Rhett, I was about your age when I took a bad spill on my Mountain Bike, it will take time to heal but I’m confident you’ll come out of it OK. Just remember, it could have always been worse.
Final product was OUTSTANDING!!! I did similar with a pine table top, using the wire brush (as you did), then "made stain" via 3oz soda (coke), 3oz coffee grounds, 2" ball of rusted .0000 steel wool in a quart mason jar, filled with white vinegar. Let it sit for a few weeks, strain in an automotive paint filter... and apply. I then finished with multiple coats of Preservation Wax and got a similar look. Also, bless you for hating "relic-ing" ughhhhh hate it. Keep up the great work... I've been binge watching you and loving every second of it.
Looking forward to the final result! Looks like it's going to be amazing!! BTW, lovin the music you guys have been using in the background. Your production quality is enviable! Nice work!!!
I’m no wood wizard but a ceruse finish is not a textured finish. The “removal” of the grain is to give room for a pigment (usually an opaque pigment) to sit inside the space. This is done to create a colored grain. You can have a dark or even black finish with a white or colored grain. You can have any wood grain combo you want but then it can be finished smooth or left u even but it’s more about the colors not the texture. Raising the grain (or actually lowering the grain) is just a step in the process. Also called a “Dog Hair” finish by some. It’s definitely my absolute favorite wood finish.
Correct, and that’s what I did here. Removed the soft grain, and then added color to that grain, then removed the color from the hard grain, which will be a different color. Hence the use of the word Ceruse.
I agree that this is not an authentic Ceruse finish. The key is it must contain "contrasting colors" not shades of the same color. What is a ceruse finish? Cerusing, or liming, is a wood finishing technique that creates a two-toned look, where the open grain of the wood is accentuated against a contrasting base color.
@@DriftwoodGuitarsSorry Chris, this is not a ceruse finish. Cerusing is achieved by using contrasting colors. While you did hog wood out with the wire brush, what you don't do is sand back. After the initial color is applied you have to seal it so when you fill the grain my the contrasting color and then wipe it off, you don't remove the first color. It's best to use an opaque tint like mixol and mix it into aquacoat. After the grain is filled, top coat it with 2K, shellac or nitro.
I had a client about 25 years ago that wanted an effect like this on her oak cabinets. For the first go around I took the doors and drawer fronts to a local sandblaster, but of course there were filler strips and we decided to do the banding on the laminate counter tops as well, too much bother to go back the sandblaster so I put the weathering on with a wire wheel in a drill. Worked great, can use a bronze wire wheel if you want, I named it the Desert Wind, though you could go with Driftwood Weathering;)
I know how you like to come up with custom inlays for each client.. Maybe Rhett's guitar could have Ebony or dark Rosewood mountain bike tire tracks, a cool abalone inlayed arm sling, and then some Mother of Pearl bone fragments sticking out?! Haha. Seriously though.. that raised grain effect looks super cool. I'm sure Rhett will absolutely love it! I'm really excited to see this beautiful guitar come together! Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd
I have used gel stains with lacquer. They seem to be compatible products. First I used a power brush to open grain. Then, I lacquered a base coat. (You can use transparent tinted lacquer if you like) Then gel stain and sanding when dried. Then clear lacquer over everything. You can also do a pigmented grain filler over lacquer and sand it off for a smooth ceruse like finish. I have done cabinets, some furniture, and some guitars. Lots of creative possibilities. The great wisdom here was that they used a sacrificial slab of wood for the experimentation. That is key.
Congratulations on your 10.000 subs, it's cool to see the amount of subs grow every time I watch your new video. If there is wear and tear on my guitar, it better be done by me.
I know I’m late to the party but I used to install and refinish hardwood floors especially oak. We had a machine that was a wide drum of wires and brush the main body of the floor and we would use hand wire brushes to get the edges. They sell special wire brushes with wide flat steel blades on them, can sharpen the edge to a razor. Much faster and easier and does a better job of digging out soft material.
Fun tip use a foam backed sand paper that attaches to a Hook and loop sander to smooth out the grain also if you sand a piece of wood with a foam sanding pad for too long you will get a softer raised grain look since the foam will cause the sandpaper to remove the softer wood between the grain faster than where each ring connects klingspor makes the ones I use
Using a sandblaster on the wood gives awesome results too! It gives a much more textured effect and really eats away the soft wood while leaving the hardwood. I have suspicions that it is what Novo does.
Would a bit of sand blasting or particle blasting be a solution if you are going to do this as an on-going offering? It would eliminate the scratching of the wires in the brush.
You should also try using steel wool instead of a brush. The effect will be similar but the top grain may be smoother. What you did does look great. What about the sunburst? Maybe you should test for that effect too.
you should get a brass wire brush. the steel, especially with the ash and oak, can cause some discoloration (dark spots) in combination with the finish
Ok, so basically a brushed finish. Didn't know we needed a fancy name for it. For more extreme looks there's sand blasted finish, but its all the same idea really, with or without fancy name ;)
I agree with you on "relic", road worn, etc, look. I've had my guitar nearly 30 yrs, & it looks great. It's got some dings from a brass statue falling on it during an earth quake, plus a couple of spots I did in 2004, installing a 4 way Tele Mod Switch, (had it all taped off. I mean I am highly trained electronics tech, after all) where I didn't even touch it,but heard a slight sssst, the soldering iron got too close. Thought of putting super glue or something else to fill the tiny spots, but thought I'd leave it, as (to quote my late wife) "A testament to your(my) stupidity!"(She said "your", I say "my".) But the road rash etc, should be earned, IMO.
Are you using a light pressure? I saw that you were constant and level with your strokes, but I’m trying to understand the feel. I know that’s near impossible but is it light or hard even pressure? I guess that is a better question.
I just built two guitars with Ash bodies, and was going for a dead flat surface. What a pain that is. Opposite results wanted, and probably just as much extra work as your project. Grain filling is not fun with Ash.
"Ceruse" is not a preparation step, which is what your doing, though it is what will be a necessary step to give the Ceruse color treatment. Ceruse is " white lead, as a pigment, which after the pore opening affect desired is achieved the wood is usually sealed and then the white lead.. ( or since lead pigments were banned) either zinc or especially titanium oxide or dioxide are used to fill the depends pores for a very contrasted affect of wood and grain. This be came popular in France in the earlier 20 th century as to was the " Decape'" finished as done by George Frank and described in his book adventures in wood working and which all of the later users of the process no matter what color combinations were or are used based their personal concepts of the technique on .!! You, have decided to use natural wood and a brown stain, one of the easier techniques, some are much more complicated.!!
I couldn't help but notice that the company name and logo look a little bit on the distressed and worn side. May I suggest a change to Pristinewood Guitars? I enjoyed your video. Cheers.
“Gives it that worn look.” “Hate the road worn look.” Just own it. You were having fun for a second and then you let yourself get in the way. Worn, relic’ed, pristine…who cares? It’s all art.
Yeah as others have said, ceruse isn't a raised grain it's highlighting the grain with a colour. For example using white to highlight the grain on a black guitar. I don't think there's an actual name for the finish you're doing other than 'raised grain'
I agree! Fake road worn guitars upset me even though it shouldn't...I guess I should just say I don't want one and they are very cringey to me but at the same time, if someone likes it, that's all that matters, I suppose.
I just subscribed. It's great to watch a guitar luthier with heart. There's a couple of amp repair and quasi luthiers on TH-cam that I can't stomach. They come across arrogant and classless, and like to push their political leanings as well. I really enjoy your content here in Canada. Thanks for sharing
yes! roadworn finishes are an expression of the instrument's history and life! fake "relicked" guitars fly in the face of that, it's like buying a leather riding jacket with a load of badges already attached to it.
aawww.... Mat's thumbs up was all fuzzy. He is going to have to put a picture of a thumbs up on a stick so he can put it out further so it is clear. :)
Nice finish but i wonder why you insist on the 'ceruse' word . Ceruse is treatment with white pigments, metal salt ones, historically lead salts but nowadays zinc or titanium as 'white lead' was banned in early XX century for toxicity. What you do is not ceruse, in process nor results. Nice anyways.
I agree with you. Ceruse is usually a white opaque pigment. It is exactly the reverse effect of what is shown in this video. It was very popular in the XVIIIth Century, and has got some revival since the 50's until now.
@@DriftwoodGuitars I know it's not the end all be all source of knowledge but i suggest Wikipedia. Search 'white lead', 'venetian ceruse' or also 'céruse' in the (fr)wikipedia. In France(I'm french, 'céruse' is a french word btw) we had a fad on 'meubles cérusés' a few decades ago and lasting: Those pieces of furniture had a whitish washed out finish with the grain of wood and sometimes remnant of previous finish more or less showing. It was a mean to rejuvenate old furniture but soon that look was used on new pieces. The origin of the use of this old-fashioned wording('cérusé' in lieu of 'peint en blanc") in that recent fad stems from the fact that opaque paint, as opposed to other finish (dye, oil, varnish, lacquer etc), was indeed céruse in the early days, even tough it was no longer real céruse(x). Your work wich again i find very nice (i watch the part 2 also), don't look that way and from what you say (at least what i understand..) on the vid it is not what you are trying to replicate. I would say 'accented grain' perhaps. (x)The very word 'céruse' , in its original meaning, translate in english as 'white lead' , it's a lead carbonate white pigment. It was used as a cosmetic(skin whitener) with ill effects on health. Omnipresent with other lead salts as paint component from late 18 to early 20th century as it is also fungicidal and insect repellent it was the main culprit of chronic lead poisoning well into the 20th (and even today in some place like the USA where the use continued longer) especially in childs from poor familly living in derelict appartment building. The paint flake off contaminating the whole place, small child crawling in and often eating small pieces. Some lead compouds taste sweet. Not Cool. In fewer words: No white, No Ceruse
Dude this is going to be so awesome I can’t wait to see it!!
Healing vibes for you Rhett! ✨🤘
Rhett, I was about your age when I took a bad spill on my Mountain Bike, it will take time to heal but I’m confident you’ll come out of it OK.
Just remember, it could have always been worse.
Rhett, Maybe you should just have him send me the guitar since you won’t need it for a while. JK
Final product was OUTSTANDING!!! I did similar with a pine table top, using the wire brush (as you did), then "made stain" via 3oz soda (coke), 3oz coffee grounds, 2" ball of rusted .0000 steel wool in a quart mason jar, filled with white vinegar. Let it sit for a few weeks, strain in an automotive paint filter... and apply. I then finished with multiple coats of Preservation Wax and got a similar look. Also, bless you for hating "relic-ing" ughhhhh hate it. Keep up the great work... I've been binge watching you and loving every second of it.
Looking forward to the final result! Looks like it's going to be amazing!! BTW, lovin the music you guys have been using in the background. Your production quality is enviable! Nice work!!!
Thanks! We’ve been working hard to try to make these better and better.
I’m no wood wizard but a ceruse finish is not a textured finish. The “removal” of the grain is to give room for a pigment (usually an opaque pigment) to sit inside the space. This is done to create a colored grain. You can have a dark or even black finish with a white or colored grain. You can have any wood grain combo you want but then it can be finished smooth or left u even but it’s more about the colors not the texture. Raising the grain (or actually lowering the grain) is just a step in the process. Also called a “Dog Hair” finish by some. It’s definitely my absolute favorite wood finish.
Correct, and that’s what I did here. Removed the soft grain, and then added color to that grain, then removed the color from the hard grain, which will be a different color. Hence the use of the word Ceruse.
I agree that this is not an authentic Ceruse finish. The key is it must contain "contrasting colors" not shades of the same color.
What is a ceruse finish?
Cerusing, or liming, is a wood finishing technique that creates a two-toned look, where the open grain of the wood is accentuated against a contrasting base color.
@@DriftwoodGuitarsSorry Chris, this is not a ceruse finish. Cerusing is achieved by using contrasting colors. While you did hog wood out with the wire brush, what you don't do is sand back. After the initial color is applied you have to seal it so when you fill the grain my the contrasting color and then wipe it off, you don't remove the first color. It's best to use an opaque tint like mixol and mix it into aquacoat. After the grain is filled, top coat it with 2K, shellac or nitro.
I had a client about 25 years ago that wanted an effect like this on her oak cabinets. For the first go around I took the doors and drawer fronts to a local sandblaster, but of course there were filler strips and we decided to do the banding on the laminate counter tops as well, too much bother to go back the sandblaster so I put the weathering on with a wire wheel in a drill. Worked great, can use a bronze wire wheel if you want, I named it the Desert Wind, though you could go with Driftwood Weathering;)
I know how you like to come up with custom inlays for each client.. Maybe Rhett's guitar could have Ebony or dark Rosewood mountain bike tire tracks, a cool abalone inlayed arm sling, and then some Mother of Pearl bone fragments sticking out?!
Haha. Seriously though.. that raised grain effect looks super cool. I'm sure Rhett will absolutely love it! I'm really excited to see this beautiful guitar come together!
Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd
I have used gel stains with lacquer. They seem to be compatible products. First I used a power brush to open grain. Then, I lacquered a base coat. (You can use transparent tinted lacquer if you like) Then gel stain and sanding when dried. Then clear lacquer over everything. You can also do a pigmented grain filler over lacquer and sand it off for a smooth ceruse like finish. I have done cabinets, some furniture, and some guitars. Lots of creative possibilities. The great wisdom here was that they used a sacrificial slab of wood for the experimentation. That is key.
Congratulations on your 10.000 subs, it's cool to see the amount of subs grow every time I watch your new video. If there is wear and tear on my guitar, it better be done by me.
We sure appreciate it! It’s been a hell of a ride so far. Here’s to the next 10,000!
I know I’m late to the party but I used to install and refinish hardwood floors especially oak. We had a machine that was a wide drum of wires and brush the main body of the floor and we would use hand wire brushes to get the edges. They sell special wire brushes with wide flat steel blades on them, can sharpen the edge to a razor. Much faster and easier and does a better job of digging out soft material.
There is a tool that spins a nylon bristle wheel, that really works well for this.
thank you Chris and Matt. that is something i have never heard of so very interesting to me.
Chris, this is going to be fun to see how this idea morphs into a finished instrument. Can't wait!
Thanks, John
Gig Harbor, WA
Fun tip use a foam backed sand paper that attaches to a Hook and loop sander to smooth out the grain also if you sand a piece of wood with a foam sanding pad for too long you will get a softer raised grain look since the foam will cause the sandpaper to remove the softer wood between the grain faster than where each ring connects klingspor makes the ones I use
Using a sandblaster on the wood gives awesome results too! It gives a much more textured effect and really eats away the soft wood while leaving the hardwood. I have suspicions that it is what Novo does.
Pressure washed wood too.
Would a bit of sand blasting or particle blasting be a solution if you are going to do this as an on-going offering? It would eliminate the scratching of the wires in the brush.
think the scratching is on purpose to get the dark stain in it ,just have to go with the grain of the wood ,good idea ,I may try this
Great technique-I personally like a contrast of colors for front and back.
Bold statement on the ''real guitar player'' relic finish. True it could be the river table of guitars...
Neat idea for the back. I've used wire wheels to get that effect, but never knew it had a name.
Eagerly awaiting episode 2
Just finished editing it! It goes out in the morning
The grain looks great! Can you link to the part 2/result please?
Y’all are goofy and I love it! 😄
Couldn't you sand blast it for similar look? I think fender had some this kind of finish a while back
You should also try using steel wool instead of a brush. The effect will be similar but the top grain may be smoother. What you did does look great. What about the sunburst? Maybe you should test for that effect too.
I've never had any trouble using oil based anything under nitro. A lot of vintage guitars started with tinted oil based grain fillers and stains.
Great sir 🔥🔥🔥
Try lightly charring the surface with a propane torch and then wire brushing the charred wood out. the softer wood will char slightly deeper.
you should get a brass wire brush. the steel, especially with the ash and oak, can cause some discoloration (dark spots) in combination with the finish
Totally agree with you on the artificial "relic" look. It's almost never done well.
chris thats some mighty fine cerusing there buddy hee hee hee ,but its a really good idea cant wait to see finished product
use a sand blaster and use low grit sand to get the raised grain
Absolutely love your video!!
Off topic but can you please tell me where you get your shop apron??
It’s a Garret Wade apron.
Here I am
Still laughing at that in repair joke 🤣
Your channel is gold. I'm glad Rhett sent me here
By the way, I hope you'll get well soon Rhett! 💓
Glad you appreciate it! My wife on the other hand, has had enough haha
Ok, so basically a brushed finish. Didn't know we needed a fancy name for it. For more extreme looks there's sand blasted finish, but its all the same idea really, with or without fancy name ;)
I agree with you on "relic", road worn, etc, look. I've had my guitar nearly 30 yrs, & it looks great. It's got some dings from a brass statue falling on it during an earth quake, plus a couple of spots I did in 2004, installing a 4 way Tele Mod Switch, (had it all taped off. I mean I am highly trained electronics tech, after all) where I didn't even touch it,but heard a slight sssst, the soldering iron got too close. Thought of putting super glue or something else to fill the tiny spots, but thought I'd leave it, as (to quote my late wife) "A testament to your(my) stupidity!"(She said "your", I say "my".) But the road rash etc, should be earned, IMO.
Full send!
As a Luthier myself, I like the look of roadwork guitars done well, but can't bring myself to do it to one I made 😂
Are you using a light pressure? I saw that you were constant and level with your strokes, but I’m trying to understand the feel. I know that’s near impossible but is it light or hard even pressure? I guess that is a better question.
Sandblaster will make quick work of getting that look and feel. That is how many luthiers do it.
I just built two guitars with Ash bodies, and was going for a dead flat surface. What a pain that is. Opposite results wanted, and probably just as much extra work as your project. Grain filling is not fun with Ash.
Use a drum sander equipped with rotating wire wheels, run the board thru and viola' instant weathered look.
This is a similar finish to some of the sand blasted Fender guitars which are more extreme in the finish texture.
"Ceruse" is not a preparation step, which is what your doing, though it is what will be a necessary step to give the Ceruse color treatment. Ceruse is " white lead, as a pigment, which after the pore opening affect desired is achieved the wood is usually sealed and then the white lead.. ( or since lead pigments were banned) either zinc or especially titanium oxide or dioxide are used to fill the depends pores for a very contrasted affect of wood and grain.
This be came popular in France in the earlier 20 th century as to was the
" Decape'" finished as done by
George Frank and described in his book adventures in wood working and which all of the later users of the process no matter what color combinations were or are used based their personal concepts of the technique on .!! You, have decided to use natural wood and a brown stain, one of the easier techniques, some are much more complicated.!!
I couldn't help but notice that the company name and logo look a little bit on the distressed and worn side.
May I suggest a change to Pristinewood Guitars?
I enjoyed your video. Cheers.
"Shou Sugi Ban" is where you burn the wood and wire brush away the soft burnt stuff leaving raised grain.
Looks cool. Feel better @rhettshull.
I love a very light “Road Worn” relic. The stuff that looks like it was dragged behind a truck on a gravel road is obscene.
I think the Japanese wood workers are the best at this technique. The Japanese do absolutely amazing things with wood.
“Gives it that worn look.” “Hate the road worn look.” Just own it. You were having fun for a second and then you let yourself get in the way. Worn, relic’ed, pristine…who cares? It’s all art.
Yeah as others have said, ceruse isn't a raised grain it's highlighting the grain with a colour. For example using white to highlight the grain on a black guitar. I don't think there's an actual name for the finish you're doing other than 'raised grain'
Sandblast works as well.
Minwax under 2K polyurethane works wonderfully.
There might be a different way to get that same effect. I used your websites contact page to send my thoughts.
As somebody who learned on beat up old fenders, I am nor a fan of relicing either.
Use a wire brush on a drill and it'll eat away the soft fibers like butter
Fly on fly off ✅
I agree! Fake road worn guitars upset me even though it shouldn't...I guess I should just say I don't want one and they are very cringey to me but at the same time, if someone likes it, that's all that matters, I suppose.
I just subscribed. It's great to watch a guitar luthier with heart. There's a couple of amp repair and quasi luthiers on TH-cam that I can't stomach. They come across arrogant and classless, and like to push their political leanings as well. I really enjoy your content here in Canada. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much! I can promise you’ll never hear my political views on here. No one wants to hear that crap haha
yes! roadworn finishes are an expression of the instrument's history and life! fake "relicked" guitars fly in the face of that, it's like buying a leather riding jacket with a load of badges already attached to it.
Hate relic finishes, just fake imho.
aawww.... Mat's thumbs up was all fuzzy. He is going to have to put a picture of a thumbs up on a stick so he can put it out further so it is clear. :)
Good idea haha
Walnut shell sandblasting....faster and more organic.
Crimson Guitars has both water based and spirit based stains...
Sandblasted finish
Nice finish but i wonder why you insist on the 'ceruse' word . Ceruse is treatment with white pigments, metal salt ones, historically lead salts but nowadays zinc or titanium as 'white lead' was banned in early XX century for toxicity. What you do is not ceruse, in process nor results. Nice anyways.
Not at all what I understand based on literally everything I read and watched on the internet.
I agree with you. Ceruse is usually a white opaque pigment. It is exactly the reverse effect of what is shown in this video. It was very popular in the XVIIIth Century, and has got some revival since the 50's until now.
@@DriftwoodGuitars I know it's not the end all be all source of knowledge but i suggest Wikipedia. Search 'white lead', 'venetian ceruse' or also 'céruse' in the (fr)wikipedia.
In France(I'm french, 'céruse' is a french word btw) we had a fad on 'meubles cérusés' a few decades ago and lasting: Those pieces of furniture had a whitish washed out finish with the grain of wood and sometimes remnant of previous finish more or less showing. It was a mean to rejuvenate old furniture but soon that look was used on new pieces. The origin of the use of this old-fashioned wording('cérusé' in lieu of 'peint en blanc") in that recent fad stems from the fact that opaque paint, as opposed to other finish (dye, oil, varnish, lacquer etc), was indeed céruse in the early days, even tough it was no longer real céruse(x).
Your work wich again i find very nice (i watch the part 2 also), don't look that way and from what you say (at least what i understand..) on the vid it is not what you are trying to replicate.
I would say 'accented grain' perhaps.
(x)The very word 'céruse' , in its original meaning, translate in english as 'white lead' , it's a lead carbonate white pigment. It was used as a cosmetic(skin whitener) with ill effects on health. Omnipresent with other lead salts as paint component from late 18 to early 20th century as it is also fungicidal and insect repellent it was the main culprit of chronic lead poisoning well into the 20th (and even today in some place like the USA where the use continued longer) especially in childs from poor familly living in derelict appartment building. The paint flake off contaminating the whole place, small child crawling in and often eating small pieces. Some lead compouds taste sweet. Not Cool.
In fewer words: No white, No Ceruse
Is the cameraman drunk or what,,, constantly moving…
Umm... Rhett has relic'd guitars - is he not a "real" guitarist, then?
Not ceruse.