Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

lacquer thinner to remove gibson finish


Recommended Posts

Well if you are stripping it bare, Mike, it's smart to at least seal it with high quality clear shellac flakes blended in denatured alcohol to impede drying out and cracking. Art supply stores will have it. One coat won't make it shiny but will make it more durable and rigid.

 

What particular guitar are you experimenting with?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well if you are stripping it bare, Mike, it's smart to at least seal it with high quality clear shellac flakes blended in denatured alcohol to impede drying out and cracking. Art supply stores will have it. One coat won't make it shiny but will make it more durable and rigid.

 

What particular guitar are you experimenting with?

 

Awesome thanks again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

total strip to raw mahogany and left unfinished is the plan

I used acetone on a few of my Gibsons before refinishing them or when I wanted an unfinished neck. It works great. I can't stand it when guys sand down their Gibsons! In a couple hours I'll add a pic of a Flying V with a neck I just stripped. Don't leave it unfinished though, because then dirt and oils from your skin will get into the wood grain and make it look dirty and gross. Use gunstock oil on it after all the finish is removed. I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-38856-050271500 1417903834_thumb.jpg

 

post-38856-065412900 1417903830_thumb.jpg

 

 

Check it out. You can see on the heel and up near the headstock that all the original lines are there; no wood removed. I use American made blue painter's tape to protect the areas where I don't want the nitro removed, and I put the acetone on paper towels and wipe the nitro finish away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't use it on the binding since I think it will melt it. Scraping or sanding the binding and then masking it off is what I do. And I never used it on inlays.

 

Thanks a lot.

Loving the results, can't believe I was going to spend hours sanding this thing... Glad I joined this forum and asked advice.

 

20141208_233630_zps67c7a575.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I am looking at a refinish job on my SG. The previous owner made a very poor attempt at a cover paint job over the original (pink) paint. I want to first get the amateur coat of black off of her, but also want to see if there are any issues with the integrity of the pink before I go any deeper.

 

Any recommendations on how to pull off just the (after market) top coat?

 

Berd.

 

I used acetone on a few of my Gibsons before refinishing them or when I wanted an unfinished neck. It works great. I can't stand it when guys sand down their Gibsons! In a couple hours I'll add a pic of a Flying V with a neck I just stripped. Don't leave it unfinished though, because then dirt and oils from your skin will get into the wood grain and make it look dirty and gross. Use gunstock oil on it after all the finish is removed. I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unless it's a coat of plain 'ol latex house paint, you'll have a tough time removing one without damaging the original. I would seriously consider taking it to a well referred furniture refinisher, but many luthiers have the cosmetic skills to handle that. I was asking my guy how he removes paint or lacquer overspray and was surprised to hear the answer...a little water and 0000 steel wool.

 

If you're lucky the bond to the orig sheen won't be very good. You may be able to gently slip a razor under the paint and skim much of it off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. I will give that a try. I may end up just doing the guitar top.

 

Luthier quotes for a strip & refinish are actually more than I paid for her...

 

Some girlfriends get expensive, but they are always worth it.

Unless it's a coat of plain 'ol latex house paint, you'll have a tough time removing one without damaging the original. I would seriously consider taking it to a well referred furniture refinisher, but many luthiers have the cosmetic skills to handle that. I was asking my guy how he removes paint or lacquer overspray and was surprised to hear the answer...a little water and 0000 steel wool.

 

If you're lucky the bond to the orig sheen won't be very good. You may be able to gently slip a razor under the paint and skim much of it off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

is the acetone safe on inlays and binding?

 

Not safe on most plastics used on guitars, including bindings, "pearloid" inlays. Not sure if it would hurt natural (abalone, MOP). Alcohol will also "cloud" celluloid, but it seems to return to normal. Learned that one the hard way.

 

Paint strippers in general will also harm plastics of this type.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 years later...
On 12/6/2014 at 3:03 PM, Rus said:

I used acetone on a few of my Gibsons before refinishing them or when I wanted an unfinished neck. It works great. I can't stand it when guys sand down their Gibsons! In a couple hours I'll add a pic of a Flying V with a neck I just stripped. Don't leave it unfinished though, because then dirt and oils from your skin will get into the wood grain and make it look dirty and gross. Use gunstock oil on it after all the finish is removed. I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil.

Yeah man ,,, sounds least evasive ... And  already have some Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil ,,, that's some good stuff ,,, thanks ... Dave ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...