dougrun Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 I'm a newbie when it comes to working on guitars. At 13 yrs old, my step-dad gave me an ovation applause 12 string in 79 to play in his band. Thats been the only guitar i played until my 50's (started playing it again at 50, now 52), but that project will be another thread. I inherited this G-10 from my great aunt and the golpeador on it (white) was peeling off (see the outline). When I removed it (no heating, just a razor), it dug into the finish as shown. One of the tuner pegs was also bent and the neck had both dirt and wear on it. I wound up sanding it down while I evaluated the finishing options. Several folks suggested tru-oil but its unavailable here in CA. Others suggested a wipe-on poly. I wound up using the wipe-on poly as a leveler, sanded down that to minimum, then lacquered the top. Its been about 2 months since i finished it and am wondering it I should even bother with wet-sand/buffing or leave it as is? The finish is smooth but its not glossy hard. I have some clear pickguard material as well that i feel I should use for protection. Thoughts? Thanks for reading. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 looks nice. If it were me I'd slap some string on her while I was deciding (hehe). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted October 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 she currently is strung again while I decide. had to learn how to tie nylons. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 She's a pretty instrument and you've done a nice job in restoring her! As the lacquer has visible streaks I might be tempted to level and buff it. At least that would provide a flat surface for attaching a golpeador or smaller scratchplate. It had been decades since I had had a classical so when my daughter bought a semi-wreck I had to relearn how to tie the strings. It's no rocket science but there's a trick or two for the best results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 I agree with @Bizman62 about leveling the lacquer. You don't necessarily have completely level it as spruce tops often let the grain show and feel through the clear. But yours is pretty thick. It could dampen the vibrations of the top a bit. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted October 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 so I do have a drill-bit style buffing wheel and I ordered some fine compound. But I also have a wide array of stewmac and other polishing compounds (removed minor scratched from my solid black balladeer 12 string). I've never power buffed before, any tutorials? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 I'd start with a flat semi-solid block and some wet sandpaper, starting at 600 or so and going through the grits up to 2000 or higher. Sand in one direction only (back and forth allowed) and change the direction by 45 deg every time you go to a finer grit. That way you'll see when all the scratches from the previous sanding have disappeared. Apply just the weight of the block and level the ridges. Only when the surface is level to the desired degree it is time to buff. When using power tools there's always the risk of burning your finish. Don't apply too much pressure, use a fine enough compound and take your time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted October 14, 2020 Report Share Posted October 14, 2020 12 hours ago, dougrun said: she currently is strung again while I decide. had to learn how to tie nylons. that's the spirit... for me... if I go that far it's over... and I will never go back and touch it up... but that's totally ok - guitar looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted October 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2020 while wet sanding, i noticed a crack in the finish, (see photo). Not sure how to proceed. Most of the top is sanded to P2000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted October 24, 2020 Report Share Posted October 24, 2020 Can you wiggle the crack either by pushing from underneath or from the top for a pumping effect? If you can, squeeze some water into the crack with a small brush, followed by Titebond, possibly thinned with water. The water will spread into the dry wood and cause a sucking effect for the Titebond to follow. If you can see squeezeout on the inside you're golden. Use a mirror or a (phone) camera to view the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted October 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2020 the crack is not deep enough for that. no indication underneath of any crack. it is exactly on the middle though. CA glue maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted October 24, 2020 Report Share Posted October 24, 2020 CA is a good option. For a crack the thinnest version might be best. Nail varnish is good for fixing lacquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted November 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 1st attempt with ca glue got a little crazy, went a bit wide, 2nd attempt was cleaner. this is wet sanded to 1500, good enough for my standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted November 4, 2020 Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 @dougrun looks nice. My experience with super glue is similar, it tends to go wide. If you don't have any finer sandpapers, a rubbing compound is the next step. There's several coarseness levels in those as well, after 1500 grit wet I would try a medium coarse compound often referred to as "cleaner" rather than "swirl remover". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 all done. buffed with fine compound and i'm happy with the results. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted November 6, 2020 Report Share Posted November 6, 2020 Looks very nice! Knowing where to look it's even less visible than the centerline. That looks like an excellent job on the entire top and I guess a pro would have charged big money for that. There's some blotchiness on the photo, partially most likely due to the pretty low resolution and partially because of wisely bewaring not to sand through the top. Some sunlight will most likely take care of the lighter spots and even the colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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