A challenge for the swirl masters

[Ranz 777]

Ok.............here it is.
Ive been thinking about this for some time now. I am in no way shape or form a "swirl" tech or guitar finisher, but I have two of my own ........................
well...........................lets just call em swirl "attempts" under my belt. Im very much aware of the swirl proccess and what needs to be done, which is why I have been trying to figure out how this could be done.
Swirled wood stains!
How could a person pull that one off?
Ive been trying to visualize this. Natural wood grain with different colored wood stains all swirled into it.
Would be curious to hear some thoughts on how this "could" be attempted.


Time starrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrts............. ..........................NOW!

[scotte_za]

That is a very interesting idea, but what would you use as a base for the stain to float on? You couldn't use water because you wouldn't be able to seal the guitar beforehand (try staining a swirled body :P)

So I don't think you could use the bucket-o'-borax method.

Hmmm......

[Ranz 777]

Exactly!
You have to seal the wood from water getting in it, thus, there goes the ability to stain the wood. As far as the stain floating...............not sure on that one either...................unless there was some sort of oil base in it or something.
Something tells me that some one here will be able to figure it out. I cant!
But the picture in my mind of what it could look like is pretty darn cool. But...............then again..................alot of things "in my head" seem pretty cool...........................................at the time

[Matheau]

This is just pure speculation, but just an idea. Float wax on water, get it on top of the body. Then you will have to wait for the wood to dry out. Once the wood is sufficiently dry, stain it. After that remove the wax and stain the second color. Not covering a lot of logistical details, just a quick idea. It could very well be that the stain will seep under the wax anyways.

You could also just make a swirl out of stains and put the top of the guitar into it. You could really only do the front, but since you really only see the front that might be fine.

[scotte_za]

I wonder if you could finish a guitar with a thin layer of wax and then clear coat over it somehow? I must be drunk and/or tired :P

[ryanb]

I don't think you want to really stain the wood itself (you often don't even without the swirl part of this problem). I think what you are asking for is swirled transparent colors that show the grain through, right? (Like a shader coat.) So seal the body with a clear sealer. Then you just have to find the right transparent paint/dye that you can use to dip more or less the normal way -- clearcoating over the top. Of course, I haven't thought through the details ... but the effect should be possible. (Or just fake it with an airbrush...)

[jk-27]

From my limited reading of swirling and the swirling technique, I've been wondering if water really is the best thing to float the paint on. I've wondered what would happen if the paint was more "suspended" in the solution (imagine like a lava lamp, but not pockets of colour, more swirled strings of colour that sits within the solution rather than just on the top). What solution is used in the lava lamp?

[syxxstring]

Here's how I would try it.
Seal the guitar clear. Then swirl it in a candy like HOK, that way it the transparent paints will let the grain show through.
If you didn't grain fill a heavier grained wood first the sealer would still have the wood grain texture, so you might gain some depth, but good luck burying it in clear.

[wilch]

Originally Posted by syxxstring

Here's how I would try it.
Seal the guitar clear. Then swirl it in a candy like HOK, that way it the transparent paints will let the grain show through.
If you didn't grain fill a heavier grained wood first the sealer would still have the wood grain texture, so you might gain some depth, but good luck burying it in clear.

I guess here you could use the same technique that they use for the floral pattern jem... You'd end up with depth with a smooth clear coat (on the top and bottom atleast).

[scotte_za]

Originally Posted by jk-27

From my limited reading of swirling and the swirling technique, I've been wondering if water really is the best thing to float the paint on. I've wondered what would happen if the paint was more "suspended" in the solution (imagine like a lava lamp, but not pockets of colour, more swirled strings of colour that sits within the solution rather than just on the top). What solution is used in the lava lamp?

Do you know how much that paint costs?? :P

[ET Guitars]

Damn Ranz, your onto one of the new swirls we are working on...

Pick a few colors, 3 or 4, and I'll give it a shot in the next couple weeks.

Cheers,
ET

[Ibateur]

I suppose all you would need to float the stain is another liquid that is denser than the stain itself and not damaging to a guitar. If you used some form of oil, for instance, and have the stain on top of that it could work. The wood would have to be really absorbent though for the stain.

I'd really love to see what ET comes up with.

[Ranz 777]

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew it!!!!
I knew someone was working on it already
Ya know what they say................every time someone has an idea..........a thousand other people have the same idea.
Cant wait to see it ET.
I have no idea about colors.................maybe some pretty decent blue spectrums, red spectrums, and yellow?
I like the idea of swirling the stains together and just setting the body onto it.................I guess that might work. Clear coating it first with a sealer, I cant imagine that working out to well as the stain would just sit on top of the seal coat wouldnt it? Wouldnt really get into the grain?
Cant wait to see that one ET
Do it on a 7 string..............................and we'll talk

[scotte_za]

ET how about you write a tutorial on doing it if you succeed?

[Vaibanez]

Originally Posted by scotte_za

ET how about you write a tutorial on doing it if you succeed?

Let him make some money on it first LOL