Delamination LP kit veneer.

[Radmcg]

Hey Guys first post. If I'm in the wrong place let me know. Been working on guitars for a little while. Built a LP kit from StewMac 2 years ago. Started my second 3 months ago and had delamination of veneer after applying water based stain (used NGR stain last time). Stew Mac was very kind had pity on me and replaced the kit. Thumbs up to Paul at StewMac. They also told me to do what I wanted with the old kit.

Short question got all the veneer stuck back down by super glue on the big areas and rewetting the small areas and clamped (weights to hold pressure). Looks 98% but have a couple of places (5-10 about 1 cm in size) that are uneven where I just clamped the wet veneer back down, They are very shallow but palpable. Appear to be glued back down but uneven. What is best way to level this? Afraid to sand much due to sanding through. I already know I am going to have to go with an opaque finish but what is best way to level surface? I have thought of super glue, z poxy, and just seeing what a couple coats of vinyl sanding sealer sanded back might do. Just not sure how thick I can count on the vinyl sealer to fill. I used water based grain filler on the back and neck. Just don't want to put water back on the veneer. Anybody ever just taken the veneer off and used the mahogany as the top? I think it's 3 pieces of mahogany underneath not sure how much filler and glue there is. Just looking for ways to salvage the old kit. I just hate trashing it.

Any help appreciated and again if wrong place please let me know.

[tippie53]

my best advice is to lightly sand then shoot some sealer , filler and sealer. Post some pics so we can see what your up against

[Radmcg]

Some not all of the dark places running with the grain are palpable. with my loops they appear low. but like everything the sides could just be high. Hard to tell. This happened after I wet the laminate and put sand bags on it for pressure. This glued the areas back down. They are very shallow but palpable with your fingers across the surface. The area between the pick ups was the worst. I had to cut the veneer and super glue it back. The others area went back down on their own re-wetting the veneer and applying pressure with weights. Tried the iron on some but mostly just wet the areas and applied pressure.

[Diane Kauffmds]

This is an electric guitar? I understand your problem. You could do one of 2 things:

1. Try Gently sanding it to even it out. I know you might go through the veneer. You may be able to stain it darker to hide a small area should it sand through

2. You might think about capping your guitar. They sell thicker pieces of wood to cap electric guitars. These are usually decorative, allowing beautiful finishing techniques. I've seen caps in all sorts of woods, one of the prettiest being quilted maple, which can be dyed any color. When you pop the grain, it becomes 3D.

The photo isn't of a cap, but this old Calace is made from some of the finest flame maple I've ever seen. I popped the grain with dark brown die, then French polished with shellac. I just wanted you to see the grain.

You can get caps in all kinds of beautiful woods.

20220427_121259.jpg

[Radmcg]

Yes Diane it is a stewmac kit. Flame maple veneer LP pattern.

Finely just bit the bullet and did a skim coat of zpoxy over the top like a pore fill.  Then sanded it back.  In all reality think I sanded all of it off.  Anyway just went ahead and sanded till it was level.  Don't think I went though the veneer but it is definitely going to be a solid color top now.  Definitely no way to save the movement in the flame maple veneer at this point. I think I am going to try white vinyl sealer with StewMac  pale gold metallic as a base and then decide if I want to color over that.  Anyway I think it is saved at this point at least till my next screw up.
Beautiful guitar Diane. Any idea of a good source for veneer? I was sent to Joewoodworker.com and was looking a veneer. Any other sources? I have a vacuum pump and have built small vacuum bags in the past. I just have no idea what kind of veneer to purchase. I'm sure that is over my head but you never learn any thing unless you try. Am I understanding there is a way to iron on veneer without vacuum? Any videos?

[Diane Kauffmds]

I can research for you. I've never veneered anything. I just repaired an acoustic guitar with veneer separation. I used West Systems epoxy to reglue the separating veneer. But the cause was entirely different than your problem and this was on a customer's guitar.

The picture in the photo is a solid flame maple archtop that's almost 100 years old that I restored. I was trying to show you how a popped figure looks on a guitar. As far as I know, most veneers for electric guitars are 1 to 2mm thick. That's thick enough that you shouldn't sand through it.

A cap is a lot thicker than a veneer. It literally "caps" the wood on an electric guitar. What little I've researched, caps are 3/16 to 1/4" thick. I think they're steam bent to the form of the guitar.

I'll see if I can find a couple of credible places for you to find more information if you like.