NGD/Refinish - RG7620 to RG7CT "esque" Conversion - Page 2

apadua · #16 02-03-2011, 07:07 PM

Veneer Prep

Line up the veneer so that the grain match/line up and tape it down

Find the center of the body and mark it

Line up the center of the veneer with the center of the guitar body..

Trace Body FACE UP . This will be important later....

Cut Veneer: Give yourself enough slack....you can cut off the excees with an exacta blade later

apadua · #17 02-03-2011, 07:18 PM

Whaabaam!!!

Gluing down the Veneer

Wipe down the body with Tack Cloth

I used Titebond II wood glue and used a foam roller to apply it

Put the glue on both the veneer and body

Spread the glue with roller so that it is nice and even (not pictured)

Flip the guitar over and put some kind of object (I used a bag of rice) to apply pressure and let dry for at least 3 hours...

All Dry..

apadua · #18 02-03-2011, 07:24 PM

MISTAKE #1

Without even thinking I proceeded to the other side.. I did not realize that by doing this would block the access to cut the cavites for the pups and trem.... Below are some pictures.....

Applying pressure to the side with the coutour is a bit tricky.. So I used a combination of the rice bag and my wife's fashion design binders to apply the weight... Also the body is facing up...

apadua · #19 02-03-2011, 07:33 PM

Mistake # 2

I rushed through cutting the excess of the veneer.. At first I was using the exacta blade then got lazy and started to use my fingers..

I bent the veneer back and forth against the body and broke it off.. It actually broke off pretty cleanly in most places... But the places that did NOT break off cleanly look horrible..

I can not stress enough to "Take your time" and Absolutley do NOT Rush... This by far the most time consuming and tedious part of the process..

Eewwwww...

Jagged Edges

Since I put both sides of the Veneer on before cutting.. I had to poke a hole in the middle of the cavity to get started on the trimming... As you can see from the pic below a section of the veneer came off while trying to poke the hole...

RGTFanatic · #20 02-03-2011, 07:38 PM

If you have a high speed router, you can use a flush cut bit with a bearing on it to cut out the recesses. something like this:

apadua · #21 02-03-2011, 07:41 PM

Veneer Removal

Any Iron with steam will do the trick... Well Kinda...

The steam worked for a little bit but once the veneer started to crack it was useless..

I had to resort to using a screw driver to get it off...

Messy, Messy, Messy

apadua · #22 02-03-2011, 07:47 PM

Re-Sand Body....

Re-Stain Body....

Which was not really necessary since another veneer would be going on top...

RGTFanatic · #23 02-03-2011, 07:47 PM

sorry... this would actually be the correct bit...... the bearing rides on the body and cuts everything perfectly flush.

RGTFanatic · #24 02-03-2011, 07:50 PM

BTW.... (not being a smart ass) Why are you staining the top?

apadua · #25 02-03-2011, 08:06 PM

Veneer # 2

Line up/"Book-match" grain...

MISTAKE # 3

Ok this was another not so great idea.. The first time I traced the veneer with guitar facing up IT left some pencil marks from the tracing after I cut it...

So I thought ...hey... the next go around I should trace the body face down... FAIL!!!

This made the veneer to small when I when laid it back on the body...

Again....

DO NOT TRACE THE VENEER WITH THE BODY FACING DOWN!!!

apadua · #26 02-03-2011, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGTFanatic

BTW.... (not being a smart ass) Why are you staining the top?

I wasn't sure how much of the edges would be sanded off and.. I suppose I could of just restained the edges after the veneer was in place...

I also had extra stain laying around

apadua · #27 02-03-2011, 08:17 PM

VENEER # 3

Third time is a charm...

This should start to look familliar now...

BTW... This is not enough glue.. I actually put more after I took the pic..

One Side at a time... After you glue down one side

STOP and cut the cativies then move on to the other side (NOT Pictured)

Taaaa Daaaa

apadua · #28 02-03-2011, 08:22 PM

The edges have been sanded off and came out pretty nice...

CHIPS and Blemishes

Obviously, I am not a pro.. and this my 2nd refinish and first time time working with a veneer top.. So Unfortunately, there were some chips from the cutting...