Salvage Project w/pix

[nonamemx]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

where is the template page? I looked and couldn't find it.

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

In the manual that came with my OFR, the last 2 pages have templates for the cavity routes that also show the post locations. I bought the trem from Musicians Friend, & it came with the "Floyd Rose & Fender" installation manual, so it might be specific to this manual. I'm gonna check a couple of sites & see if I can find a downloadable version.

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

I'm not finding the exact one that I have. floydrose.com has some helpful .pdf files, but not to scale, and stewmac sells plastic routing templates. If you come up empty, pm me with your address & I'll send you what I've got. Funny thing, my manual says post spacing is 2.925" center to center and the file from floydrose.com says 2.91". [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] Probably wouldn't make much difference, but still odd.

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

nonamemx, I got your pm & tried to reply, but it said you weren't accepting pm's. Anyway, I need your snail mail address to send this to you since it's on paper. Postage is my treat. Here's where you tell me that you're in Australia... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[nonamemx]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Hmm, odd. I got your email, and I just unlocked my PM mailbox as well.

I live in Dallas, Texas, btw.

[jackson1]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Hey dg, great looking guitar! I miss the pictures though lately, have you removed them or is photobucket acting up?

I very much agree on the idea with pearl white with black binding. That will look really sweet together with the rosewood board. I would leave the body shape alone, it's great looking and the pointy head matches the body perfect.

The binding issue is a tricky part i'd imagine. My best idea around this would be the following. It might work. I can't say for sure [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Tape off the side of the binding using a good, thin masking tape (vinyl) and just colour paint over the top part of the binding. When it is dry you can scrape off the unwanted paint on the top part of the binding very easily with a razor blade. Be precise though. Finish off by wet sanding the transition with grit 1500-2000 if necessary.

Then clear coat.

(photo taken from StewMac):



I don't really know if this will work with paint without flaking the paint in some places. That would be bad. I've stripped a complete guitar without the paint coming off in flakes, so maybe it's not an issue.

Maybe you can use some hints from this StewMac binding page.

Good luck, bro! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Thanks, Henrik. I think I may do a test on a plank to get a feel for how the color coat works with removing the masking tape &/or scraping. Now that I've decided against the flip flop paint, I'm not as worried about smoothing the ridge since I'm more familiar with the paint I'll be using. As for the pics, it looks like Photobucket is having some major problems & they say some albums will be offline for a while. It was slow this weekend & just plain down right now. Toru once said that the problems seem to go away after you make a donation, so I may have to cough up some cash. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[jackson1]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

I think Toru is affiliated with Photobucket [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

I thought he was with APC. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Well, the pics seem to be working now so here is today's progress:



I added a small block of wood (wood glue, 2 small brass screws deeply countersunk) to fill some of the old trem route and to serve as a base for Bondo. I beveled the bottom of the wood to allow for full divebomb clearance of the new trem block.





I then filled from the top with Bondo. To get a good smooth edge, I beveled the top edges where the wood meets the Bondo. I made a template of the trem route I wanted by carving a bar of soap to a "negative" of the desired route shape, then jammed it in place with some balled up aluminum foil. Then I filled around the soap with Bondo. To get into the tight spots with the Bondo, after mixing I scooped it into a Ziploc bag & cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Then I sqeezed it where I needed it, kinda like a French pastry chef, but with lots of toxic fumes. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] It's shaped & sanded pretty close, but I'll hit it with some glazing putty & sand again before painting.

[zeegler]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

That's a pretty innovative way to do it bro. Very cool, and nice results so far.!! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Thanks! All credit for the Bondo idea goes to mm2002. This guitar would still be sitting in the closet if I hadn't seen his last project & Henrik's. [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Keep in mind that Bondo is pretty porrus and it also shrinks with age. Make sure you seal it up good. Why didn't you make the block flush with the body negating the need for so much filler?

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

The wood block is actually thicker than it looks in the top picture. I just wrapped the Bondo down around the front edge a bit to blend it in & cover the countersink holes. It does look like a ton of Bondo in the pics, but it wasn't a whole lot. The shape of the old route that I was filling was pretty complex near the surface, with a thin overhang, so I left the block about 3/8" shy of flush. I was initially going to leave some recess behind the trem for pull up, but when I test fit the trem the sides of the baseplate actually make contact first, so I decided to finish it flush.

[frankencat]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Use a good hard catalyzed primer-filler over the bondo and you should be ok. You can just "spot" it to keep the build-up down near the binding. 3 good thick coats, let it dry for at least 24 hours and then sand with 220-400 dry. After that, normal paint prep and go. Remember, the better the prep, the better the paint job.

P.S. I painted cars for 15 years before I got into computers and have painted a few guitars as well [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: Salvage Project w/pix

Thanks, Frank. Any tips you can give me are much appreciated, because I'm starting to get into uncharted territory. I was planning on just going the rattle-can route, but the further along this comes, the more new stuff I want to try, & I agree it's probably going to take catalyzed primer & paint to be sure the Bondo doesn't come back to haunt me. I tend to be impatient, so it'll be nice to not have to wait a month or more for final sanding/buffing. I've shot Imron on boats before, but that's not as detail-intensive as this. I need to upgrade to a gravity-feed gun, but I think I've found a decent one that won't set me back too much, and getting equipment will give me an excuse to do more projects! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] In the meantime, I think I want to make 2 more changes to the body: I want to relocate the jack to the side (recessed, angled upward in the bottom wing), & second I'm thinking about getting rid of the 3-way toggle altogether & going with a push-pull pot for pickup selection if possible. I think the guitar will look much better without the toggle there, & all I need is a 2-way switch, since I don't really use the middle position.