A new challenge

[Nocturnal]

NICE!!!!!

[Highlander]

10/10 

[Basvarken]

I couldn't wait to go to next class to start the finishing process.
So last friday I went and my mentor told me to put Glitsa parquet lacquer on first as a pore filler.

So I started painting the Glitsa. I noticed immediately that the Glitsa was smearing the stain all over the place. First I tried to deny it and went ahead, but at a certain point there was more denying... it was horrible. The top looked like a spotted pig.

I was livid! Why did that idiot tell me to put this stuff on??
He was so ashamed and he said he never saw it happen.
It turned out he only used this method on natural wood. Not stained wood... he forgot it is a waterbased laquer. And the stain is waterbased too.

So we started sanding the whole stain off. This was no sinecure because the maple is rock hard. We sanded three hours straight.
When I went home the top was almost clean. But I still had to do the back and neck.

So the next day I went straight back to the sanding and sanded for hours and hours.
Finally I got it 98% clean. Not all of the pigment was gone, but I decided not to worry anymore.

So now I could go back to the staining.
First the dark oak color again to bring ut the flame.
This time I spent more time on sanding this color back to bring out the flame.



Notice I sort of sanded a subtle burst at the edges.



Then I brought back the red in several stages.



It actually looks better than the first time!





The next day I brought on the first coats of clear laquer. I'm using acrylic high gloss laquer. Very cheap rattle cans from a store called Action. 2 euro per can!
I've seen results of fellow students at the course and the results look incredibly good with these cheap ass cans 


Now it's beginning to look like it!







I'm very happy with the results so far. I'm sort of glad the first attempt failed, because this looks even better then the first one 

I can't wait to do some more finishing.
But first I'm off for Portugal! Yeeeeehaw!

[Highlander]

Serendipity...

Enjoy the break...

[Basvarken]

Last friday first time to get back on the project since the summer break.

The time consuming finishing process

sanding, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, curing, sanding, spraying, ad infinitum... 

[Freuds_Cat]

Looking good Rob

[drbassman]

Yeah baby!   

[ramone57]

stunning!     

[Pilgrim]

That is shaping up as one gorgeous instrument!

[Highlander]

+1

[Basvarken]

I made good progress.
Yesterday I got to the point where I started to polish the bass. It shines like a mirror. Really cool.

But I did something really clumsy. While polishing I hit the top against something standing in the way.  
It left a couple of very deep dents.

I tried to fill them with laquer but they remained visible.
I tried to sand them out.
But I sanded through the laquer hitting the bare wood. Now there's a lighter spot the size of a dime.  
I sprayed a few layers of laquer to see how bad the discoloring is. It's there. I see it. Quite clearly.

I'm in dubio about what to do.
Sand the whole damn top blank again. Stain it again. And start the finishing all over again.

Or leave it. And accept the flaw.
(I know it will forever irritate me)

[Iome]

Leave it Rob,
i bet nobody (beside from you) will notice it. It's a self and handmade instrument, not a cnc job. Sooner or later you will hit other things and new marks, dings and cracks will keep coming, thats life. You will remember the origin of every and each of them through the time....man, i am one mean philosopher.

[Freuds_Cat]

Redo it. Its a lot of work but like all of the best things in life, its the going back and doing it until its right that makes you good at it.
No regrets.

[Basvarken]

Yep, I'm leaning towards that option Bret.

But thinking about it gives me a headache...

[dadagoboi]

Wire it, string it, play it.  Then see how you feel.  My guess is you'll say, "That works...next!"  After a few more builds you may want to come back to it.