Proto-bass #2.

[birdie]

Oops howthathappen?

[Lightyear]

That came out great Leslie! 

My buffer is nowhere near as fast as yours - Hell it breaks down after an hour or so of work!  The Doctors tell me that my shoulder is getting a little on the old/over used side of things - maybe I shouldn't push it so hard

Seriously though, on the buffing, you might check in over at ReRanch - I remember several threads on buffing nitro and that it burns through at too high of speed.

[drbassman]

Wow, that's beautiful!  Your buffer is probably spinning too fast and heating up the nitro unnecessarily.  You need to change your pulley to slow her down.  I've seen recommendations for an RPM of 700-800 to prevent burn through.  There are some great discussions about it ReRanch forum.

[dadagoboi]

Suggestions:  Variable speed automotive type buffer from Harbor Freight, $39...stay off the edges, do them by hand.  Improve your technique.  Ask Dale, he's a pro.  A lot of Reranch is amateur speculation IMO.  Especially since you're not using rattlecans.

Love the bass, more pix!

[drbassman]

Suggestions:  Variable speed automotive type buffer from Harbor Freight, $39...stay off the edges, do them by hand.  Improve your technique.  Ask Dale, he's a pro.  A lot of Reranch is amateur speculation IMO.  Especially since you're not using rattlecans.

Love the bass, more pix!

Good suggestions regarding the hand buffer.  LThere are lots of amatuers at ReRanch, however, some of the best (and better than here even) small scale builders hang out there.  I've learned more from that site than I can even recount.  The best free education one could get.  It's not all speculation and I highly recommend it. 

[dadagoboi]

Good suggestions regarding the hand buffer.  LThere are lots of amatuers at ReRanch, however, some of the best (and better than here even) small scale builders hang out there.  I've learned more from that site than I can even recount.  The best free education one could get.  It's not all speculation and I highly recommend it. 

Sorry, Bill.  I guess I'm a glass half full kind of guy and when some of the discussion on paint forums gets into the realm of equating finishing with rocket science it drives me nuts.  If we could bring Dale into the discussion that would be great.  It's not so much the rpm as the pressure and time in one spot, but lower rpms do make it a little easier.

When I started painting my reference sources were a PPG auto painting manual and a HotRod magazine book on how to paint your car in your carport.  My first 'project' was a dozen mirror finish black lacquer (catalyzed polyester isocyanate Deltron) coffee tables.  Boy was that a learning curve!  Woodworking education consists of Fine Woodworking magazine and books on DIY furniture making.  No wood shop at my H.S.

[drbassman]

No forum is perfect.  I have several good guitar building and finishing books in my library (Stew-Mac, Bernadetto, etc.).  I'm a self-taught kind of guy and I also like the give and take via forums.  I like to try different things and learn from others.  The internet has made that easier.  Naturally, one has to use some modicum of common sense when reading the postings of unknown folks on a forum!

[dadagoboi]

No forum is perfect.  I have several good guitar building and finishing books in my library (Stew-Mac, Bernadetto, etc.).  I'm a self-taught kind of guy and I also like the give and take via forums.  I like to try different things and learn from others.  The internet has made that easier.  Naturally, one has to use some modicum of common sense when reading the postings of unknown folks on a forum!

Let's just say I have limited social skills...my best friends call me Snarlo

[Pilgrim]

For my project bass, I bought a buffing wheel about 8" in diameter that would chuck up in a 3/8" VSR drill, grabbed some 3-M Finesse-It II machine polish and had at it!  Worked out very well (although messy, with the buffing wheel flinging polish around), possibly because a 3/8 VSR drill couldn't spin that buffer very fast.  No burn-throughs.

The result:

[birdie]

You are all very kind, thanks! Snarlo ( gotta love that) all great advice, especially "improve your technique"... so true, so true..
Will check out reranch and see how I can become even more dangerous!
Lightyear,good to hear your arm will soon work again!

[birdie]

Big PS:
Props to Carlo for the toppers.They are very cool, and mounting the ring on a spacer, you cannot even tell it,s a top cover without getting yer snot on it!

[drbassman]

Let's just say I have limited social skills...my best friends call me Snarlo

No snarls noted!  There's lots of ways to do things and the more we explore, then better off we are IMHO.  You method obviously has lots of merit based on your outcomes.

[Lightyear]

There was a regular on ReRanch that was using a small randon orbit air buffer that did awesome work.  The buffer used probably 3" foam pads and for guitar work he could buff out even black nitro with nary a trace of swirl marks or scratches - the secret was the speed, low, and RO.  I think the thing was about $150 bucks - If I had to do too many buff jobs I would hunt one of those down.  It also helped that he was using bulk nitro with some decent guns.  Plus, I think he was a hotrod/chopper type painter as well.

[birdie]

What is a random orbit air buffer, please?

[drbassman]

What is a random orbit air buffer, please?

It's a random orbital sander powered by an air compressor.