Removing Finish

[prauny]

I have looked through the forum and i am still unsertain how i can most easily remove the finish from my guitar. Its a poly finish as far as i know. Would the best way be to sand it, or is there a faster way?

Also, will i have to treat the wood or anything before i refinish it? It'll be another poly finish.

Also, also ive seen a spray poly finish at the hardware shop designed for interior furniture like banisters and things, would this be a suitible finish? or would car spray laquor(sp?) be the best thing?

Sorry for all the questions......

[al heeley]

poly? Polyester? Polyurethane?

Why not just sand the surface to give the new finish a key? Do you really need to go right back to the bare wood?

Will it be a solid colour of transparent?

[prauny]

There are spots and patches on the finish that are large and through to the wood. Its pretty battered to be honest. If i sand a key and spray over it, will the dents and patches still be visible? And its polyurethane i think.

Is there something i can use to fill the dents and then spray a solid colour over it?

[doug]

Paint stripper. Polyurethane will disolve, lacquer will desolve, polyester will do nothing.

It should be fairly easy to remove the finish if it is not polyester. If it is then you might look into West System resin, or high quality epoxy to use as filler. Do not buy the crap from a hardware store or chain lumber yard because it never actually hardens.

-Doug

[prauny]

ok, where would you suggest i can buy some non crap finish? Im in the uk remember so im not going to be able to get nitro from the u.s.

Where could i get real hardening polyurethane from?

[doug]

ok, where would you suggest i can buy some non crap finish? Im in the uk remember so im not going to be able to get nitro from the u.s.

Where could i get real hardening polyurethane from?

The epoxy isn't for the finish, it's to fill holes if you have a polyester coated guitar only.

I'm sure there are forum members familiar with what's available for actual finishing in the UK.

-

Doug

[RGGR]

There are spots and patches on the finish that are large and through to the wood. Its pretty battered to be honest. If i sand a key and spray over it, will the dents and patches still be visible? And its polyurethane i think. Is there something i can use to fill the dents and then spray a solid colour over it?

No need to strip whole guitar of it's finish. If you dent your car, would you go about sanding whole car down to it's bare metal. Don't think so.

Sand guitar down to rough up the original finish (120 grit or so)

Get Bondo type material (any auto body type putty will do) and fill in all dents and dings.

Sand everything smooth. (you will take 99% of bondo off again, but all deep scratches, dings and holes will be filled.

Prime body with Auto body type primer.

Sand, Prime, sand, prime......going from 120-220-320-400 grit type sand paper in the process.

This will leave you with one smooth guitar, ready for any type of solid color finish, with all dents and patches invisible.

[prauny]

Cheers rggr, im completely unexperienced in the field of finishing, so thanks for the tips.

[al heeley]

I've been recommended Rustins Plastic Coating as a good option for a hard clear coating which can be brush-applied. Not many places stock it, but Rustins will tell you your nearest stockist or buy it on Ebay.co.uk, search for it by name within Ebay. It is a clear, 2-part, Acid catalysed Urea-formaldehyde based coating that goes very hard in 20 minutes. Overcoat in 2 hours then wet sand to 1200 grit and buff finish with T-cut or similar for a high gloss, hard finish.

I'm going to try it for my new build. You can also tint it with Rustins wood dyes for translucent colour effects.

[prauny]

oh, i'll look that up al, thanks.