Archive for the ‘Legato Build’ Category
An Update On The Legato Electric Guitar Build
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building, Legato Build on October 25th, 2009
Sorry it’s taken this long since the last update, but I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to work on the Legato. Today, however, I devoted an entire afternoon to wet sanding the body, neck and headstock. I started with 1,000 grit wet/dry paper to smooth the surface. Then, I continued with 1,500 grit and finished with 2,000. To lubricate the paper, I used mineral spirits since they don’t cause any exposed wood to swell. After the last grit, I did a test polish on a small section to gauge the surface quality. Even though had I used a good scratch remover, no amount of elbow grease would eliminate the fine scratches that remained after the 2,000 grit. For that reason, I decided to switch to Micro Mesh sanding cloth.
Micro Mesh sanding cloth is basically a system of progressively finer grits ranging from 1,800 all the way up to 12,000. However, their rating system is a bit different than traditional wet/dry paper. For example, their 6,000 grit cloth is more like 2,400 grit paper. Since I had already sanded to 2,000 grit, I opted to start with the 6,000 grit Micro Mesh. And since Micro Mesh falls apart when used with any type of solvent, I had to switch to water as a lubricant. Fortunately, I had sprayed on so much lacquer, I wasn’t too concerned with raw wood exposure.
After sanding with 6,000 grit, I moved on to 8,000 and finished with the 12,000. Then, I did another test polish. The surface came out absolutely scratch free and glass smooth. Satisfied I was on the right track, I continued polishing with scratch remover—entirely by hand, using a clean cloth and a lot of pressure—until the entire guitar was finished. Finally, I examined the surface under a bright light to check for any potential inconsistencies. A few were found that required a dab of clear lacquer applied with a Q-tip. These repairs will be carefully sanded and polished once they have cured. Since polishing has a tendency to soften the top coat of lacquer, it’s a good idea to let the guitar rest for about a week anyway before applying the fine polish and swirl remover.
Hopefully by this time next Sunday, I’ll be telling you about how I’m ready for final assembly. Stay tuned!
Buffing the Legato Electric Guitar
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building, Legato Build on October 11th, 2009
After wet sanding with 600 grit paper, I paid a visit to my local Painters Supply to pickup some finer grits for pre-polishing. Originally, I had planned to use 800, 1,000 and 1,500 grit papers, but they had 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 in stock, so that’s what used. Overall, the process went rater well except for one spot along a sharp edge where I sanded through the finish. Because I was using a solvent based lacquer, the repair was easy. All I had to do was airbrush on a few coats of thinned lacquer over the bare spot and blend into the surrounding area with 2,000 grit paper soaked in mineral spirits. Then, it was off to the buffing machine.
In the past, I have always hand polished my guitar bodies. However, I came across a free 1/3hp motor recently and decided to build a simple buffing station. To do this, I added an on/off switch and an arbor to attach an 8″ cloth buffing wheel. Next, I bolted the motor to a board, which I clamped to my workbench. Then, I switched on the motor and charged the wheel with a stick of fine plastic polishing compound.
With the guitar in hand, I began polishing by gently pressing its surface against the wheel. To my surprise, the lacquer quickly developed a deep, mirror-like shine. Unfortunately, as I polished over the edges, the buffing wheel instantly burned through the finish. To make matters worse, I didn’t see the problems until I was finished. I blame it on inexperience with power buffing. Fortunately, the damage is cosmetic and can be easily fixed. That’s the beauty of using solvent based lacquer. It’s easy to repair.
So, why did this happen? I knew even before I started that the motor’s 1,725 rpm might be to high. In fact, I’ve since learned that the best speed to polish lacquer is about 800 rpm. For that reason, I’ll go back to hand polishing after I repair the finish. Later on, I plan to purchase a ball bearing mandrel and a pulley large enough to cut the rpm down to a safer speed. Oh well, live and learn!
The Plan (So Far)
Posted by admin in Legato Build on August 6th, 2009
For my next guitar building project, I plan to build a copy of my Legato, which I will offer for sale on my web site. At this point, I’ve purchased a slab of Alder for the body, Birdseye Maple for the neck and Purpleheart for the fretboard. Next I will start shopping for the components with the exception of the pickups. I’ll wind them myself. Here’s a shot of what I have so far:
Next I’ll pickup some flamed or quilted Maple for the top. This one is going to be sweet!