OK, will try that as well, thanks !

I already picked up the 1/8" hardboard but it was hardly a huge investment

I read that as halberd, originally. That would be a very small weapon.

Not if you were only 1/4" tall.

Hey guys

I am bumping this thread because I need some help and/or advice.

I have an alder guitar body coming shortly which I want to stain translucent green. I tried to find some alder scrap around here somewhere but I guess I didn't look hard enough, I couldn't find any. So, I just went to Home Depot and picked up some knotty pine, as I read online that it stains similar to alder, other than being a slightly lighter colored wood.

Fast forward to today, the pictures below are really the best I have been able to get it. I have done the following:

- Wet the wood to raise the grain
- Sanded lightly with 120, then 220
- treated with Minwax pre-stain conditioner (water based)
- Sanded lightly with 220
- Applied stain (Minwax water based).
- Wipe off stain after about 2 - 3 minutes

The following is the result, but the grain looks weird to me. Keep in mind this is still wet with the second coat of color and no clear yet. The grain seems lighter than the actual wood, when in past experience with staining, it's usually the opposite. This is also just barely pressing the cloth to remove any stain, which is why there is a line or two in it. If I press hard, the area that are light green in the pictures go almost back to bare wood.

Am I doing something wrong, or is this just the pine at work? It looks ok I guess but it's not what I was picturing.

I would go with lacquer. Look at Luthiers Mercantile Internationals website. They have a detailed how-to on guitar finishing using KTM-9 lacquer. You can also look at the KTM-9 web page as they have several useful links.

good luck.

Need help.

I have a vintage Rockwell contractor saw with a 220v motor. I got it from my father-in-law. I am not a craftsman, but I do occasionally produce adequate results at DIY projects around the house.

Well, the fence basically disintegrated. Critical plastic piece that attaches to the hook for the back rail is shattered all to heck.

The current rails are heavy (cast iron?) and round. It does not seem that I can find "just a fence" for these rails.

It doesn't make sense for me to drop $400-500 on a fence system considering my expected level of use and the age of the saw.

It doesn't appear that I can get into an Incra, Vega, Biesemeyer, UniFence, etc. on my budget.

Plus, I'm actually pretty baffled by and skeptical of the process by which I'd install a whole new fence system including rails. I'm also concerned that the state-of-the-art brands mentioned above might not "fit" my saw.

I am pondering a Mule Accusquare.

Help?

Having use the Incra for a while now, my suggestion is to suck it up and buy one regardless of your saw. As long as your table has two mounting holes on each end (front / rear), you can make it work. If you buy a new saw later, move the Incra to it. Amazon has them for $394 with free shipping. The draw back to the Incra is it takes up additional floor space and the T-bar sticks out quite a ways when ripped wide stuff. But damn, it sure took my wood working to a whole new level of perfection. I like it so much, I put one on my router table.

sh!t. I was afraid you were going to say something like that.

Is a 220v saw convenient for your location, etc?

If it were a cabinet saw and you thought you would make good use of it, I could see replacing the fence. For a "contractor-style" saw, I'm not so sure I'd put the money into it.

To me, 90% of what makes a good table saw is the fence and a solid miter gauge that slides without wobble. The rest is really just a frame for an electric motor and I find even cheaper saws have enough power to spin a blade well enough for a good cut.

If the "Vintage" part is something that is important to you, then why not spend a couple of hundred for an new fence. If you are not attached to the saw, then perhaps it's time to shop for good used saw. But remember, a really good table saw with a fence that won't make you angry, like mine does , will end up costing you wayyy more than a new fence, even used.