Sanding Flamed Maple

[Damo]

Hi guys,

I've been reading this site for months now, learning all I can ready to start my first build.

One thing is puzzling me though.

I've got some Flamed maple which I intend to cap my guitar with and then stain.

I've been talking to a friend of mine who has built a few guitars and he's told me that you cannot sand flamed maple as you will never get the scratches out?

Is this true? I've seen people on this site staining their maple caps then sanding them back!

Thanks

Damo

[Daniel Sorbera]

you cannot sand flamed maple as you will never get the scratches out?

Ya thats totally bogus. Now you may not want to sand with like 40 grit because it will take a whille to get the scratchs out but thers NO wood that you cant sand. I have a flame maple neck that I'm sanding evey day... Thers really no way you could make a guitar without sanding. I would hate too see what your friends guitars look like

[erikbojerik]

Sounds like your friend needs to work on his sanding technique.

Yes, we do it all the time. You just need to be sure that whatever grit size you start at, as you work your way down to finer and finer grits, that you need to sand out all the scratches from the previous grit. This means that you have to be careful about (#1) not starting at the beginning with a grit that is too coarse (I never start with anything heavier than 80-grit), and (#2) making sure you clean all the dust and loose grit off the body between grits (good naptha wipe-down works wonders).

Use coarse grits for removing lots of material and shaping things, finer grits for making it look nice.

[Damo]

you cannot sand flamed maple as you will never get the scratches out?

Ya thats totally bogus. Now you may not want to sand with like 40 grit because it will take a whille to get the scratchs out but thers NO wood that you cant sand. I have a flame maple neck that I'm sanding evey day... Thers really no way you could make a guitar without sanding. I would hate too see what your friends guitars look like

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Thanks Godin, Thats what I thought.

BTW, I've not seen his guitars, god only knows what they look like!!

Thanks again

Damo

Edited April 20, 2005 by Damo

[Damo]

Sounds like your friend needs to work on his sanding technique. 

Yes, we do it all the time.  You just need to be sure that whatever grit size you start at, as you work your way down to finer and finer grits, that you need to sand out all the scratches from the previous grit.  This means that you have to be careful about (#1) not starting at the beginning with a grit that is too coarse (I never start with anything heavier than 80-grit), and (#2) making sure you clean all the dust and loose grit off the body between grits (good naptha wipe-down works wonders).

Use coarse grits for removing lots of material and shaping things, finer grits for making it look nice.

←

Thanks mate,

This is why I love this site!