Carvin BK4A Bass Kit

This is Carvin's BK4A Bass Kit.  The "A" stands for the Active Electronics.

This was ordered with the following;

  • Walnut Body
  • Gold Hardware
  • Tung Oil Neck

I will post each step of the project along the way.  I will post a Step-By-Step list of how I did this.

Click Images for Larger View

 

As it arrived from Carvin

 
The Complete Kit Walnut Body Front Walnut Body Back Tung Oil Neck
       
Complete Hardware Wet Half of grain to show possible end color All wet to raise the grain (front) Wet grain (rear)
     
Active Electronics Module      

Choosing a Finish

This was a tough choice.  I liked the natural look, but I had in my mind I wanted a Dark Walnut all along.  I was going to use Tung Oil, but I have finished Gun Stocks in the past and used True-Oil by Birchwood Casey.  I went to a local gun shop and purchased a Stock Finishing Kit.  The Walnut stain in the kit was too light and gave it an Orange appearance.  I went to Home Depot and got the MinWax stain.

The first coat of stain was a little tough, as it was drying and leaving dark buildup before I could wipe it off.  I did it outside, and maybe that was causing the fast drying.  I wiped it down vigorously after it was coated well, even using a wet terry cloth towel.  The dark stain still hid a little too much grain, so I sanded again with a 320 Grit 3M sanding pad.

 
Here is the body after raising the
grain by wetting it, then sanding.		 The dark electronics cavity is from the
MinWax American Walnut Waterbase Stain.		 Here is a shot after MinWax American Walnut,
and then sanding with a 320 Grit 3M pad.		 Here is the rear.  The cavity is darker because it is not sanded
like the top surfaces.  I'm not too worried about
the cavity as it is covered with Foil anyway.
I do plan to seal the cavity like the rest of the body.
Here are a few shots after the 2nd
coat of American Walnut stain		 Rear shot after 2nd coat of
American Walnut stain		 First coat of Tru-Oil.  Applied liberally,
then when the wood could soak
up no more, I wiped it down.		 This photo was shot with the flash.  The Tru-Oil
is still wet.  After 24 hours of drying, I will fill
the pores with a method recommended by
Birchwood-Casey. I will wet sand with 400
grit and Tru-Oil as the medium and work this
slurry mess into the pores with my fingers.
I will wipe off the excess slurry across the grain.
This may be repeated until the finish is glass smooth.
The previous photos show how the stain
masked the grain too much.  I decided to
sand again.		 This sanding was perfect.  The stain still
made the grain nice and dark, but lightened
the overall finsih.		 This was shot with a flash.  It makes
the finish look darker than it is.		 This is the most accurate photo I have of the color.
Of course when you use a Nikon D70, it should
be right!  I love the way the grain is showing.

 

 

After first spray coat After first spray coat After first spray coat I decided to go back to hand rubbing the finish on,
as it gives me a much more uniform coverage. 
I am now thinning the Tru-Oil with 25% Mineral Spirits
 to put thinner coats down.  Light steel wool between coats.

 

At this point, I couldn't resist mounting
the Neck and seeing how it would look		 I'm going to stop applying coats at this point
and do a buff with Stock Sheen. 		I won't do the buffing until I have at
least 72 hours drying.		 I'll make a decision then if more coats are
needed.  I'm happy with the look at this poing

 

      The gold hardware looks awesome
against the walnut
Finish is complete, and ready
to solder up.		 The wood grain is awesome
to say the least.
I picked up these felt pads
for the strap pins.		 I used a leather punch to make the holes. This should keep the pins from
biting in the wood.

 

 

The Finished Product!

Click the thumbnails!

 

Detailed list of BK4A Finishing and Assembly Procedures

  1. Make a Stand-In for the neck to bolt to the body when finishing.
  2. Sand body with 150 Grit 3M sanding pad, followed by 320 Grit
  3. Stain body with MinWax American Walnut Waterbase Stain
  4. Wipe body down with dry paper towels, then wipe down with wet terry cloth towel.
  5. Sand body again with 320 Grit 3M sanding pad, and wipe down.  Let dry for 24 hours.
  6. Wipe on 2nd coat of American Walnut stain liberally and wipe dry for an even coat.  Another 24 hour drying time.
  7. Apply Tru-Oil to finish and wipe off.  Another 24 hour drying.
  8. Complete sand with 320 Grit on sanding pad to keep back and front flat.
  9. Apply hand rubbed Tru-Oil finish.  Another 24 hour drying.
  10. Sand down smooth with block and another hand rub Tru-Oil
  11. Apply first coat of Tru-Oil from spray can, 24 hours drying.
  12. Apply 2nd coat of Tru-Oil form spray can, 24 hours drying.
  13. Sand out and start applying Tru-Oil thinned with 25% Mineral Spirits.  Light buffing with Steel Wool between coats.