How to Strip a Guitar Body (heat gun method)
by Brian Calvert
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Make sure you do this in a well ventilated area, actually outside is best whenever possible and if not then just inside an open garage door will do. You need fresh air to circulate past your face and while the particulate mask will do its job you will soon realize they can be quite uncomfortable and hot to wear even in the best of conditions.
So Lets get started with the heat gun! First of all the basic safety rules definitely apply here as well as a few extra one's that you need to be aware off. The heat that can be generated by most of the commonly purchased paint stripping guns in is the neighborhood of 1100 degrees F on high setting and that my friends is enough to burn through wood in a matter of minutes and melt steel if you give it the chance so you need to read the directions which came with your tool and be aware of ALL of the RISKS! You CANNOT use a common PAPER FACE MASK with these tools for protection against the fumes which are TOXIC. This is the one and only tool you may purchase that HALF of the DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS TOOL ARE WRITTEN IN RED for a reason...Follow them!
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The first object here is to visually see large amounts of the paints chips raising up off of the body.Keep the heat gun in motion along the surface of the body back and forth at all times unless you are attempting to scrap the chips off and don't want to use it at that particular moment. Keep in mind this will also take either a good strong breeze or you holding the body tilted so that the paint chips can fall away to the surface of the floor. You will help them leave the body by using a scraper made of metal as pictured below. Never attempt this using a cheap plastic scraper as it will actually melt to the surface you are trying to scrap off. Always keep control of the gun while it is hot. If you need a break set it down face up on a clean surface. Failure to do so may result in burns or other complications.
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For most people starting out they will experience a slight burn or two on the wood as pictured below on the left. This is quite normal and as you progress you will soon learn how to master the control of heat and walk the paint off as pictured on the lower right which is perfect if you are trying to achieve a Burnt Stained Blue effect base for the body of your guitar with just a touch of light sanding.
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Just another word of caution here. The paint chips will pop off just like popcorn and these chips are super heated so ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTION. Make sure the surface you are working above is free and clear and not flammable in anyway and I would recommend you do this over a cement driveway or carport because the paint chips are toxic and will hurt little animals if they try to eat them. So please clean up and dispose of your mess properly!
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One advantage of using a heat gun is the ability to clean out those nasty curves inside and around the horns of the guitars body quickly and efficiently.
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Pictured here is the amount of paint that you will
end up removing off just one side of a guitar body. The pile you see
is about 1 inch tall in the center. It is a well known fact in the refinishing
industry that the factory or custom guitar body is coated with approximately
1 quart of paint. Just a small fact to pass on to the average weekend
warrior =o)
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Now that you have finished burning off the majority of paint and scrapped off the rest you can take medium to heavy grit sand paper and clean off some of the discoloration that you have on the body ending up with a light pattern as shown in the picture below.
The rest of the body is nothing more than a repeat of what you have just done. A Special note to keep in mind is that inside the cavity's you will usually find a black or gray non to semi shiny paint. This Paint is a special conductive shielding paint and if at all possible you want to keep it just the way it is. Not only is is a part of your electrical system by acting as a ground for your electronics to the body but it also acts partially as a filter to help prevent radio waves and signals from creating noise in the circuit of your guitar. I Myself charge people $15 which is not much to coat or recoat these areas with this special paint and yes it takes two coats and 24 hours between each coat to dry so try and save this area if your going to refinish your guitar on your own.
In General plan to spend about 3-4 hours to get this job done if your not use to doing this kind of work. The experienced worker can get the job done in about 1-2 hours but that is only because they know all the proper techniques to do it. It is a boring job and you will have plenty of time to think about the future but don't let your mind wander off to much because you might look down only to find out you have been in the same area to long and now you have a nice fire going. =o)
Here are the basic rules to follow:
| 1. Pick a place with adequate ventilation, your health is more important than the job |
| 2. Wear your safety gear ( mask and eye protection is a must ) |
| 3. Take your time and be sure to angle the body so that the paint chips can fall off the body |
| 4. Start slow but keep the heat gun moving |
| 5. Do not let the paint chips load up and stay on the body try to get them all to fall |
| 6. If the gun is not in your hand store it face up on a clean dry surface |
| 7. Never work in the same area to long as it will create problems down the road for you |
| 8. Be prepared to take as many breaks as needed because fatigue will result in disaster (Stay Focused) |
| 9. Anticipate problem areas and work around them, you can save these for last |
| 10. Always walk away for awhile if the job becomes to much, seriously it can wait |