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bronze or steel wool? for junior


Mr. E

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i'm planning on finishing up my guitar i think this week or next, but i'm worried about the "terrible" stories of steel wool. Some say they could damage the pickups and electronics and i'm afraid that could happen to mine. i have removed the pickups, pots, etc. from the guitar but some say if you dont clean it right it could still have some affect.

i want to get bronze wool, i've heard its better, but i really dont much about it.

I'm paranoid!!!

Please help!!!

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so long as you don't get any in the pups or on them. you're fine.

 

what I do is grab a refrigerator magnet.. and after I do the work.. I wipe the guitar then go over it with the magnet.

pickups out of course.. electonics out or at least all of this covered with masking tape.

 

you just worry about the little pieces of steel wool that flake/break off getting into the coils or shorting out the wiring.

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Depending upon what you are doing, a scotchbrite pad could do all you need and not leave metal filings. Having built my own boat I don't like steel wool (it rusts and it always leaves bits and pieces), brass or bronze wool would be better. Better yet is no metal if you can help it, but that is my bias.

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so long as you don't get any in the pups or on them. you're fine.

 

what I do is grab a refrigerator magnet.. and after I do the work.. I wipe the guitar then go over it with the magnet.

pickups out of course.. electonics out or at least all of this covered with masking tape.

 

you just worry about the little pieces of steel wool that flake/break off getting into the coils or shorting out the wiring.

will bronze wool leave little pieces? if it does, will it affect the pickup or electronics if it goes in?

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...Having built my own boat I don't like steel wool (it rusts and it always leaves bits and pieces)' date=' brass or bronze wool would be better. Better yet is no metal if you can help it, but that is my bias.[/quote']

yup, that's one reason i was asking if i could use bronze wool. will the scotchbride pad do the same as steel or bronze wool? will it affect in someway the pickups and electronics?

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Are you planning to dull the finish or remove the finish and refinish? 0000 steel wool is a standard final sanding step in fine furniture finishes. There is a chance that you might get steel residue on the pickups if you don't remove them first. I'd remove everything before refinsihing anyway. If you don't want to do that, you can always use masking tape to seal off the electronics. I'd remove the pickup rings and tape the bottoms and trim the edges with a razor blade, then reinstall and tape off the pickups, sealing the crack where the pickup protrudes from the ring. If the taping is done right, I wouldn't worry about steel residue getting into them. There's always 1000 grit sandpaper as a final sanding medium, or scotchbrite, which is not as fine as steel wool. I use scotchbrite all the time. It will leave a satin finish, but not as fine as 0000 steel wool.

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Are you planning to dull the finish or remove the finish and refinish? 0000 steel wool is a standard final sanding step in fine furniture finishes. There is a chance that you might get steel residue on the pickups if you don't remove them first. I'd remove everything before refinsihing anyway. If you don't want to do that' date=' you can always use masking tape to seal off the electronics. I'd remove the pickup rings and tape the bottoms and trim the edges with a razor blade, then reinstall and tape off the pickups, sealing the crack where the pickup protrudes from the ring. If the taping is done right, I wouldn't worry about steel residue getting into them. There's always 1000 grit sandpaper as a final sanding medium, or scotchbrite, which is not as fine as steel wool. I use scotchbrite all the time. It will leave a satin finish, but not as fine as 0000 steel wool.[/quote']

i just want it to "buff" the finish... well not really, i have some little scratches and i want to even things out. get me?

the scotchbrite is made of steel wool? can i use bronze wool? is there a difference between bronze and steel wool?

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i just want it to "buff" the finish... well not really' date=' i have some little scratches and i want to even things out. get me?[/quote']

0000 steel wool will turn your gloss finish into a matte finish. I would strongly recommend rubbing down the fretboard with 000 steel wool. It will not affect a rosewood board cosmetically, but it will feel like the fretboard's been coated with Teflon. You won't believe how smooth it feels.

 

I rubbed down the back of the neck on my LP Jr. By masking off the back of the headstock and the heel, there is a definite line between the h/stock and the top of the neck, and the bottom of the neck and the heel. it looks deliberate and really adds to the playability.

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If you want to buff the finish you don't use steel wool or scotchbrite. There are fine powders, such as rottenstone or pumice stone, used for this and for creating matte finishes. Or you can get extra fine sandpaper like 8000 grit at car stores (Shucks, for example) to buff out a finish. I am not sure you will match the original gloss.

 

I mentioned scotchbrite because I thought you might be working on a fretboard.

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