calibration1

Hello everyone, I must admit I am pretty new to the idea of refinishing guitars. I have an old Schecter that I sanded down and repainted in a green/black burst (with an air brush), which turned out to be okay but recently I decided to redo it with oil paint (rubbed in like a dye) and that appears to be going well. But anyways, I thought it might be fun to try and redo my Ibanez RG with some kind of leafed, or holoflash finish. I read on this website that it can be done without even stripping the guitar down to the wood, does that mean I can leave the finish as is, and go over what's there?. Are there any tips/words of warning for those attempting this type of finish? I'm open to any other materials as well, as long as it gets a depthy and colored metallic finish.

Thanks in advance, with any luck if this turns out well I hope to keep refinishing guitars in the future.

I can tell you what I know about GOLD leafing cuz I ve done it much. If u go with gold you have to use the real thing, not imitation gold or you will do it over in 3 days. Its not that expensive but I guess it depends on the size. It would be easier to do without removing the first finish because raw wood releases gasses that can cause bubbles. Most important is that you use the right kind of varnish, which is simply a speed varnish that you buy at the boat store. You put on the varnish first in a small area, then wait till it dries , (30+- min) , till its tacky to the touch but does not catch your finger tip enough to show the finger print. If you can see your print in it, then its too early and you gotta wait a few more mins. DEFINITELY dont put the gold on while the varnish is too wet.

it takes practice , so practice first. Use a soft paint brush to lay in and burnish the gold.

Your big problem is that youre gonna have to seal that GOLD with something when your done, since its a guitar. I dont know what to use to seal it with since Ive never had to do it with sign lettering.

Check around for more info.

Calibration1

Hi, Im refinishing my bass (Ash body with flamed maple top) to a natural satin finish with some stained accents on the grain.

> Do I have to use a grain filler before I put the stain on? ..and what does it do? I am after a very smooth finish that will look like rubbed oil but I intend to

poly it with acrylic.

I think my steps are..Remove old finish......use grain filler(?),....then stain,...then apply satin poly acrylic....then eat and enjoy.

Is that right?

Thank you experienced guys,

FM