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Post subject: Drowned Strat body - project FINISHED
Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:31 pm
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I offered this body to Ceri after seeing the progress in his build thread. It was found that shipping across the Atlantic might pose an expensive proposition, so he suggested I take a shot at bringing it back to life myself. He was kind enough to post a link to pictures of the body in his thread. The long finish cracks on the back of the guitar are due to it having been submerged in a flood.

I did a bit of exploratory surgery with a claw hammer :oops: on the back of this guitar. I was trying to determine how deep the cracks went. Here are a few shots of it with the finish on...

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There are some cracks where the lower Tremolo post goes ...

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And today I took a heat gun to it and removed the finish. I also sanded it with 220 grit sand paper. Here is how it looks with it's clothes off.

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I'm not sure how far I'm going to take this but I thought I would share what I have so far. I wish I took some pictures of the finish removal process for everyone, but I got very engrossed in what I was doing and the next thing I knew all the finish was off. It was pretty easy to do. I used a 1000 degree heat gun and a paint scraper. You hold the heat gun about an inch from the surface angles slightly away from you and work behind it with the scraper. The poly finish was coming off in nice wide swaths.

I actually do not think it looks too bad and there may be some potential here.

Here is a link to all the pictures I have of this body... http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/GRAVUH/Flooded%20Strat%20Body/

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Last edited by Kong on Wed Jul 28, 2010 8:25 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:49 pm
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HA!!!

Hi Kong: been quietly waiting for this thread. Ooo - goodie!

You did a very nice job on the stripping, and as you say she certainly looks much better with her clothes off. That damage doesn't look near so scary now, does it? We're probably both glad you didn't pursue your original plan and shoot her up with a gun! :lol:

I just can't wait to see where you go with this. I'm sitting back with my feet up and a big bag of popcorn!

Go to, fella!

Kudos - C


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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:06 pm
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Oh boy Oh boy another build 8)
Main body looks pretty good Kong, best of luck on its return to glory

2 choc ices please, bag of popcorn & large coke :lol:


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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:15 pm
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Ceri wrote:
HA!!!

Hi Kong: been quietly waiting for this thread. Ooo - goodie!

You did a very nice job on the stripping, and as you say she certainly looks much better with her clothes off. That damage doesn't look near so scary now, does it? We're probably both glad you didn't pursue your original plan and shoot her up with a gun! :lol:

I just can't wait to see where you go with this. I'm sitting back with my feet up and a big bag of popcorn!

Go to, fella!

Kudos - C


Thanks for the encouragement, Ceri. I am going to be seeking some advice on this thing. It seems the there are 2 major issues I need to deal with. The claw hammer marks and the cracks by the tremolo pivot post.

I would like to re-state that I have about zero experience with wood working. I think, based on my lack of experience, that I should try to avoid doing any routing if possible. The claw marks seem like they could be filled in with some sort of filler. I'm not so sure about the cracked wood near the post hole for the trem. Do you have any advice on either issue? If I were to fill in the claw holes, should I remove any wood from the holes to make them cleaner? What type of filler would work best for a job like this. Is there some type of filler that could be used near the trem post hole, or will routing be required?

Also there are two very slight cracks in the wood, in the center section. They don't look too deep and they are not near the glue joints. I was thinking of filling them with some watery glue.

Lastly, do you have any tips for removing the finish from the cavities? I was reticent to use the heat gun, because I don't want to burn the wood.

Thanks for looking and thanks in advance for any advice you care to impart.

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:38 pm
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I should probably give a little background on the guitar. It was a late 80s or early 90s MIJ start. It had a Kahler tremolo and locking nut, and was configured HSS. I think I bought it new but it is a long time ago and I partied A LOT back then, so I don't remember for sure.

I lived at a friends house in Manville, NJ in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd came to town. The house was hit by the flood waters which rose to about 4 feet in living areas and this guitar was caught up in the the flood. I never made it home the night the flood happened because the roads were unpassable so I didn't get to the guitar until about 4 days later. When I opened the case I saw that the finish had some significant cracks. I didn't have any idea that it might be salvageable, so I just left it there with some other guitars which were also drowned.

Last fall I got to thinking about whatever happened to the guitars. As it turns out my friend moved them to his garage while he was making repairs, and there they sat for 10 years.

I had a telecaster, a Musicmaster and this Strat. I brought the Tele back to life in an earlier thread. http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27996&highlight=ressurecting

I also put the Musicmaster back together earlier this year and sold it to a guy who absolutely loves the thing. http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29020

I figured the Strat was too far gone and beyond my ability to fix. But I have been a follower of Ceri's build threads and I'm starting to see what is possible.

I'm sure that I will not be putting forth the kind of effort that Ceri does, however. I am not that patient or fastidious when it comes to a project like this. I could never see myself going through the process he used to mask the faux binding on his current project!!!

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:24 pm
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Hello Kong!

Woo hoo!!! Another build thread! We need more of these. I bloody love them (i should get my arse in gear and post one myself)!

The routing on the body looks pretty good, definitely worth saving. I'm looking forward to how this progesses.

Love'in your claw hammer technique!

Good luck!

Andy (very excited!)

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:23 pm
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ooh someone else rolling up their sleeves!!

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:17 pm
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Looking good so far Kong, and it would be cool to see you go all the way as it would be nice for Ceri to see sit back for a change and watch how much everyone has learned from him.


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Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:12 am
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Hi Kong,

Just wondering how tings are going?

Andy

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Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:18 am
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Andybighair wrote:
Hi Kong,

Just wondering how tings are going?

Andy


Hey Andy - thanks for asking...

I am going to make this thing whole again and I have a really good idea what I'm going to do with it. Right now I'm just putting the funds/tools together to make the project happen. I need to get a plunge router or access to one for the next step on the body.

After I fix the issues with the body, I'm going to use Reranch products to do the finish. I've been GAS-ing for a specific color Strat for quite a while and this body will be getting that finish. Then I just need a neck and electronics and I'm good to go. I've been cruising Craigslist for a guitar as a donor for parts.

I expect to make some actual progress on this thing within the next 2 - 3 weeks and I will definitely document it here.

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Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:46 am
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Kong wrote:
Andybighair wrote:
Hi Kong,

Just wondering how tings are going?

Andy


Hey Andy - thanks for asking...

I am going to make this thing whole again and I have a really good idea what I'm going to do with it. Right now I'm just putting the funds/tools together to make the project happen. I need to get a plunge router or access to one for the next step on the body.

After I fix the issues with the body, I'm going to use Reranch products to do the finish. I've been GAS-ing for a specific color Strat for quite a while and this body will be getting that finish. Then I just need a neck and electronics and I'm good to go. I've been cruising Craigslist for a guitar as a donor for parts.

I expect to make some actual progress on this thing within the next 2 - 3 weeks and I will definitely document it here.

Sweet! Sounds very cool.

I use a Makita router and would recommend it. I'd also recommend buying one as once you've finished this project you'll probably contract what I like to call G.B.H. (Guitar Building Hysteria!) and want to do a second,....third, etc! :D

I look forward to your future posts

Andy (long term suffer of G.B.H)

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Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:31 am
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I've been extremely curious to see just how bad the water damage was on this guitar. After going thru the pics is seems to me that the claw hammer marks are worse than the water damage. :shock:

As far as the cracks go, I would advise using a small guage surenge to inject wood glue into the cracks. Then sand down any excess. wood filler will take care of those claw marks. Again, sand down any excess.

A good router can be pretty pricey! I would advise you to just borrow one if at all possible.

I too am anxious to see where this goes and cant help but feel some sense of shame for letting my builds go neglected for so many months.

Best of luck and remember, we'll be watching! :lol:

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:12 pm
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I made a little progress on this body over the weekend. I decided that I wanted to use a vintage style trem and ditch the Floyd rose. I glued dowels into the old trem post anchor holes. I also cut a piece of poplar to fill in the recess on the top of the guitar (the rout for the Floyd.) I fitted it as best as I could and glued it in and at this point I realized that I am a terrible woodworker. I also was aware that I had the grain going sideways to the guitar, but the wood I bought would not cover the hole if I kept the grain lengthwise and I did not want another glue joint.

I am pretty embarrassed, but it is what it is so I will share. We can't all be Ceri, and in my case there is no chance. I am hoping that I can do a nice enough job with the finish to cover my butcher job.

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a little better from further back ...:oops:
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With the sad realization about my carpentry skills, I also came to the conclusion that for me to come near this body with a router is a recipe for disaster. So I decided to use filler on the claw-marks on the back.

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So today after I took the clamps off of the repair on the front and sanded the whole body with 220 grit.

I would also like to confess that I am a lazy man and therefore I really don't feel like going to the trouble removing the red finish from the floor of the control, pickup, and trem cavities. We'll see if I can get motivated. :? I cant wait for the pick-guard and trem spring cover!!

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My next steps will be to cut the hole from the trem-block, re-attempt the claw mark repair near the neck screw hole, and then apply sanding sealer to the whole body and sand again with 220 and then 320. After the sanding sealer coat or coats (if necessary), I will apply white primer. I'm pretty sure I know what color I will go with and I plan on using re-ranch products. Hopefully I'll have more for the weekend.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:26 pm
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Kong, if I may be so bold.

It may be a good idea for you to apply another coat of filler. Mix it wet but very fine and apply it very liberaly over your already filled areas. Dont scrape any off and leave it to set. In the morning sand it back flush (use a flat block too) so that it will have all come off except for a fine layer ontop of your first coat.

Filler dries by chemical reaction. It shrinks as it sets. You may not see it as a level line across the body but you likely will once a coat of paint goes on. The grainy texture on 2 spots of this is a prime example of it.

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Mix it quite wet so it sinks into any shrink cracks, rather than sitting ontop of them.

Looking good mate. I'm just about to strip a jackson body. It looks like sappele in the neck pocket and balsa wood on the top, judging from the dings.

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Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:33 pm
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Looks good, a lot better than I can do.


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