tricky finish question

[helsing]

:help:
I'm builing a Wenge chambered guitar with a flame koa top. I want the Wenge part to stay raw but have a glossy finish on the koa top. Is it even possible to apply a finish on the top only?

 

[Cagey]

Sure. Just mask it off. Kinda like this...

I had to mask over the top edge because I had binding on that body, but the idea is the same. Cover up what you don't want to get paint on. In the case of that body, I wanted to leave the sides and back natural, but put a solid color on the top.

 

[helsing]

/thread! perfect answer...thanks mate!

 

[Day-mun]

Tips on how to treat the "edge" of the finish?

I masked a rosewood 'board on a maple neck and clear-coated with satin poly.  After the tape was removed, there was a step-transition from the raw fingering surface to the shoulders of the neck, so I lightly steel wooled it with 0000. The top edge (with the side dots) still looks good, but I noticed the underside has areas that are flaking away from being handled/played. -Not a big deal; the failing areas of the finish seem to stop at the maple, and I can't feel the missing chunks of poly on the side of the 'board... -But in the case of a transition from top to sides of a body, I could see this being a major issue.

-What to do?

 

[Cagey]

It's a bit late now without refinishing it, but you really need to seriously degrease the wood, especially the Rosewood. Naptha works. Lots of it. Then, don't mask off the sides of the fretboard, just the top. Shoot a coat of sanding sealer on that, then sand it back a bit with some 320-400. Clean it again, then shoot whatever finish you want over that and do whatever follow-up you want to get the surface you want.

If you want to start over, get some paint remover with Methylene Chloride in it. It's about the only thing that'll cut poly.

 

[DangerousR6]

I still don't get why you covered this up with paint, it's such a beautiful piece of mahogany... :doh:

 

[alterbridgefan]

I still don't get why you covered this up with paint, it's such a beautiful piece of mahogany... :doh:

IIRC, it was a showcase peice, and it looks like he plugged a lot of holes. Not to mention, he can't really pick a different body now.

Whatcha gonna do? :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

I still don't get why you covered this up with paint, it's such a beautiful piece of mahogany... :doh:

Are you talking about the L5S body above? If so, it is as Altar says - I had to plug a lot of holes, and there's no way that would look right unless it was covered. I left the sides and back natural because you're right - it's a beautiful piece of Mahogany. Broke my heart to cover the top. But, I don't like having the controls too far away from my hand and I don't like having so many controls. I'm also not a huge fan of the TOM/STP termination.

I wasn't the original owner of that body; I got it in a trade for an Ebony over Wenge neck. If I'd have ordered it originally from Warmoth, I wouldn't have had it drilled out the way it was and the top would have remained natural.

 

[DangerousR6]

I still don't get why you covered this up with paint, it's such a beautiful piece of mahogany... :doh:

Are you talking about the L5S body above? If so, it is as Altar says - I had to plug a lot of holes, and there's no way that would look right unless it was covered. I left the sides and back natural because you're right - it's a beautiful piece of Mahogany. Broke my heart to cover the top. But, I don't like having the controls too far away from my hand and I don't like having so many controls. I'm also not a huge fan of the TOM/STP termination.

I wasn't the original owner of that body; I got it in a trade for an Ebony over Wenge neck. If I'd have ordered it originally from Warmoth, I wouldn't have had it drilled out the way it was and the top would have remained natural.

:icon_thumright:

 

[Day-mun]

It's a bit late now without refinishing it, but you really need to seriously degrease the wood, especially the Rosewood. Naptha works. Lots of it. Then, don't mask off the sides of the fretboard, just the top.

The naptha step got the short end of the stick, in my case; -must have way under-estimated the need to get that really dry (oil-free), and did not use "lots of it".  :doh: I did, however, only mask the top of the 'board... the exposed rosewood on the lower shoulder of the neck that is now finished is where my (very minor) problem is occurring.

-Prob'ly won't do anything with it at the moment; this one is too much fun to play right now to be torn apart and re-done!  :guitaristgif: If the finish starts failing over onto the maple, or if the seam between the rosewood and the maple starts to become exposed, then I'll get off my a** and re-do it as you (KG) directed. -Just thought I'd bring it up since we were discussing finish transitions/terminations; my experience (limited as it is) proved that these types of maneuvers could have some after-the-fact issues associated, -if not executed properly.

 

[Day-mun]

Hey, btw, the L5S is looking really good, there, KG! I was lurking on your binding thread, but I hadn't seen it any further until now... -The green top is gonna look killer with the natural sides!

This must be the color/pallet number you're gonna file a patent for in East TX  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

Yes. There are some shots of it with finish on it around here somewhere, but I can't remember where. I never did start a "build" thread on it; I just keep dropping example shots here and there as the discussions call for them.