Refinishing agathis wood body.

tyronne · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm **Posts:** 2005

Ceri wrote:

tyronne wrote:

Question for you...
When doing this do you start with the darker or lighter finish first?
Or does it mater?

Hi tyronne: it's an interesting point.

Layering transparent lacquer could be thought of as quite like putting successive sheets of coloured glass on top of one another. As more layers go on the effect can only get darker, not lighter.

So as a general principle with trans finishes you start with the light tones and progress to the darker ones. That's how a Fender three-colour sunburst is done: first they tint the whole body amber, then add the brown and finally the black. So whether oneal is doing a sunburst or a one-colour trans finish he'd want to start with the amber and then add the cherry till he'd brought it to the degree of darkness of his choice. Might be fun to make it darker round the edges for a cherryburst effect, but a uniform amber-red would also be gorgeous.

I can't wait to see pix!

Cheers - C

Thanks Ceri..very helpful info for a possible future project.
Been in love with the "Wine Transparent" finish myself and would like to recreate that.

oneal lane · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:35 am

After stripping the front and back it is clear to me that body is not a good candidate for a clear finish. The body consists of 3 panels glued together the outer panels are similar and are darker and look almost like mahogany. The center panel is a yellow-ish wood that has a totally different grain structure.

My difficulty now is stripping the "tummy tuck" and the rounded edges of the body without gouging the wood horribly. My heat gun and puddy knife work great on flat surfaces but rounded and dished portions, I don't know.

tyronne · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm **Posts:** 2005

They do have circular shaped putty knives. Not saying it would work but...

http://wn.com/Putty_knife

Ceri · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:03 am

oneal lane wrote:

My difficulty now is stripping the "tummy tuck" and the rounded edges of the body without gouging the wood horribly. My heat gun and puddy knife work great on flat surfaces but rounded and dished portions, I don't know.

Yes, with inner curved surfaces there can sometimes be a problem of cutting into the wood, though with a bit of care I find it normally works out OK. Annoyingly, I don't seem to have a helpful photo - this is the best I can offer off-hand:

You can see the inner curve on the lower horn came out fine done that way.

However, there is another approach. If you use a scraper that works on the pull rather than the push it is easy to go across things like the tummy contour without gouging. Mine in the middle of this photo is one sort:

Or there's this type:

Those are to be had for pennies from tool shops. And I find that pulling rather than pushing works well going round the outer corners too.

Options...

Cheers - C

oneal lane · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:10 am

Ceri,

Thanks for the photo and insights.

I will check back at the hardware for a pulling device.

Plan to attack and finish it tomorrow. Get to sanding next.

OL

Twelvebar · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:09 pm

Ceri wrote:

So as a general principle with trans finishes you start with the light tones and progress to the darker ones. That's how a Fender three-colour sunburst is done: first they tint the whole body amber, then add the brown and finally the black...

Cheers - C

Oh My God!!!!!!!!!Wrong information from Ceri!!!!

That's a 2- Colour burst. 3 Colour burst adds the red band , and it is last.

on vintage instruments (not sure about the new,) there was no black per se, just two different concentrations of VanDyke brown (uppity way of saying brown with black mixed in.

Ceri · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:23 am

Twelvebar wrote:

Oh My God!!!!!!!!!Wrong information from Ceri!!!!

No-o-o-o-o-o!

I could just die! In fact, I'll go blow my brains out right now.

But... wait one cotton pickin' moment:

Twelvebar wrote:

3 Colour burst adds the red band , and it is last.

Uh-hu? Well, after a fairly tedious half hour trawling factory tour vids I came across this. Do my eyes deceive me, or at 4.25 do we not see a gentleman in the Fender paint shop spraying the darkest outer colour last? (Black, Van Dyke brown, whatever we want to call it.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... IxX8c&NR=1

Huh. So either that fella has to blow his brains out too, or I must now go crawling around on the floor trying to find all of mine and cram them back into my head. That'll keep me busy.

By the way, some remarks in there from Mike Eldred to keep the tonewood debate alive and running...

Cheers - C

Twelvebar · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:53 pm

Ceri wrote:

Twelvebar wrote:

Uh-hu? Well, after a fairly tedious half hour trawling factory tour vids I came across this. Do my eyes deceive me, or at 4.25 do we not see a gentleman in the Fender paint shop spraying the darkest outer colour last? (Black, Van Dyke brown, whatever we want to call it.):
Cheers - C

Is the existing colour the red band? Or is it the lighter shade of van Dyke brown, that makes the fade/transition? That's what it looks like to me :wink:

Thanks for the link Ceri, i don't think I have seen that one before.

here's one in return:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nswcAPvH0P8

this restored footage confirms a bunch of theories we've discussed here.

Solid Body Love Songs · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:48 pm

OL, you are a brave soul. Ceri has this task under control. I almost attempted what you're doing a few months back but freaked out last minute and covered the body with a decal. Looking forward to pic's.

oneal lane · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:42 am

Attempting to post photos:

The beginnning phase. My assistant looks on. Sorry I could not get it to rotate upright.

Partially finished back. You can see the 3 pieces of wood.

Partial finish front.

I have completed the stripping of the entire body. Tomorrow I will have photos of completed strip.

The secret was having enough heat and the right tools. Not really that hard once you get the method down. I would not hesitate to strip another one if the need arises.

Arc-n-spark · **Joined:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:38 am **Posts:** 593

I like that you managed to do that without scorching the wood. Nice job.

oneal lane · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:35 am

Thanks,

A first I was a bit scared as the poly finish seemed to be bulletproof. But as with any job the right tools means everything. Great assistance and advice here from many good guys.

The owner seems to like the look of the natural wood and has given me freedom to go any way I choose, so I am going to try my lot at a nice fine natural polish, I guess kind of like a French polish.

OL

The_Nutter · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:45 pm

oneal lane wrote:

Thanks,

A first I was a bit scared as the poly finish seemed to be bulletproof. But as with any job the right tools means everything. Great assistance and advice here from many good guys.

The Celebratory Oneal Lane Stripping Chant
(mistakenly credited to Gloria Gaynor)

"At first he was afraid, he was petrified
Thinking he could never strip the body by his side
But then he spent so many nights, fearing all that could go wrong
And he grew stronger, learning how to get along

And so he's back, from outer space
We just walked in to find him here with that glad look upon his face
With his heat gun round the clock
And proper tools which were the key
If he'd known for just one second he could strip so easily!

Go on now go! And do one more. Just keep it natural, 'cause 'black's not welcome anymore
Did you think he was the one who had to say his good-byes,
Did you think he'd crumble? Did you think he'd lay down and die?

Oh yeah my my
He did survive
Oneal Lane has taken off the first paint of his life
With the scraper in his grip, he is ready for the strip
He will survive
He will survive!

(nananaaas ad lib)"

:-)

oneal lane · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:18 pm

Is there a youtube link?

tyronne · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm **Posts:** 2005

I hope not! :lol:

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