BFG Refinish -- Flame top?!

[djwilbanks]

Well, that was my first idea, but I didn't have any on hand (from the can), and I am quite a ways away from an air compressor and a nozzle, unforunately.

The thing is that the dust is down in the pores... I wonder if compressed air would even do any good.

[Last]

Gee, I dunno. I've never run into this issue.

I take it you're not refinishing the back/sides/neck?

I usually refinish the entire guitar then fill the Mahogany with Wood Grain/Pore Filler (clear).

If you're not going to do any refinish work on the back/sides etc. then I'd leave it be either until you get to a compressor or until you're satisfied that it's cleaned up enough to go ahead & tung oil it?

I assume you will be using a Tung Oil?

If you're going to just leave it though. I'd forget about it & focus on that top!

[purevilpleasure]

Originally Posted by djwilbanks

Well, that was my first idea, but I didn't have any on hand (from the can), and I am quite a ways away from an air compressor and a nozzle, unforunately.

The thing is that the dust is down in the pores... I wonder if compressed air would even do any good.

Yeah don't bother with the canned stuff, that won't do it for ya. Got a friend that works at a factory?? I do and we have a huge compressor that will easily blow out any dust in those pores. I have a good size one out in the garage that would do it also. Another place to see if they would do it for you is a shop class at a high school or an auto body place.

[alligatorbling]

Originally Posted by purevilpleasure

Yeah don't bother with the canned stuff, that won't do it for ya. Got a friend that works at a factory?? I do and we have a huge compressor that will easily blow out any dust in those pores. I have a good size one out in the garage that would do it also. Another place to see if they would do it for you is a shop class at a high school or an auto body place.

+1 on an auto body place, any garage with an air compressor would prob do it for you...

[djwilbanks]

Well, I've got plenty of friends... they just live an hour away where I went to automotive school.

I'm not planning on refinishing the rest of the guitar... if I do I'm just going to dye the mahogany with a dark coloured dye. I have a feeling it'll all come out eventually anyway. I'm not sure if I'm going to nitro it just yet... depends on how I can get a burst to look by wiping. I'll probably have to do a vintage amber dye and an orange coat of laquer. We'll see.

I didn't have any alcohol this time to try so I'll get some tomorrow and try.

I just want to get the top finished.

[FennRx]

david,

i could just tell there was a nice top under there. i toyed with having it professionally Bursted, but i sold it to ya instead. i am eager to see how she turns out.

[djwilbanks]

it won't be professionally done, but I've done enough automotive painting to handle a spray gun. We'll see.

Thanks for killer deal, BTW. It just keeps getting better.

[djwilbanks]

Bump for an update.

I finally got all the dust out of the pores, and polished up the top a little bit just to see if I could bring out the flame. I'll have to clean it with naptha before I dye it, but I wanted to see what it would look like.

Results?

[dogbone94]

very nice my friend.....

[djwilbanks]

Since Mike (aka: rottenlpconer, aka: ole'leftey, aka: pretty much one of the nicest guys I have ever dealt with) is putting together a new headstock overlay with a Gibson MOP logo and crown inlay, I decided it might be a good time to get that old overlay off.

So here's the process.

First, gather up a few essentials... these are what I used and I suppose you can use similar objects.

1 x Frosting Spatula
1 x razor blade
1 x pocket knife
1 x bottle of water
1 x Clothes Iron
1 x wash rag




Now, lets prepare shall we? Remove the nut from the guitar. This is accomplished by scoring the finish (if you have one) with a razorblade, carefully, around the nut. Then you take a hammer or a rubber mallet and a file or a similar wide, flat object and tap (only a tap!) the nut and it should come out easily.

No pics of that, because I forgot about my camera.

Next, plug up your Iron and get out your pretty ironing board (if you don't have a workbench, like me) and place the guitar onto the ironing board. I don't think I have to tell you the horrors that would ensue should you knock your guitar from the ironing board. Do be careful.

Take the washrag, dampen it with your water and wring it out. Then place the rag over the headstock and place the iron onto the rag. I kept my iron on halfway until I realized it wasn't doing anything. I recommend you start low and work up higher since you don't know exactly how hot your iron will get.



Once it gets a little hot you can begin to work your knife under the overlay, prop open a gap with the knife and slip the spatula under the overlay. Close your knife, you won't need it anymore. Then you repeat the iron and the rag, hold it on for a few seconds, then begin to work the spatula under the overlay working towards the top of the headstock.




I chose a metal spatula, against the better judgement of those more knowledgeable, because I assumed its heat transfering properties would allow me to slice through the glue more readily. It worked, but truth be told the whole time I was worried about digging into the headstock or breaking the overlay. It also can burn you if you let it get too hot. Ask me how I know.

Once you repeat these steps a few times and redampen the rag (a little bit of the water from your bottle will go a long way) as needed, the overlay should come right off... right as rain.




You're then free to put it on your wall, or send it to a perfectly capable gentleman as a guide for your new overlay.

Just a side note, I ordered all my dyes, nitro, and grain filler from stewmac last night. We're nearing the meat and potatoes portion of this thread folks!

[The_Sentry]

Jeez...that top looks great!!! That was a very clean work on that headstock! Dude...I think you have a raw talent for this sort of stuff...I'm not kidding.



(PS: That BFG is going to look amazing!!! I can't wait to see the finished product!! )

[djwilbanks]

I can't either... I've been told all my life I need to learn delayed gratification...

I'm learning.

And thanks, but the raw talent is just me going slow and standing on the shoulders of giants.

[Sinster]

What you going to do with the old overlay? If you don't have any use for it I'll take it off your hands. I really wanted a custom one but hey my skills aren't all that.

[djwilbanks]

I need it for some tracings to send to mike and then I won't have a use for it anymore.

[Sinster]

Originally Posted by djwilbanks

I need it for some tracings to send to mike and then I won't have a use for it anymore.

I'll take it!!!! If the price is right

[djwilbanks]

The price will be excellent I assure you.

[Paul86]

This is a great thread! Inspirational really! Thank you sir!

[djwilbanks]

Now we need more people refinishing BFGs.

[Skynyrdpicker]

Good work so far!

What are you going to do about inlays?

[djwilbanks]

I'm not sure. I want trapezoids. I feel fairly confident that I could do them myself if I could get a hold of a set.

[Skynyrdpicker]

Originally Posted by djwilbanks

I'm not sure. I want trapezoids. I feel fairly confident that I could do them myself if I could get a hold of a set.

Awesome! That'll look great

[djwilbanks]

I'm going to dye the fretboard with this:

Black Fingerboard Stain at Stewart-MacDonald

And then I'll think about the traps.

I'm still thinking about binding the body... working on that headstock awoke a love of cutting/scraping/and otherwise destroying perfectly good wood.

[Sinster]

So you are dying it not painting it? You going use a spray gun?

I'm going hold off on painting mine as well until I see how yours turn out.

I was going do the vintage amber http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishin...r_Lacquer.html lacquer, really want to know if the stain would be better..

[djwilbanks]

I am dyeing the top and then I'm using stew-mac's aerosol nitro. Nitro is nitro and it all melts together regardless of how its sprayed. I won't get a perfectly level finish from the rattle-can without a bit of elbow grease but I believe I can get a workable finish.

[markophonic]

DJ...You will get a more than adequate finish from a spray can. Remember your finishing a guitar top, not a bus.

Even if you spray with a gun you will still have to finish sand it smooth and it doesn't really take too much elbow grease at all....Let the paper work the finish...no need to bear down on it at all.

A gun is nice if your bursting but if you are just spraying a clear coat a spray bomb is fine.

I'll put my recently refined standard fadeds topcoat (sprayed with a can) up against anyones gun sprayed topcoat any day.

The BFG is looking great!

I can't wait to see it completed...

Makes me kinda wished I traded you for it

[djwilbanks]

thanks for the reassurance, my friend.

[Last]

I don't have a spray gun either & I'm on my 6th refinish!

I know you've seen my work so I won't bore you with yet another pic but rattle cans work very well indeed!

Go for it!

[Gunner]

DJ, its really looking good. I'm liking the subtle flame a lot Bro!!!

[Sinmastah]

That's a nice looking flame. Shoot me a PM when you get this baby finished, I wanna see it!

[djwilbanks]