DrummerDude Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 (edited) Hi guys, I have this strange project where I want to make a high gloss surface mate. We are talking about acryllic guitar finish, of course. Don't ask me why I just won't buy a can of mate paint. Consider this task a project of mine, an experiment of sorts. I guess that the easiest way would be to use sand paper to mate the surface, but sand papers leave scratches, and this is not the finish that I am after. The other option would be fine bead blasting but I don't have access to a bead blaster since the closest work shop is 50 miles away from me. Also, I think that bead blasting bears the risk of ruining the finish by simply removing the paint for good! Another thing that I thought of is using a cloth that is just slightly dampened with acetone and brushing the gloss surface to dissolve just its upper layer and make it mate. Will that work? Any other methods that you have tried before? In other words: is there a common, popular way to do that? I know that people who hаve mate-finished guitars complain about the finish getting glossy at the spots where their hand rubs against it. How do they get the mate finish back on those spots? Re-paint the whole body? Thank you in advance for your expert advices! Edited January 18, 2007 by DrummerDude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Well, first find out if your gloss finish is a boy or a girl, and it's sexual orientation, find it a partner, put some Barry White on, some candles, a glass of wine, and leave them alone on the couch watching Titanic.... ...oh, wait, you mean matte. In that case, I'd go for a very, very fine scotchbrite pad, or grade 0000 oilless steel wool (COVER ANY MAGNETIC PICKUPS. Better yet, REMOVE ANYTHING MAGNETIC), and gently rub a matte finish, using small circular motions, covering the entire surfaces. That's as good as it's going to get. Wiping with thinner will just make things look nasty, if it does anything at all, and not give you a nice, matte finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted January 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Sorry about the spelling mistakes, my English is quite poor. Yes, matte, not mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dino Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 (edited) Sanding or scuffing the finish will work, but areas that you come into contact with (upper bouts, belly cuts, etc.) will eventually become more shiney with normal wear. For the best results, I'd suggest shooting 2-pak acrylic urethane clearcoat with a flatening agent. Edited January 18, 2007 by Dino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted January 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 So ther eis no "common" way to do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 19, 2007 Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 alone on the couch watching Titanic.... Because mass death is so arousing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted January 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 (edited) I just tried with steel wool and it actually polished the finish! It smears and makes things even shinier leaving sporadic scratches here nad there. I think I'll try with a cloth dampened with acetone. PS: Apparently the topic remains open. Please share your methods, guys. Thanks! Edited January 19, 2007 by DrummerDude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted January 19, 2007 Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 Rub harder, and longer. It'll take a good amount of time and plenty of elbow grease to make it matte. That, or go a grade coarser (say 000 steel wool). It's like buffing, but in reverse; it will take you at least an hour to do a full body, by hand, properly. And that's a conservative estimate. If it's polishing (as in making it shinier), my thought is your guitar isn't high gloss to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted January 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 I will try rubbing it harder. Yes, the guitar is not exactly mirror polished - it's still on the glossy side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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