Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

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Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Love the spokeshave.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Here is where I am thus far. The neck is done and fit to the body, frets installed and recrowned, etc. I have done some gap filling, need to go over it again, then I will be ready to begin porefilling. I think I will use Zpoxy on the Sapele. I've used Timbermate rosewood color in the past and that turned out well, but want to try the Zpoxy for the first time, so that is what I'll use. The walnut binding I probably will just let the lacquer fill, I'll Zpoxy the headstock too. I have filled the walnut rosette with CA. The neck is also Sapele and I may use shellac and sawdust to pore fill there...might work better than Zpoxy would on the curved areas?
I will either make a walnut or ebony bridge. I have some pretty cool burly olive I may use for a pickguard.
I plan to put up the spray booth and be spraying early September, probably start the weekend of Labor Day. Then the guitar can sit and cure until I return from India in mid November. That should work out well.
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

couple more pics
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Well I now have this one all pore filled and sanded. All I need to do before I start spraying the Nitro on Labor Day weekend is mask it off.
I'll post again on it then.
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

This guitar has been in the spray booth for a week. I put the last 3 coats on yesterday morning.
Now it will hang for about two months while we take our trip to India. The nitro lacquer went on nicely this time.
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Kbore
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Location: St. Louis area

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Kbore »

Cant wait to see that wood under the finish. Very very nice job. Don't you love it when a plan comes together!
Measure Twice,

Karl B
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 »

Well I am back from India, and this guitar has cured for almost 10 weeks, so I've started flatsanding the lacquer. That is going well. Starting out with 800 git.
I had a little mishap that gladly will not show. The handle I put into the mortise on the body for spraying/hanging was a very close fit. The lacquer bridged the space between the handle and the mortise. I cut through the lacquer all the way around with an exacto knife ( or thought I did) before pulling that handle out,.....but.....one area was not cut loose and pulled, not only lacquer but some wood up with it....stupid on my part for sure. Luckily the neck heel will cover this area, so I'm not fretting much about it. I did weep some CA in so the area is secure.
Just another learning experience...patience, and paying closer attention to details learned.

I should be a nice looking guitar. I'm hoping the action holds up okay once it gets to India. In the future I'm going to built the India guitars with an extension off the the neck block so that area does not sink in. Two of my guitars have done this to some degree after time spent in India.

I will post some pics when I'm to the polishing stage.
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

It's a beautiful guitar Kevin.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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 »

Well I've been working on leveling the finish on this guitar slowly since I returned from my trip to India in November. Slow going as the lacquer is much harder curing for 2 months then the 2 weeks it usually is when I start leveling. Anyway, almost had the body ready for buffing, just had the bindings to go over, and dang if I didn't sand through in an area. That was frustrating since I had about .010" of lacquer on the thing. There is always something it seems. But, I didn't get bummed, I told myself, I will just have to respray. That is the great thing about nitro lacquer!!! So I'll work on the neck, and as soon as the weather permits, I'll spray another 6 coats on the body, let it sit a couple of weeks and get this guitar completed so I can move on to the next one.
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Sapele and Sitka Spruce OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

It's a really nice guitar Kevin. The mixture of woods really work well.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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