# Neck finish finished



## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Took 2 tries on the finish and 4 tries on the logo. This is it! The stock thickness on the logo is a bit thick and you can see the edges in the right light. It comes out in the photo. Got the tuners put back on too! Now to hurt the visa card and get the rest of the parts.










The whole thing (a little under exposed, it is actually a bit lighter)....The french polish on the body will be finished after all the routing/drilling/fitting is done. A whole assembly to do, just to blow it apart..lol.










Another of the head stock with a bit more exposure.










It is not perfect and I didn't expect it too be. I just wanted an old time, kinda distressed, looks like it has been lovingly rubbed and taken care of for the last 50 years kinda look. I like it and it's all mine!


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Cool!:smile:


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

Great job, looks terrific!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

looks great jim- you tru-oiled that correct? howd you like the stuff? i love the smell. i guess you had no trouble with the frets- nice work!


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Yup...I used Tru-oil. Not bad to work with. I put on very thin coats with a soft rag. Put the decal on after 2 coats (actually, I put on the second coat, applied tru-oil to the back of the decal, then pressed the decal into the 2nd coat while it was wet, hard getting the air out from under it, took 4 decals and there is still a bit there, working it in less seemed to work better). 0000 steel wool, blow off, tack rag it between coats. It does like a dust free environment (which I don't have) while it drys. Takes a lot of coats to build up a shine, I think I buffed off most of the previous layer with the steel wool most times. The last coat over the decal was applied with my bare finger, as the instructions say. Trying to build it up to hide the decal edge.

The beauty frets can be credited to MJW Customs. He does a complete level and dress as part of the purchase price. Mark is really cool, sent lots of e-mails back and forth and he made sure I got exactly what I wanted. I bought the tuners off him too. It was $180 something CDN, with shipping total. 

Thanks for the compliments, I am quite happy so far with my first build. Already wondering about a second (a thinline tele with 2 HB's with the finish to match this one???).


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Greath work so far Jim. What kinda of decal did you use on your headstock?...i use laser water decals and i never get the edges on mine!.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I used a transparancy for bubble jet printers. Used for overhead projectors. It was all I could really find locally. I was thinking about using a clear shipping label, but I could not buy just one sheet and I don't need 1000 labels. I reversed the printing so you are looking through the plastic at the logo.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> I used a transparancy for bubble jet printers. Used for overhead projectors. It was all I could really find locally. I was thinking about using a clear shipping label, but I could not buy just one sheet and I don't need 1000 labels. I reversed the printing so you are looking through the plastic at the logo.


OH..i see..that's why it's so tick. well..a 8$ expense for a logo would have been worth it..


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

It's all experimenting and learning at this point. My expectations, overall, have been exceeded already. The main thing for the label was, it be cool, understated, mean something to me, and when the guitar was seen, no one would go, "Hey, what model Strat is that". I wanted it to be clear that it wasn't built by Fender, or anyone else. As with anything else, I can easily go back and change it. It was not that much work. I have some wood and might try a whole neck for it after it is put together and playing.


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Jim, 

I think it looks great. Certainly has the look you were going for. Well done.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I find that if I avoid straight cuts on the decals, they don't stand out as bad. I carefully follow the lines of the lettering in sweeping curves, no sharp angles or corners.
The human eye seems to grab at straight lines. 

Also, you could fill that in. After about 6 coats of clear, sand the headstock with a sanding board , stopping just before you hit decal......then give it another "few" coats of clear, repeat if needed. You will get to a point where the decal blends in. :smile:


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I'm thinking if I do it again I would silk screen it on.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

OK, I lied, but not intentionally. After living with it for a while and having another set of eyes look at it, I decided I am still not satisfied. So I sanded the whole thing down again. Just re dyed it to blend the end grain a bit better. I think I will try french polishing the face of the headstock. We'll see how that works out. Hopefully it will bury the label better and not get so many dust specks in it.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> OK, I lied, but not intentionally. After living with it for a while and having another set of eyes look at it, I decided I am still not satisfied. So I sanded the whole thing down again. Just re dyed it to blend the end grain a bit better. I think I will try french polishing the face of the headstock. We'll see how that works out. Hopefully it will bury the label better and not get so many dust specks in it.


go buy some waterdecal dude..it's well worth it..or, send me your logo..and i can print you a full sheet of it for 15$.


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