MOAR Tru Oil!
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That really looks terrific, @Old_WannaBe . . . 
Iâve really come to appreciate the natural woodgrain and stained look . . . 
Cheers
Joe
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Thatâs a really great finish on that!!
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Thanks. Now if only i knew when to stop?
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As my old chef (I cooked my way through college) used to tell me⌠âYou cook it 'til itâs done, manâ
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Mistakes galore trying to finish my first build on Sunday. I pretty much think it is ruined. Mistake 1: wrong angle on ground wire hole and busted out the back. Mistake 2: Too shallow angle on re-drill and cracked surface. Mistake 3: While screwing in the control plate the wood split from the control cavity down the face/side. Part of me just wants to throw it out because it looks like utter rubbish right now. On the other hand, I have been working on this since June. But I donât know how to fix/cover these. I filled the hole in the back, but it looks like shit. No clue what to do about the crack on the side. The crack on the face will mostly be covered by the bridge. I backfilled the cavity with wood putty where it cracked and then applied a slurry of wood glue/sawdust/and tru oil into the crack. I suppose I could fashion a full pickguard/plate to cover some of the ugliness. But I am just at a loss right now and very deflated. So much time and effort wasted.
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We all are our OWN worst critics, @Old_WannaBe . . . 
Nothing is ever really âwastedâ as long as youâre paying attention to the matter at hand and are observing cause and effect along the way . . . 
Cheers
Joe
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I know you want everything to be perfect but this is your first build.
- No body will ever see the bust out the back but you.
- As you said it will be covered by the bridge.
- No one will ever notice that crack (which you already repaired) unless you point it out.
I want to see the finished product. I donât think the errors are going to show like you think they will. Might as well finish it and see how it turns out.
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I agree with @eric.kiser
Finish the build, you may continue to âlearnâ a lot.
It doesnât have to be your last build, and who knows, maybe you can come up with some creative finishing options for the mistakes, likeâŚhmmmâŚstickers, haha.
Seriously, you took on a lot more than i would ever do, so bravo to you!
You may learn a lot about shape and playability by finishing and seeing what you have, esp for the next oneâŚ
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Yeah but unlike my bass which was made by a computer yours has character.
You have the only one one in the world that looks like that.
Plus youâve learned a lot. Far more than if you never even attempted it.
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Part of me wants to light it on fire to make it look really effed up now
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No! Get the surface a little damp and then chose two points about a foot or so apart, and connect one to the ground clamp of an arc welder, and use the stinger at the other point. For contacts you can use 1/8" welding rod with the flux chipped off and sanded down.
EDIT: As cool as this is, it ainât safe by any margin. Remember:
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OK that is Fâin cool!
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Works best using water with a few ions mixed in for electrical conductance- Think salt, baking soda or something similar. Tons of you tube videos on this and I have an old microwave transformer sitting in my hobby shop waiting for me to find a cheap bass on Craigs list!
But you better have a good grasp of electricity since its a good way to kill yourself.
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Iâd recommend not grasping it at all 
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That sounds like a good way to kill myself.
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Hey thanks Eric. I am a bit calmer now and having assessed the damage, I think I will make an attempt to finish it.
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I have a number of ideas on how to finish this.
My three competing thoughts for âfixingâ stuff is to: 1) sand it down again and apply some more of the darker grain filler (or alternatively a black dye) to make the basswood look more splotchy and then poly over it (I am not doing 100 coats of tru oil again); or 2) spray the basswood sections (the âwingsâ) black and then try a copper foil finish to the wings to make it look intentionally relicâed/steampunkish.
I really want to avoid paint because: 1) I lack a spray booth; 2) I live in Wisconsin and its getting too flipping cold and windy outside for rattle cans; and 3) I failed glue and paint in grade school because I have issues with doing things in moderation.
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Amen brother! I hear ya.
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