ibreakemineedtobuildem Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 I don't quite understand what I'm doing I have 8 coats of lacquer that has a few bumps but it's enough. So what do I do know?Sand it or let it cure before I sand it or did i miss something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 I'm not sure what you mean, but you should always let the paint cure before you attack it with sanding paper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibreakemineedtobuildem Posted March 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 It's a translucent finish.I guess I'm wondering when you sand lacquer and it gets cloudy,do you put another coat on or do you buff it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 you will only buff it out after your final coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Here is what I usually do. When I'm sure I have enough clear finish and the laquer has cured for a good time, I start wetsanding. You can check the hardness of your laquer with a fingernail and see if it dents easily, I usually just wait a few days but it also depends on curing time between coats. The basic idea is to remove any blemishes like orange peel texture, bumps etc. to get a near perfect, smooth surface. I start with 600 grit paper and affix it to a rigid, flat sanding block for the flat areas of the guitar and a sponge pad for curves. Keep a roll of paper towels handy for this. I dip the sandpaper in a bowl of water and rub the surface of the guitar in small circular motions. You can hear and feel the rasping of the paper working on the finish. The result will be a milky liquid which should be blotted up very frequently. Each time you mop up the water check your work. Make sure you don't break thru the laquer by only applying very light pressure, let the paper do the work. You can tell when you are finished with an area by a visual check and you can sort of feel the paper "hydroplane" over the finish. Your orange peel ends up looking like golfball dimples and your bumps spread out after a while. You are looking for that happy medium where the lows meet the highs for a level surface. Thats why its important to make sure you have enough clearcoat laid down. Go over the whole guitar with 600 grit then repeat with a finer paper, whatever is available. I had success by going from 600 to 1200 or 1500 then 2000, and 2500 if available. You can find the finer grits at autobody supply stores. Once that is done and I'm satisfied with my results I give the guitar a real hard going over with Meguiar's Deep Crystal System step 2 polish on a clean soft rag. Here are the results of all that rubbing, I can see myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibreakemineedtobuildem Posted March 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Thanks a lot.I think i should ask these questions before I jump in head first Wow that looks great!Good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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