Pore Filling Mahogany Neck with Zpoxy

[Darryl Young]

Looks like some of you use your hands to apply zpoxy to the neck for pore filling. Do you use nitrile gloves? Do you need to wash them them somehow prior to using them to smooth out the zpoxy?

Do you tape off the fingerboard before applying the zpoxy? My fingerboard isn't bound and is made of ebony.

Thanks!!!

[Ben-Had]

I don't use Zpoxy, I use System 123 Epoxy. I tape off my finger board, use my hands to smooth it on, use nitrile gloves. scrap excess with 3M pad. Don't wash gloves first. Works so far for me.

[naccoachbob]

mmapags you bring up a good idea. Very good idea. What's to stop anyone from pore filling a neck prior to putting on the fretboard? It actually makes great sense to me. If there's a mess of any kind, even in the truss rod slot, it can be cleaned up.
Thank you - I think it makes some things simpler. Even if you have to complete the rest of the finishing process with masking off the f/b and stuff, it's a great idea to me.
Bob

psst. mmapags, what should we call you? mmapags? lol
:)

[Darryl Young]

Yeah, it's awkward not having a name. He'll either have to give us one........or we will just make up one for him.........MamaP or something. <smile>

[johnnparchem]

I used a gloved finger to put zpoxy on the neck. I had the fretboard on but taped while applying the zpoxy. I would be afraid of messing up the finished neck while gluing the fret board on. Also I have had to scrape the neck a bit after gluing on the fretboard to get them perfectly flush with each other.

[Darryl Young]

Have a couple more questions so hopefully folks are still reading this thread.

I'm about to drill the tuner holes in the headstock.......and I plan to go ahead and ream the hole for the tuner bushings. This is prior to applying the pore filler. Any problem with that plan? You'll have to respond quickly or it will be too late........just waiting on the battery in my drill to finish charging.

Should I have the headstock veneer trimmed exactly to fit my nut before starting to finish? Seems I should.......but that means I probably need to sand the correct angle on bottom of the nut so I know it fits. Thoughts?

One other thing, should I fill the voids under the ends of the frets with ebony dust and CA and level before I start pore filling? I'm unsure if I should wait to do this after leveling/shaping the frets just in case I have a fret that isn't seated flush and I need to tap it down. Can you do this after filling in the fret slots with ebony dust and CA? No binding on this fretboard.

I'll tape off the fretboard before starting the zpoxy pore fill. I'll use a squegee on the front and possibly the back of the headstock and use a nitrile glove everywhere else.

[johnnparchem]

If already drilled like mine were, you are going to get zpoxy in the holes for the tuner so they will need to be cleaned out. I cut the head stock veneer to size for the nut after I filled and finished. I managed to do it without mucking up the finish. I have not yet reamed the holes for the tuner bushing, but I have the nice stewmac tool.

I think if I had to do it over again. I would cut the head stock veneer before finishing and drill the tuner holes after. I would drill pilot holes for the tuner before finishing to minimise the work post finishing. Cleaning the zpoxy out of the tuner holes was as messy as drilling holes with the finish on.

I would be interested in what other with more experience thought.

[Ken Hundley]

I don't think it really matters when you drill the holes, though you risk "tearing" the finish if using a dull drill. It will need to be reamed again when through pore filling.

As far as trimming the veneer, that depends on how good you are with a file. If you trim it, then you may need to mask off the area where the nut will sit so you get good wood to bone contact.

You won't be pore filling the edge of the fingerboard, but you may run the risk of getting pore fill into the gaps under the fretwire. I would fill with CA and dust first, then porefill the neck.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Darryl,
Predrillling your tuner holes is a good idea, as if you drill after the finish is applyed you may crack the finish around the holes. Just stuff some rolled up paper in each hole, and pore fill and finish away.
You should prefit your nut prior to finishing. It is easy to do, then just mask off the channel for the nut. Again, for the same reason, you don't want to mess up your finish where the face plate fits against the nut.
As for the fret end slots, go ahead and fill them, just check them as you go and if a fret end is not seated all the way, you can put a little super glue in there and clamp it for a few minutes to pull it down and your good to go ahead and fill the void.
I have actually gone ahead and porefilled the edge of the fretboard along with the neck when using epoxy as a pore fill, then when I spray on the finish I have a consistent surface underneath as I also apply finish to the edge of the fretboard.
I thought everyone did this!!!!

Kevin

[Darryl Young]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!

Based on your advice, yesterday I drilled the tuner holes and reamed the holes for the tuner bushings using the StewMac tool (boy that thing cuts nice). I also beveled the ivaroid heel cover around the edges with a file then finished it off with 220 and 320 sandpaper. I have the neck all sanded ready for pore fill. The only thing left is to fill the empty voids at the end of the fret slots. I have an ebony headstock cover I bought from John so I'll sand that piece to get some ebony dust for the fill.

I tried CA on a couple of the fret slots and accidentally put a tad too much and it ran down alongside one of my frets (bummer). Any suggestions on how best to clean that up? Acetone? I think I will try KenC's trick and squirt out a little CA on wax paper or plastic and dip the end of a hobby knife in the CA where I can apply a tiny drop at a time. Seems this would give a little more control of things.