Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
Mal-2
Posts: 104
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:56 am

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Mal-2 »

At least you live somewhere it's reasonable to put up an outdoor spray booth in January. Imagine if you lived in bomb cyclone territory. All you have to do is wait for it to stop raining, which it will.

Also if it was that easily to accidentally sand through, isn't there a good chance you would have gone through it with the buffing wheel? It might be a bit of a blessing that you caught it now and not later.

Like everyone else, I look forward to seeing your finished product. It looks quite impressive thus far.
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Hey, could be worse Kevin. You could have sanded through French polish, which takes forever in a day to build back up. Of course, this has never happened to MOI.... ;)
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Danl8
Posts: 733
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:50 am
Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Danl8 »

Diane Kauffmds wrote:Hey, could be worse Kevin. You could have sanded through French polish, which takes forever in a day to build back up. Of course, this has never happened to MOI.... ;)
+1 on that.
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Or like the original body for this guitar where I sanded through the wood on the side. I must be getting old.

Since I need to respray this guitar, and I'm not going to put up my spray booth to do it, instead I'll spray it in my driveway, I thought I really needed to make a holder so I can spray the surfaces while they are flat to I'll get better flow out and a smoother finish, so I made this fixture that I will clamp to a portable bench. The dowel will pull out and have a hook on the end so I can hang the body between spray sessions. Nothing unique, but new to me. I've always sprayed holding the guitar with surfaces facing me and I've not been satisfied with the results, too much orange peel on the final coats.
Hoping for better results with this set up. Later, when I spray I'll set it up in my knock down booth.
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Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Okay so I resprayed this guitar, body and neck. I did not put up my spray booth, just waited for a couple of calm warm sunny days and did it in my driveway. I sprayed 6 additional coats. I am almost done flat sanding again using 800 grit. I don't see at this stage any dust, bugs, etc in the finish. That is a good thing.
This Saturday I will buff out the finish on my buffing set up with Menerza compounds. I am expecting it to turn out just fine.
Then I can complete this guitar. It needs to be all done and strung up by March 22, the day my grandson comes from India to see us.

Then I can begin my next project: A 17" Archtop Jazz acoustic guitar with a single suspended humbucker pickup. FUN!
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

All polished up. I glued the bridge on and installed an end pin today.
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Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Strings are going on this one tonight.
I'll post some final pics.
ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Can you make a sound sample? - great combination, OM/sitka/mahogany

Looks great

Ed
Ed M
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I strung up the guitar last night, action is still a skosh too high, will fix that in a couple of days, but it really sounds good. Tons of sustain, and quite loud for an OM
I will try and put some kind of a sound sample up soon, and I will post final pics too. This has been a long time coming, started it almost a year ago.
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