Norris

It does help to spread the cost when your build takes time to do. However then when a bit looks tidy and you've done a good job of it, the budget starts creeping up too . Sub-300 is still pretty "budget" for a self build. Well done

Been doing it for years. It's amazing how much a semitone helps the aging vocal chords

Pedant

Check out the Makita RT0700C. It's a compact, lightweight trimmer router. It's very easy to control and probably better suited to the delicate job of guitar building. The only thing it lacks is a plunge stop - you set the depth before routing. It's around £100 ish on Amazon, but you might want to look at the X4 kit which includes a side bearing guide ideal for routing binding channels

Sounds good. Nitrocellulouse will sink into the grain over time. If you apply just enough to do the job, it may help it sink more for an aged look if that's what you're after. i.e. keep the coats as thin as possible. I assume you are taking all necessary precautions when spraying?

Beautiful work

I'd probably lend them the gear but suggest that if they are going to start gigging regularly they ought to think about investing in their own gear. It depends how you feel about it (and obviously you have some issues or you wouldn't have posted about it) and how a refusal might affect the dynamic of your band. Maybe ask for a deposit in case anything gets damaged? Edit: Maybe offer to help find them some suitable gear to purchase from the for sale section

I avoid wet sanding completely I use micromesh pads dry, and wipe the dust off regularly with a monofibre cloth every few strokes

Have you got any 600 grit sterated aluminium oxide paper? It's ideal for final preparation of wood before applying finish and flatting off between coats. I got mine from eBay. If you apply paint too heavy you can always knock it back with a bit of flat sanding. I'd also consider drilling the holes before grain filling. You don't want to knock any filler out round the holes.

Any fan of the correct dimensions, voltage and air flow should do the job. They are usually pretty standard parts, but to source a replacement you are going to need to know the specifications of the existing fan. If you find those out, I'm sure someone will be able to direct you to a suitable replacement

Height, width and depth? Or even a photo?

You've got a real proud dad look going on there! Lovely photo

"You want to start a Glee club?!"

"There's a lady who knows all that glitters is gold"...

Dictator: "The Americans battle with these?!" Lackey: "They make you squeal like a pig, sir"

That sounds pretty good. I bet it's a great sofa noodler

I was gutted when I dropped a tool on the top of my meticulously prepped guitar, creating quite a large dint. It steamed out eventually and required only light sanding afterwards. It is surprising.

I'm now eyeing up that tin of high VOC hardglaze that I have sitting in the garage. There must be at least a litre left in the tin. I wonder how old it is, what state it's in and how much it might be worth to someone

A kitchen towel is likely to shed fibres that will end up in your finish. Microfibre cloths don't shed fibres. I imagine that @Andyjr1515 is well practiced in avoiding streaks

If you put a few drops of water on the ding, put a damp cotton cloth over it then gently use your steam iron to get it nice and hot, you'll probably be able to steam the ding out. Edit: That's assuming it's still bare wood

I've just bought myself a Makita RT0700CX4 (which they describe as a trimmer) for that same reason. The lighter weight and adjustable speed is far better for hand-held guitar building purposes. Also that particular model comes with side bearing guide that is ideal for routing the rebate for binding.

Gigs like that happen. We've had weekends where we've done a couple of gigs. One has been a brilliant, buzzing event and the other has been completely flat. We've not done anything different. Often it's the gig you're really looking forward to is the crap one and the one that you're not expecting much from is brilliant. Mark it down to experience and march on. If a particular venue is consistently poor we do discuss if we want to continue playing there. It's certainly beyond comprehension if a venue doesn't do any promotion and quite frustrating. In years to come it's the really poor gigs that will give you a laugh when you look back at them - wedding reception with only one guest apart from the bride and groom anyone?! Don't let it put you off

One bottle of dye should be plenty, unless you are doing a lot of sanding back and re-dyeing as you might when popping grain on figured maple, etc.

Looks like Dartfords have changed their colour charts recently and only display a single shade now. Rothcoe and Frost use the old 2-tone colour guide but don't explain the difference between the shades. I have an old colour chart downloaded on my work computer but won't be back in the office for a few days. If you're really curious and I can remember to look for the download when I get back to work, I'll confirm the difference in shade. Having said that, it's only a guide and will probably look completely different on your bass rather than the sample wood they used anyway

I think one is raw and the other is with lacquer iirc. It does say on the site/pdf somewhere