Guitar show stress, WHAT IF's & full disclosure... warning LONG post!

[gregc]

Scary stuff, Tim. I'm glad you could make it work in the end. You and Mary must have the patience of saints. Be well, and be good to each other.

[Feste]

Okay, I have held back long enough... I want make sure I have this right so I can keep a straight face when I tell Kurt's students he was stripping for 14 hours!!!

Man I love this forum

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by kwakatak

I can't begin to understand the dismay you felt, Tim, but I'm glad to hear that you got the situation resolved with a little help from your friends. I hope the stress is behind you and that and Mary are able to enjoy yourselves in Healdsburgh.

PS: way to go, Kurt. It looks like you're getting some budding luthier skills there! Let's hope you don't have to use this particular one though. It certainly looks like applying stripper to a finished guitar is not a fun thing to do.

It's a one-and-done for me, Neil. I'm extremely grateful I could be there to offer my assistance, and even more grateful Tim trusted me to help him out that weekend. The experience brought some awareness, however: 1) that as delicate as these guitars appear to be, they can take some tough love; 2) that despite some surprising ruggedness, these guitars remain all-too fragile and delicate -- something of a paradox, I know; and, 3) that our independent luthiers carry a great amount of stress, accountability, and responsibility when building such marvelous instruments for customers who are putting down good money on the barrelhead. I've enough of #3 already in my life, and so will remain content re-shafting golf clubs and making a wreck of my house remodeling tasks.

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Feste

Okay, I have held back long enough... I want make sure I have this right so I can keep a straight face when I tell Kurt's students he was stripping for 14 hours!!!

My college students will be less surprised by my "action" and more rightfully horrified by the thought of people actually having to see me nekkid.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Kurt

It's a one-and-done for me, Neil. I'm extremely grateful I could be there to offer my assistance, and even more grateful Tim trusted me to help him out that weekend. The experience brought some awareness, however: 1) that as delicate as these guitars appear to be, they can take some tough love; 2) that despite some surprising ruggedness, these guitars remain all-too fragile and delicate -- something of a paradox, I know; and, 3) that our independent luthiers carry a great amount of stress, accountability, and responsibility when building such marvelous instruments for customers who are putting down good money on the barrelhead. I've enough of #3 already in my life, and so will remain content re-shafting golf clubs and making a wreck of my house remodeling tasks.

I hope that you never have to do this as well, Kurt. I'd much rather see you applying the finish. I think you'd be good at it.

As for these guitars being delicate yet tough, no lie there! The process of bending the sides is an amazing illustration of that.

[Alan Carruth]

'Finish' is a one-word oxymoron: once you start with it you never really finish...

I've been working with the Behlen's 'Rockhard' varnish for several years, and just about have the 'hang' of it. A couple of years ago I got some 'Deluxing Compound' from another company to use as a glaze over the final polish. When I put it on it made the finish look hazy. I believe the main issue was that it had a slightly different refractive index than the varnish under it, which is often the cause of a 'veiled' look. At any rate, it polished off easily enough. It's possible that you had a similar, and maybe worse, sort of problem, where the varnish actually reacted with the glaze. What's that old mantra: "try it on scrap first"?!

[Aaron Andrews]

You are my new hero! Epic save! I will be looking forward to seeing you next week.

[John How]

Well this has been a strange and busy year for me as well and I am running so far behind on the guitars I am currently doing. I had only enough time to start one guitar for the festival and will have to borrow something back from a dealer in order to have a couple guitars at the show. The one I was planning to make and bring has only had its final coat of finish applied yesterday the 5th of August. The festival about a week and a half away, it is unlikely to be ready. I will be there with a table of guitars even if it is only a pair though and I look forward to seeing many of you at the show, please stop by and say hello.

[Bruce Sexauer]

John, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in a week and a half the festival will be history. OK, it's not "bad" news, and I had fun telling you.

I put what I expect to be (hope to be) the final coat on my 3rd Uke today as well. Actually, it pretty well has to be last coat, whether it's done or not. But I think it is done.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

It's possible that you had a similar, and maybe worse, sort of problem, where the varnish actually reacted with the glaze.

You may very well be right Alan. Laurent and I had the very same dialog. I actually sprayed a LOT of scrap test panels over the winter looking for a new finish. However, it was with the "first" batch of finish and not the second batch. I do still have some of the second batch left so I may spray some more test panels if time is ever on my side...

[wgnorman]

Tim

Sorry to hear about your finish problems....glad it all worked out for you in time for the show and that there were several people to come to your aid - great community of players, finishers and luthiers!

I even more clearly understand now when checking with Simon Fay during his build for me, I once got the response "Guitar is with Joe White for finishing." I remember admiring your efforts at 2010 McJam in doing your own finishing - I'd been taken through the step by step process at Huss & Dalton tour and short of the automated Taylor and Martin systems (which in themselves I'm sure can have issues), the talents of finisher's like Joe, H&D, and your own work should be greatly admired...one of those things we players sometimes take for granted. Finishing is another art in and of itself.

Best of the luck to you and Mary at the show - and BTW, no finish issues for me on my 2007 Highlander

[John How]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

John, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in a week and a half the festival will be history. OK, it's not "bad" news, and I had fun telling you.

I put what I expect to be (hope to be) the final coat on my 3rd Uke today as well. Actually, it pretty well has to be last coat, whether it's done or not. But I think it is done.

Yes you are right Bruce, Less than a week away now. I will be there with guitars though they may not be new guitars. I am borrowing one back from Eric and have a couple at home and I still hope beyond hope to get one new guitar completed. I may be leveling frets and polishing Friday morning though. I may also have to pass out respirators to people coming by my table as that guitar could still be gassing.

This probably had as much to do with my guitar building delay as anything but building something different is very refreshing and was so much fun!
Besides it is mahogany and spruce, how could it be wrong!

[Laurent Brondel]

John, you built that boat? How cool!!! (no pun intended…) Seriously, that's quite a project.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Originally Posted by John How

Yes you are right Bruce, Less than a week away now. I will be there with guitars though they may not be new guitars. I am borrowing one back from Eric and have a couple at home and I still hope beyond hope to get one new guitar completed. I may be leveling frets and polishing Friday morning though. I may also have to pass out respirators to people coming by my table as that guitar could still be gassing.

This probably had as much to do with my guitar building delay as anything but building something different is very refreshing and was so much fun!
Besides it is mahogany and spruce, how could it be wrong!

Neat boat - did you name her "12 Fret"?

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by wgnorman

Tim, Finishing is another art in and of itself.

A big hearty Amen! I have often said that it takes [me] as much time to finish a guitar as to build one and in some instances (like this one) even l-o-n-g-e-r!

BTW, nice boat John!