Andreas Demetriou Bass resurection...

[drbassman]

I bought paste filler a few months ago thinking I might need it.  Haven't used it and haven't had a problem filling grain in mahogany, ash, poplar or basswood without it.  2 coats sealer with block sanding before and after, 2 coats lacquer on 2 successive days with sanding, wait 4-6 days and color sand and buff.  Always use a block of some kind otherwise you'll be turning mountains into hills and valleys.

What kind of lacquer are you using?  Did you previously post your painting process?

[dadagoboi]

What kind of lacquer are you using?  Did you previously post your painting process?

I use Mohawk products pretty much exclusively and follow the directions on the containers.  Heavy bodied sanding sealer.  Clear and white lacquers tinted as necessary with UTC to get my colors, Ultra penetrating dye stains, etc.

I'll do a thread on my painting process soon but it really starts with a compressor and spray gun or two.  I have used rattlecan sealers (again from Mohawk) and topcoats on swamp ash with good results with no filler.

[Highlander]

Ta Gentlemen...

We are pretty limited with what we can get over here (no means of importing such products as they would inevitably have to go by air) but the products I got from a company called ToneTech worked on the PC (excluding my clumsiness, as I've already got several "Mojo" incidents... well, adds to the history of the instrument - every dent has a tale... )

[heathen] I'm using high end car fins for the RD, mind you... Again, I can't argue - they were utilised on the original "Tequila" and survived 26 years or so in pretty good fashion... [/heathen]

I have some natural and mahogany epoxy wood filler so I'll run with that first...

[dadagoboi]

I've used a lot of car paint rattlecans, no problem with any of them.  Though the recent mini disaster with black was automotive paint.  I think the problem was incompatibility between it and nitrocellulose sealer.

I suggest using automotive primer surfacer over the wood filler if you are going for a smooth solid color...though I must confess I've lost track of what it is exactly you're going for finishwise.  Must be the nitro fumes.  Glad you're back at it, that's a beautiful piece of ash.

[Highlander]

I've not declared that yet - multiple coating; experimantal...

We've got good mild weather here at the moment but I'm on call so not too much going to get done...

Anyway, what you doing up this early...? (I make it 06:49 EST) Saturday's for having a lie-in... Cabin fever, or shoot while the weather's in your favour...

[dadagoboi]

I wake up now when I used to go to bed in my younger days, about 5 AM usually.  Worked for myself most of my life so 'weekends' have very little meaning, ditto holidays.

I have my netbook in the shop attached to a big monitor and good sound system streaming movies, sports and Pandora.  What more could a boy want?

[drbassman]

I use Mohawk products pretty much exclusively and follow the directions on the containers.  Heavy bodied sanding sealer.  Clear and white lacquers tinted as necessary with UTC to get my colors, Ultra penetrating dye stains, etc.

I'll do a thread on my painting process soon but it really starts with a compressor and spray gun or two.  I have used rattlecan sealers (again from Mohawk) and topcoats on swamp ash with good results with no filler.

I thought I recalled you mentioning Mohawk.  I am definitely planning a spray system in the future.  Right now, it's not possible with the layout I have to work with.  As it is, my shop is overcrowded with tools!!!

Please do post your process when you have a chance, it's worth noting (and copying) I'm sure!!! 

[dadagoboi]

I thought I recalled you mentioning Mohawk.  I am definitely planning a spray system in the future.  Right now, it's not possible with the layout I have to work with.  As it is, my shop is overcrowded with tools!!!

Please do post your process when you have a chance, it's worth noting (and copying) I'm sure!!! 

Will do

[shadowcastaz]

Doc is that plagiarism?

[drbassman]

Doc is that plagiarism?

Only if you don't give the originator credit!

[Pilgrim]

I have used rattle can Dupli-Color from auto parts stores (acrylic lacquer) over an auto primer base which is also acrylic lacquer.  

For my major refin job I used an acrylic lacquer primer, then a layer of silver over the primer, then multiple layers of clear acrylic lacquer which came in a can from Stew-Mac, added tint, and shot with an auto detail gun.  I used a pressure regulator and moisture trap in the output line from my air compressor to deliver clean air at a pressure the detail gun liked.  I screwed together both the regulator and filter, then put snap=off quick disconnects on each end of the pair so I could remove them from the air line easily.

Sorry if this is elementary compared to what you guys use - just thought the Stew-Mac canned lacquer might be a handy thing to mention.  I've tinted it red and also black with nice results, although shooting red requires at least three coats.  Until I got the layers built up, it was pink....than finally red emerged.

Here's the resulting finish, after considerable wet sanding and polishing...the burst was shot with an air brush...first time I ever used one.

[Highlander]

Looks fine to me, Al... re pink... could have been worse, could have been purple...

And Carlo...

... I have my netbook in the shop attached to a big monitor and good sound system streaming movies, sports and Pandora.  What more could a boy want?

I live far too close to my neighbours (let alone Jackie and Roshina...) to get away with that...

Doc is that plagiarism?

Fingarism...?

[Highlander]

Well, we had a fine day here on Sunday so the shed was open for business... I First off I fixed the pond pump and proceeded the ritual annual pump-out and clean - whilst waiting for the pump to get to wellie level I did some grain filling, and then some sanding...



It is gutting to see this so close to what I want but still not quite there... just not quite what I want and I know I'm not going to get there...

Tonight I re-dyed with the black...



The grain shows up quite well... still more filling to do - neck is going to be unlined ("Commando", as per Carlo) but I'm leaving the dot markers as they are - what to use for a top coat though...? leave it and use... what is the name of that oil...?

I've got a couple of pup options - the EMG SELECT in the neck slot - I've already got two of these in my JACK bass and this spare one lived in the bridge slot on the PC as a solo pup for 20 years or so... the bridge slot is a bit more complex - I could use the single Dimarzio Jazz pup Scott sent over as the cutting was part way there, but I'm tempted to use both the Jazz pups out of the Squier - cut away the fixing points on one side of each and merge them as a splitable humbucker...?



Any thoughts...?

[drbassman]

I like the top pup option.

As for the dying, I'm lost!

[ramone57]

I know it's just the filler, but I like the zebra stripes!  might be a little bit of a stretch for somebody with conservative tastes, though.