First Kit! HD-28

[msanch24]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks a nice piece of wood is just about the prettiest thing on the planet.

Its an EIR kit. Most likely it'll be sitka, although the site says it could be engelmann, but I don't have my fingers crossed.

Pics will probably have to wait until saturday, as I'm at school right now and wont be home to see it until friday night.

[msanch24]

John: I have word from home that the kit has arrived. The box is damage free. Thanks so much for your speedy and effective shipping

I'll be looking it over and sharing pics with you guys some time this weekend.

Cant wait!

-Matt

[tippie53]

have fun building it and remember , we are here to help

[msanch24]

Got the kit unpacked last night. packaging was without fault. Every single piece was carefully and thoughtfully placed in the box.

As for the wood, I couldn't have asked for prettier pieces. The sides have a really unique striping and the back is deep brown/purple with very consistent grain. The top is a beautiful piece of sitka (john - If its engelmann feel free to correct. I still can't tell the difference between the two). Grain is tight and complexion is creamy white.

Herringbone even made it without casualty.

I'm waiting to untape the back and sides until it makes it to my apartment at school where it will be constructed.

Pictures- I am NOT a photographer. Not even a little.





Enjoy and stay tuned. I still need to order my mold from John but once that happens, we should see some real progress.

-Matt

[David L]

I really love those sides, the back pieces like good too. I sure wish I would have gotten a blue hat instesd of a camo one (wah, wah).

David L

[hummingbird]

Ya that back and side set looks amazing!!!

[msanch24]

Thanks guys. I hope I can do it justice.

[nkwak]

Yeah, it looks like you got a nice set there. Just wait until you get to the finishing phase. That wood should really "pop!"

[msanch24]

I can't help but picture it already. Anybody want to chip in on how to get the best finish without spraying? I'm most interested in tone preservation. I'm thinking french polish.

[Jim_H]

Congrats on that kit. John puts nice stuff together. But whats better than what's in the box, is the support you get from John (and this forum). He's very generous with his time and knowledge. If you haven't already, find his youtube videos. They will pre-emptively answer a lot of your questions.

Re a hand finish, there are a lot of brush on options.

In summary, you can french polish, varnish of various types, wipe or brush on poly, oil based finish (i.e. tru oil or watco), and you can even brush on lacquer.

Getting a good finish is about preparation and patience.

There is a good thread with some nice details on tru-oil in the finishing section of these forums. You will also find a lot of good info in the archives...

I'm playing around with the tru-oil process JohnParchem posted in the finishing forums on a uke I'm refinishing. So far so good....