As well as working on the Stratocaster and my original Telecaster build I am also progressing with 'Luke' - my latest Telecaster copy. Today I want to apply grain filler. The grain is very pronounced on the Oak laminate and I would like to fill it because excessive sanding is not really an option.
On my first Telecaster build I did not fill the grain and I think that was a mistake. So last night I mixed some grain filler with white spirits and rubbed the paste across the grain forcing it into all the nooks and crannies. I left this to dry overnight and then rubbed it smooth this morning with 400 grit sandpaper.
There was still a few obvious bits I mixed first time so I mixed another batch of grain filler but this time I mixed in some dark wood stain just to give a little subtle variation.
My garage is such a mess! I also covered the fingerboard on the neck with masking tape So I could fine sand the headstock and the back of the neck. I worked through the grades of wet and dry paper from 400 to 600, then 800 and 1200 and finally 1500 grit wet and dry.
I put quite a thick coat of grain filler on so once it dried I used a scraper to remove the excess then sanded the surface smooth ready for a couple of coats of sanding sealer.
Hopefully this will give me a great surface to finish off later. I managed to also apply a coat of sanding sealer to the neck as well which has already made the mahogany grain pop out. The body front is also starting to develop some character as well!
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