Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Feb 15, 2012 09:48pm | #1

   The sample is VERY dramatic quilted maple.  Unless you paid something like $100 a board foot, your will end up less dramatic.  But basically you have the right idea.  Start with a fairly dilute solution of a dark brown dye.  Sand taking care to do so evenly.  A sanding block is essential.  Then follow with the chestnut or amber dye that gives the color of the lighter areas.  It's possible that you will need a very thin shellac washcoat between dye coats.  You may have to use your actual wood for your samples.  You can do those samples before the wood has been reduced to final thickness.  That way you can bleach out dye gone wrong and thickness out any residual colors before the final project.  Of course true scrap is better, but the top 1/8th inch of the board, or the bottom , less visible, surface may be the best you can find.  I often do that.  Even though the wood has been only partially planed to thickness I will prepare the planed areas as if the whole board had been surfaced.  Then the extra pass or two on the planer or with the drum sander will remove the test panel entirely. 

2. 
   sapwood | Feb 16, 2012 12:23am | #2

   Those guitar finishes are something special. You are going to have to experiment to figure out the finishing schedule. You should do this even if someone tells you what to do. Everyone works a little differently and the finish will reflect that. I'd suggest that you resaw some of your stock into veneer and then glue that onto some backer wood that's cheap. Now you'll have a lot of practice material that you can keep for reference.