|
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Yorkshire, England | Hi, Everyone -
A few weeks ago, I posted a message asking if anyone might know of where I could get a Deacon body - as people have not exactly bombarded me with replies, (But... Thank you Michael & Stephen for yours.....) I decided to get myself a block of mahogany (not an easy task to get one big enough) and make my own, using the old body as a template. I've done quite a good job, if I say so myself & it has been handed over to a friend of mine to do the routing. The only thing I've started to wonder about now is the finish.
Can anyone recommend anything - I was quite clear that I was just going to stain the wood & apply a spray polyurathane varnish until I foolishly viewed the web for some ideas - now it could be nitrocellulose, yacht varnish, shallac, french polish, tung oil, spit, lacquer etc... etc..
If anyone has finished a plain wood body before, I really would appreciate some advice - Thanks,
Best Wishes from the UK, Clyde |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Minwax makes a very nice satin finish spray I used on my Strat. After it hardens, you can go over it with a fine steel wool, and it really makes a nice finish. I think it was called poly satin. If you are using mahogany, I wouldn't use a stain, just make sure it is well hand sanded with like 600 or higher grit sandpaper before you spray it. 90% of the finish is in the preparation. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Yorkshire, England | Thanks Jim - The Minwax name doesn't ring any bells being over here in England, but funny you should mention about a satin finish. A varnish has come out by a firm called Ronseal called `Perfect Finish' - It's applied by special pad & apparently leaves no brush marks, but is only available in satin. I had more of a gloss look in my mind, but I may give this a go now. Thanks for the advice about not staining! Regards, Clyde |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Very open to preferences.
Originally they were a Poly finish and impervios to quite a bit of pain. But Poly is difficult to repair.
Lacquer is softer but additional coats will melt in.
Pure Tung Oil (not the polymerised Shellac added kind) will beautify and protect and allow subsequent repairs to be retreated easily enough.
Some have even coated the bare wood with Butcher's Wax.
Look in my Gallery of projects and you will see several options. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Yorkshire, England | Thanks very much Michael - How do I get in to have a look at your gallery?
Cheers, Clyde |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Aye, Capt'n. First you have to swagle yer way to the belly of this page and click whar is writ "Ovation Fan Club".
That brins up the Treasure Map at the left whar ye can navigate to the ends of the known world and seek ye fortune!
"Member Access" is the path to the "Photo Gallery" button and then you'll find a list of Sailors, some long gone and many not heard of since your beard was short. If thar be a * by the name that means they've updated their Treasure Albums recently.
I'm MWoody. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Yorkshire, England | Cheers Michael ........ Where's me buckaneers, avast behind, and all that .......
It'll be great to have a look at your stuff !
Clyde |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Do test runs on sanded pieces of the scrap you will have from the band saw. Try a Cherry stain, you get a nice red from Mahogany with a few coats of finish. Unstained is nice as well but for the Bridge and truss rod covers, that I once had time to make, I found a light red stain would match the body of the "Creators" Deacon I have very close. (boasting there) Lacquer needs a "compatable" sanding sealer coat first, most finishes work better with this. And just for some free information; yacht varnish is also known as "conversion varnish" I had to use this on an Old Rickenbacker I had. YOu actually mix pigment into this to get the color coats, then you can mix some amber to get an aged effect to match a repair if needed. Both of these finishes are considered the best there are for lustre and durability, but they are both very, very toxic to breath when spraying. In fact the Conversion Varnish I bought I could only get in quart size cans because they will not allow it's transport in the US of larger amounts without a permit.
Good luck.
Samova (one of our more knowledgable members) had a real nice doubleneck body cut out...............might be worth looking him up. I was going to go this route myself but I do not have the parts I would need and just the necks might take me a while to aquire..
Randy |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 270
Location: Yorkshire, England | Hi, Randy -
Thanks very much for taking the time out to get in touch it is most appreciated. I will do a test on the pieces of wood I have left, as you suggested & see what looks best. The Ronseal company (don't know if have them there over in the US) technical department have just mailed me advising that a product called Ultra Tough Varnish would be the way to go for a clear finish. (They are probably the most well known company here for their paint & varnish products) The cherry stain you mentioned sounds good, I did actually have this in mind when I started the project, so I think this is the way I may go with it.
Thanks Again ! Clyde |
|
| |
Deacon Body
