One More Coat Of Lacquer, I SWEAR!!

Over the last three days, I sprayed my two Highline Envirocasters with a total of about 15 coats of water-based Target Coatings EM6000 Production Lacquer. After the first ten coats, I dry sanded with 220-400 grit in order to smooth out the surface. Then, I sprayed on an additional 5 coats. I did the same for the necks. Now I just have to let them sit for about 2 weeks before I can level sand and polish. My plan is to dry sand with 1,500 grit only before I take the bodies and necks to the buffing wheel. We'll see how it goes.

Progress On The Highline Envirocaster Double Cutaway

After sanding the body with 320 grit, I wiped on a couple of coats of General Finishes' Mahogany stain about 6 hours apart. As you can see, the stain really soaked into the grain and made it stand out nicely. Once the stain had dried overnight, I began wiping on the first of four coats of Formby's Gloss Tung Oil. The end result will be a semi-gloss sheen.

A New Envirocaster Build

Actually, I have two Envirocasters under construction. One is a double cutaway and the other is a single. Check out the progress on the single:

I'm using Ash for the body. This shot was taken just after cutting the shape on my band saw.

This one will be fitted with a pair of my custom wound P90 pickups.

After brushing on some thinned Timbermate, I let it dry for a couple of hours and sanded off the excess with some 150-220 grit sandpaper.

Since Ash is an open-grained wood, the surface has to be filled and sanded smooth before any finish can be applied. This is how it looked after sanding off the excess Timbermate. It's much smoother now, but I can still feel some of the grain, which is the look I am after.

I like to use a thin coat of oil-based Minwax Natural stain as a pre finish. The reason for this step is it helps me to see any surface flaws (scratches, dings, etc.) before I apply the final stain. Once I am happy with how the surface looks, I'll lightly sand it with some 320 grit sandpaper and proceed with a darker finish stain.

Another Highline Legato Is Up For Auction

Check out my latest build. I just put it up for sale on eBay:

To bid on this guitar, CLICK HERE.

Build A Guitar In A Day

Another Highline Envirocaster on the bench.

I've always wondered if it might be possible to build a guitar from start to finish in one day. If I had a CNC machine (a fast and expensive one!) I probably could. However, there was no way I could do it by hand. I'm fine with that since I have no desire to crank out guitars like a machine. If I was looking to make a living at this, I'd probably think more seriously about investing in automated processes. Instead, I am more interested in the art of working wood by hand. Even though it takes more time, I can still manage to make a couple of necks or bodies in a day. I can do most of the work to build a complete guitar in about a week. Unfortunately, applying the finish is what drags out the process.

The Living Room Floor Is Finished!

Now I can get back to my various guitar projects. Finally!!

Back From The Holiday

In case you're wondering why I haven't posted any updates on my various guitar projects, it's because I've been busy with a few other projects. One of my New Year's resolutions was to put in some new flooring in my house. I'm ripping out all of the carpeting on the ground floor and replacing it with laminate wood. What a chore!