Lap Slide Guitar

[ozziebluesman]

The Lap Slide is now ready for sanding and pore filling. The bridge has been located, fingerboard glued on and the endgrain fitted. This morning I sanded down to 180 grit and will go through the grades this afternoon. My elbow tells me it is time for a break so I have uploaded some pictures for you. The blackwood has some very slight figure that is now starting to emerge with the sanding. All the other appointments are indian rosewood.




Thanks for your interest
Cheers
Alan

[Nick]

Should come up nice with some jam on it Alan, I'm a bit partial to Blackwood so it's bound to look good in my books Not going with any bindings?

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Nicko: I'm with you, Blackwood is a wonderful wood for guitar building. This is a copy of a Style 1 Weissenborn which had no binding and a simple three ring rosette. The Blackwood is a real honey colour and with the slight figure, will come up a treat. Previous guitars I have used the hard shellac but I am going with traditional blonde shellac flakes on this one and apply a the french polish. It is much more time consuming but I know it is a proven finish if applied correctly.

Thanks for your comments

Cheers

Alan

[DarwinStrings]

I like the simple look without binding (the lack of binding on guitars has a old school appeal) and I think I may have said it before but before I came to this forum weissies always looked a bit odd to me but now they have really grown on me to the extent that I would love to build one, once I get all the other ideas I have for guitars out of my way.

Jim

[Bob Connor]

Looking good Alan. What's the ETA now?

Do you reckon it'll be ready to play Jingle Bells for Christmas?

[ozziebluesman]

Jim: I also like the old vintage style of instument. Guitars like you recent restore. This Blackwood has a nice slight figure and a sort of shimmer to it.

Bob: I reckon it will be finished before the school holidays are over! I have been happy with my building of late but not so happy with my finish so I want to take time with this one and see if I can come up with a better result.

Cheers

Alan

[P Bill]

Very smart looking guitar Alan. I want one! I thought I was over guitars till I made one , I'm getting the sickness again.

[Alan Stassforth]

Hey Alan, that thing looks great!
I too like the no binding look.
Heck, with a hardwood top, that's kind of like binding, no?
I've got a set of that stuff in my loft for # 6.
I might go bindingless on that one, and let the top and back stick out an 1/8" like a fiddle, with some simple purf lines.
Maybe, stuff changes.
#4 is almost ready for the back, and #5 will be out of yellow siris I got a few years ago.
Also, just about to shoot an elec lap I be makin".
I can see the figure in that blackwood already.

[ozziebluesman]

This particular set of blackwood really didn't need pore filling but I am trying to come up with a better finish so I have pore filled with three spit coats of shellac applied with brush and then pumice powder with metholated spirits. It was not a difficult job but it did require some elbow grease. I used a drop of olive oil here and there to stop the pad sticking. I'm happy with the results. I did one four hour session today with some 1 lb cut shellac and the finish looks good so far. Much more elbow grease required though.

Here are a few pictures of the guitar after the pores where filled and a session of application with the rubber.




Thanks for looking.
Cheers
Alan

[Gwenn]

The project looks great Alan.

I can't wait to hear it. Will you fit a k&k pickup as you did for the others?

BTW, you mentionned a few months ago that you had accumalted a nice wood stash, but I didn't realise how consequent it was (first pic). That must be very satisfactory when you enter that room!

Cheers,


Gwenn

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Gwenn,

No K&K pickup for this one! This set has some nice light figure and it is going to look good.

Yep, the stash has been growing steadily for the past five years. There is enough sets and tops to build 25 acoustics, four weissenborns copies and a few ukuleles. That will just about see me out as a guitar builder. Ninety percent of my stash is AA tops and lightly figured back and side sets. My quest is to build guitars with good tone and ascetic value is secondary. I do however have a couple of stunner sets hiding in there.

Thanks for your interest

Cheers

Alan

[Kim Strode]

Looking great Alan.

As a novice at applying finishes, I'd really like to hear more about how you applied the shellac finish, as well as doing the pumice filling. I'm not equipped, or do enough instruments, to justify a spray set-up. While reading about shellac finishing I've never completely understood how you actually do it and your results look good. I also really like the satin looking result.

[Alan Stassforth]

Ha!
I was scrolling down da pics, and saw the "stash" and was going to say something about that.
Gwenn beat me to the punch.
I'm wondering how much more work f.p. really is.
I spend forever grinding through my sprayed on finishes.
Might as well do it whilst finishing, no?
Looks amazing, and yer not done yet.
Let us know how long you spent on that finish, all-righty?
Aaaaahhhhh!

[ozziebluesman]

Kim: I'm like you an just starting to get my head around guitar finishes. I too only built two or three guitars a year and I'm not set up for spraying. I like the idea of using natural products and I don't mind spending the extra time required to apply a French Polish. This is the first time I have used shellac flakes as previousily I used the pre-mixed hard shellac and applied it with a brush. The finish results where ok but I want to improve my results.

The pore filling was achieved by firstly applying three spit coates (1 lb cut) to the guitar with a brush. This gives you some shellac product on the guitar. To make up my shellac brew I measured out 125ml of water free metholated spirits with 28 gram of shellac flakes in a glass jar with a sealing lid. I let it sit for a day shaking it every now and then until the flakes had completely disolved. That mix will give you an approximate 2 lb cut. For the spit coat just add half metho and half of the 2 lb cut. I brushed these coats on with a fine brush letting the coats dry overnight.

Next I made up a rubber by cutting out a 150mm square of old tee shirt material and then put some 30mm square pieces of surgical gause inside and folded it up tying it off with some wire ties. I then use two syringes, one with metho and the other with the 2 lb cut in it. I used the 4f pumice powder sprinkling it on, loading up the rubber with metho and rubbing in a circular motion till my arm almost fell off I just approcahed 150mm square areas on the guitar at a time and rubbed in a circular motion till you have a paiste of the pumice, shellac and metho pushing this paiste into the pores. I did two four hour sessions of this to fill the pores. I then sanded back with 400 wet and dry and used a few drops of olive oil. The idea there is to get a light film of olive oil onto the finish which will help when you start the actual French Polising stage.

As you see the guitar in the last two pictures that is the results of one a four hour French Polishing session. To apply this I loaded up the rubber with equal amounts of 2 lb cut shellac, metho and one drop of olive oil on the rubber and rubbed away.

There will need to be many sessions to build up the finish. The guitar even looks good with one session so imagine what it will be like after 6 or 8 4 hour sessions.

I am by no means an expert in French Polish and there are as many different approaches to French Polish as there are French Polisher's.

I will post some pictures in the next few days to show you how it is coming along.

Alan: I will post here how much time I spend on the finish.

Cheers

Alan

[Kim Strode]

Thank you for that explanation Alan, that was most helpful. I will watch the remainder of the finishing process as you go.

[timbuk2]

Looks great!!
BTW do you have any problems with the humidity in Townsville??

[sebastiaan56]

Looking good Alan,

and I wasnt referring to the racks in the background.... For me the most important part of the french polishing is the final "spriting", basically I get a just damp rubber, add a drop of oil and polish, polish, polish. Keep the rubber moving and get a sweat up. Do it after every session and by the time you get to the end of the fourth or fifth session you will wonder why people bother with poly or nitro. It has a lustre all its own. See Martin's classical to get and idea of what french polish can look like.

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Timbuck2 for your interest. Yes, we have high humidity here in Townsville during the wet season. I built a drying box that is big enough to hold a complete acoustic guitar project and maintain the build at 50% RH. My workshop is airconditioned so I can control the RH in there too! I have a palour sixed guitar in there now stabilising ready to close the box.

I have taken in all the advice Kiwigeo, Martin has posted on the subject of french polish. I like the results he obtains. It looks like the sessions I am applying now are to get product onto the guitar and that those final spriting sessions are where the finish takes on it's lustre. Time will tell! This is all great experience for me.

Cheers

Alan

[ozziebluesman]

Just thought I would report in on my French Polish progress.

After pore filling I have spent a further 25 hours over the past two weeks conducting french polish sessions. I used a 1 lb cut and did two hour, french polish sessions using a rubber in the mornings, let it dry a little and then a further two hour session in the arvo. My tennid elow will not take to much work without playing up! Each session I was able to go around the guitar twice. Each day at the start of the morning session I went over the guitar with 400 wet and dry sandpaper with a few drops of olive oil to level. It has taken me four days and I am satisfied with the coverage. It is difficult to gauge if I have enough product on the guitar but it feels about right. The guitar has taken on a real lustre and I am very happy with the results.

I intend leaving the guitar dry for a week and then do a 400 git wet sand with a few drops of olive oil. I will then polish out my satin finish that I prefer.

This has been a great experience for me and although it takes mega time to apply the finish, it is worth the extra time and effort. I do like the use of natural products and not having to provide a dust free environment is an advantage. I also want to add that the pumice power, shellac pore filling is an easy method to apply. Not sure how much work would be required if you where trying to pore fill some indian rosewood with deep pores!

Thank you all for your interest

Cheers

Alan

[ozziebluesman]

Yesterday I sanded back with 400 grit sandpaper. The shellac finish is still green so it needs to dry for a few weeks. I couldn't help myself and glued the bridge on yesterday. This morning I strung it up and I still have a smile on my face.

Here are a few pictures and thanks for your interest. A sound file will be along shortly!








Cheers

Alan

[Gwenn]

Damn Alan! That's one major achievment you've got here!

What are your first thoughts on the sound produced by the CTBP (X-mas tree bridge plate)???


Congratulations mate!


Gwenn

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Gwenn,

Thanks for your support and comments.

I think the xmas tree bridge will be a winner. I have strung the guitar this morning with 13 to 56 bronze wound strings and the top hasn't moved from absolute flat. It may raise a little in the future but I doubt it will move much especially with the size of the mother bridge plate. The tone on this one is the best I have achieved yet. Great volume, balance and sustain. I think the metal, round saddle has been a contributing fact to the tone and also the break angle on the saddle will place less torque on the top. It will be interesting to see if the volume tone improves when the guitar is played in. In the next few weeks I will record it and post the sound bites.

Thanks again for your support

Cheers

Alan

[timbuk2]

Looks great!!
Cant wait for the sound file.