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Might be able to spray the 00 I'm building this weekend (yeah!). This is the second guitar I've built so I can learn a lot about finishing. So I have a few questions I would like feedback on. In the past I've asked a bunch of question at once and some get overlooked so I'll ask a couple then add other questions later as needed. Hopefully this will help some other folks as well.

- Do you finish the edge of the fretboard? I did on my first.....just taped off the face of the fretboard.

- You tape off areas where you don't want finish. You spray the guitar. When do you remove the tape (while soft or after a full cure) and more importantly, how do you remove the tape? The tape can tend to lift the finish so do you cut the edge against the tape or sand through the finish at the edge of the tape or what?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I do finish the edge of my fretboards, can't think of anyone who doesn't. The top of the fretboard I wipe with linseed oil.

I tape off the top of the fretboard, the nut slot, the access for the truss rod on the headstock (if applicable), and the area under the fingerboard tongue on the body. I used to tape off the bridge but I found the routing it off with my inlay router is much easier and allows for reflossing the neck angle after finish for a tight fit. When taping off the fretboard top, leave the tape back from the edge. Remove the tape and resand the fingerboard to clear off any finish that came onto the fingerboard top. I don't remove ANY tape until I am done buffing, this keeps the areas clean and clear of buffing compound and wet sanding sludge. When taking off the tape from the headstock and the top where the finger board meets, I score with an exacto knife and remove carefully. I also make sure not to mask right to the edge of the fingerboard on the top as chips can show up when pulling a mask.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
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http://ensorguitars.com

That does help.

One place where I had an issue is taping off the heel of the neck. Overspray from the side of the heel goes around onto the tape. When I tried pulling the tape, it lifted the edge of the finish from the side of the heel. So I guess I should leave the tape slightly short of the edge, cut it, then sand off the over-spray?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Yep. I never tape right up to an edge. I also don't have much overspray on the the inside of the heel. Maybe we are approaching the heel from a different angle. Either way, it should come off if you refloss the heel after finish. But if the joint is still tight and doesn't need reflossing, I wouldn't worry about it.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

I finish the edge of the FB. I do not tape off for the bridge or FB extension, I scrape them off later, makes buffing so much easier. I tape off the neck joint right up to the edge, actually I trim the tape back to the edge with my scalpel. When it is time to remove the tape from the neck joint I carefully slice it off with my scalpel or a sharp well dressed chisel, I do that after buffing also. The worst place for chips is the edge of the FB, I generally don't finish beveling my fret ends until after the finishing as it helps with that.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I very much appreciate the information as I have finishing questions as well. I'm also realizing I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and sometimes don't understand the terms and process so I wondered if you could explain how routing the bridge location allows for re-flossing the neck angle?

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Thank You and Best To All

Because if you need to floss the neck a great deal after the finish is on, it could alter where the bridge needs to go. This way, you get the neck joint perfect again after the finish is done, then locate the bridge. No problems with bridge location. Capisce?


Posted using something.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I'm surprised how some thoughts just bounce off my brain but I understand now Tony - Thanks for taking the time to explain.

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Thank You and Best To All

OK, thanks for those responses.......now another question.

How do you handle slotted headstocks? I sanded the slots best I could and put one coat of pore filler (Z-Poxy) inside. I've sanded the rest of the neck and applied a second coat of pore filler to the neck (and sanded) but I haven't yet sanded the first coat of pore filler in the slots. It appears I won't need a third coat of pore filler on the neck but I haven't yet sanded the inside of the slots.

So whats the best way to sand inside the slots without rounding over the edges? Also, what techniques should I use to spray and level sand the interior of the slots during finishing? I would like to spray tomorrow if possible.

Thanks!

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

For slot heads, if you have a good gun setup, you shouldn't really have to fuss over level sanding and buffing the interior. This isn't a critical gloss area IMHO and trying to make it so seems to lead only to undesirable problems. For prefinish or zpoxy sanding of this area, sanding sticks or sandpaper stuck to Popsicle sticks with double sided tape works fine for me.

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Aaron Craig

Sticky back sandpaper on a wood dowel just a bit smaller than the slots. I use kind of a spin and sand technique. Hit the sides of the slots first with a nice tight pattern on the gun to "box them out" then spray the rest of the neck. If you use lacquer you can come back after spraying all your coats and letting them flash and lay a coat of retarder in the slots with that tight pattern again and get rid of most texture that may have developed so you don't need to buff the slots.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/