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stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

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  • #61
    Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

    question 1 million on this project and some updates.

    Previously I went too heavy handed using the orbital sander and I ended up having a smooth surface but it was a mess of divots and the like. I then slathered a bunch of timbermate over it and leveled it out with a sanding bar. This actually ended up with a nice extra benefit of helping to bury the seams from where I filled in the kahler route with a wood plug. I also drilled all the pickguard holes, vibrola mount, bridge mount, etc. Had fun using my new drill press on that one. Straight holes sure look nice.

    From there I started grainfilling w/ zpoxy which has had it's own learning curve but I got a handle on it now and I'm almost done. I will say, getting the neck sanded is a bit of a pain with the rounded surface but it's coming along. So, all that to say, I'm about ready to actually start spraying some paint at some point soon.

    Here are my questions:

    I need to set up a ground in there somewhere. Where should I do it? To the bridge post or to the vibrola? Does it matter? People also seem to get bridge & tailpiece confused a lot. Most gibsons have the ground on the tailpiece stud. At least from what I've seen.

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    • #62
      Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

      I don’t think it’d really matter, either should work? They’d both ground the strings & the rest of the guitar with them. But if it was me I’d probably ground it at the bridge just because it’s a shorter shot to the control cavity....
      I live in Northern New Hampshire, we shoot the things we don't understand here???

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      • #63
        Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

        Ballsy project BTW!!!

        I haven’t been on the forum for a while & it’s so great to see that there’s still guys out there like myself who love a good challenge!!! I’m definitely going to be following your progress with this one. It’s ooking great so far!!!
        I live in Northern New Hampshire, we shoot the things we don't understand here???

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        • #64
          Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

          Thanks for the help! A quick hole to the vibrola or bridge stud is no biggie. Just want to make sure it works and is well hidden. At least w/ the vibrola, if it didn't have a great connection I could back it out and fix it. With the bridge post, once I set it in there it is stuck.

          I took a few pics of the V today thinking I'd show my progress on here but holy moly it looks like a patchwork piece of crap right now. Once I spray a primer coat it will look infinitely better.

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          • #65
            Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

            Click image for larger version

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            • #66
              Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

              soooo, here's the latest.

              Almost done grainfilling with zpoxy. In the areas where I am done it is like glass. Crazy smooth. The zpoxy also seems to have helped provide some additional hiding of the witness lines where I put in new wood blocks. Close to ready for paint, super excited!

              Just checked the two areas where I put in wood blocks after a bit of weather change lately (lots of rain & cold). Looks smooth. Run my finger over it......the one block is definitely raised. Just a tiny tiny bit. But it's there. It's the one on the horn where the output jack was previously. I am going to bury it a little bit with some more zpoxy but I'm sure that will not completely fix it. I've considered putting a veneer on this to hide the witness lines entirely but if the block shifts ever so slightly up & down anyways then that feels pointless. It would still show through.

              I am going to try a silverburst on this so I hope it will be covered in the black burst area and that will do the trick? I dunno. Any other amazing ideas?

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              • #67
                Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                If something is too high, you want to remove height from it, not stack more epoxy on top of it. Take the filler block down first, then use the epoxy filler if you go a bit too far.

                Don't forget to check your edge radius once you have the top seamless and flat enough to paint. It might need to be re-rounded after all that stuff you have done to the top.
                Originally posted by LesStrat
                Yogi Berra was correct.
                Originally posted by JOLLY
                I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

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                • #68
                  Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                  Thanks for the help.

                  What you're saying totally makes sense. The one thing I'm stuck on is......the wood block was flush. For months. I don't think it totally popped lose or anything. I'm guessing it just kind of swelled up and/or shifted slightly. If I removed more material from the top of the block I think I would be up against the same thing. My hope in burying it in more epoxy is that I could level it out a bit more after sanding.

                  Long story short--My wood blocks were not tight enough. Learning curve for sure.

                  Radius edge is a hot mess. I had to rebuild the edge in parts. Not too terrible on the whole but for sure could be better. At this point I am not taking a router to it. Just going to live w/ it probably.

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                  • #69
                    Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                    Update! Almost ready to put some real color on. Primer needs another coat and some sanding. Pretty happy that all the wood blocks are not telegraphing through (at least not yet).
                    Click image for larger version

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                    • #70
                      Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                      Good improvement from where you were.

                      If you didn't already know, there is a great cheater trick for getting super clean masking lines on the fretboard, so you don't have to go back and attempt to scrape a sharp edge from multiple layers of finish.

                      You want to use clear lacquer first, before primer. You mask the fretboard top only, spray clear lacquer on the guitar, and let it completely dry. Then you mask. Then you spray clear lacquer again. The second coat of clear lacquer seeps under the masking tape a bit, but it is no big deal, because it is the same "color" as the first coat. After that, the mashing tape edge is completely sealed, and no subsequent coats will seep under it. When you are done with the color coats, you lightly score the tape edge, and pull the tape. You will have an extremely sharp edge that should require practically no touch up. Then you re-mask the fretboard top only, and apply your clear top coats.
                      Originally posted by LesStrat
                      Yogi Berra was correct.
                      Originally posted by JOLLY
                      I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                        P.S. I didn't realize that you were going to paint over the original peghead face. Didn't even register that it wasn't black when you got it.
                        Originally posted by LesStrat
                        Yogi Berra was correct.
                        Originally posted by JOLLY
                        I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                          Just glad to see some progress, Blake!
                          aka Chris Pile, formerly of Six String Fever

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                          • #73
                            Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                            Originally posted by ItsaBass View Post
                            Good improvement from where you were.

                            If you didn't already know, there is a great cheater trick for getting super clean masking lines on the fretboard, so you don't have to go back and attempt to scrape a sharp edge from multiple layers of finish.

                            You want to use clear lacquer first, before primer. You mask the fretboard top only, spray clear lacquer on the guitar, and let it completely dry. Then you mask. Then you spray clear lacquer again. The second coat of clear lacquer seeps under the masking tape a bit, but it is no big deal, because it is the same "color" as the first coat. After that, the mashing tape edge is completely sealed, and no subsequent coats will seep under it. When you are done with the color coats, you lightly score the tape edge, and pull the tape. You will have an extremely sharp edge that should require practically no touch up. Then you re-mask the fretboard top only, and apply your clear top coats.
                            Thanks for this. Little late obviously but good to know.

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                            • #74
                              Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                              Dude - appears to be a righteous restoration so far!

                              What color you going to hit that with?
                              - Olympic White?
                              - Surf Green?

                              PLEASE tell me with that Vibrola it's gonna be something 50's classy!?!?!?!?!?!
                              Originally posted by Bad City
                              He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

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                              • #75
                                Re: stripping a 1981 gibson flying v

                                Eh sorry but not. Silverburst if I can pull it off.

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