here on out. It's not at all shiny like that Korina-caster, it's much more of a matte-look.

A good method is to put a full coat on, wait 20 minutes and give it a good wipe. Get rid of all the excess, don't let it just sit on top there. It stops "blotchyness" which can happen if too much is left on.