Kennis Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I'm interested in taking my DIY custom work one step further and apply my own finish to my projects. Anyone experienced with this can tell me about best methods for removing old finish, what type of finish to use, what not to do etc? Would appreciate any input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmoney Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Kennis, you'll need to first figure out what your guitar is finished with. Lacquer can be removed with anything from acetone to lacquer thinner to various strippers. In the shop, we usually use acetone as it's fairly gentle. You can just pour some on a bundled up cloth and start rubbing in an area maybe 8" around. As you reach bare wood, start working your way out. You'll want to be very careful around any binding or purfling as the acetone can melt it if left on for any length of time. I'd recommend refinishing with lacquer too. It's relatively easy to apply and easy to correct mistakes if you make any. You'll want to do a lot of reading on the subject before jumping in as there's more to it than can be explained in a paragraph or two. If you have a good automotive paint shop in your area they can be a big help too, even down to how to mix paint and thinner according to current weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I'm interested in taking my DIY custom work one step further and apply my own finish to my projects. Anyone experienced with this can tell me about best methods for removing old finish, what type of finish to use, what not to do etc? Would appreciate any input. Google is your friend! There is not enough time nor money for me to give you a tutorial....Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennis Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 Kennis, you'll need to first figure out what your guitar is finished with. Lacquer can be removed with anything from acetone to lacquer thinner to various strippers. In the shop, we usually use acetone as it's fairly gentle. You can just pour some on a bundled up cloth and start rubbing in an area maybe 8" around. As you reach bare wood, start working your way out. You'll want to be very careful around any binding or purfling as the acetone can melt it if left on for any length of time. I'd recommend refinishing with lacquer too. It's relatively easy to apply and easy to correct mistakes if you make any. You'll want to do a lot of reading on the subject before jumping in as there's more to it than can be explained in a paragraph or two. If you have a good automotive paint shop in your area they can be a big help too, even down to how to mix paint and thinner according to current weather. Thx! just the kind of information I needed to know what to start looking into. Appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcPhee89 Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hey there folks, I have the same questions regarding refinishing a guitar. Mine is finished with urethane and is bound with wood, what's the best method to getting the finish off? I've been a wood finisher for years, and have never done a lacquer finish so I'm going to covert my amber burst urethane to a natural lacquer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hey there folks, I have the same questions regarding refinishing a guitar. Mine is finished with urethane and is bound with wood, what's the best method to getting the finish off? I've been a wood finisher for years, and have never done a lacquer finish so I'm going to covert my amber burst urethane to a natural lacquer. So it's a home refinish in urethane, done by a hobbyist? If the color is in the urethane you can just chemically strip as if it's a piece of furniture. If the wood itself is stained you may have to sand to get the color out. I hope it's a knockaround guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcPhee89 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Sorry, typos! It's supposed to say Polyester is the current guitar finish, It is my knock around guitar and that's the only reason I'm considering it, I like how my vintage Gibson finish has aged and I would like this new guild to age the same way. It's a guild gad 50e and it's big brother (d50 bluegrass) it's nitro lacquer .. I prefer the naturals so.... I'm feeling like undertaking a task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Polyester's a fabric. A few months back though, I got bamboozled by an Ebay seller and bought a very nice 30's era Gibson tenor guitar. The pics were lousy but I could still see signs of refinishing. When it got here it was obvious that someone had used dark polyshades (I do a lot of wood refinishing too) to overcoat it. When I told the seller I was returning it, he dropped the price drastically and refunded enough money to change my mind about keeping it. I knew I couldn't take one finsh off without the other so I used Formby's Paint and Poly Remover, not their easiest formula to find . It removed both the original finish and the idiot's cob job nicely. I applied a clear shellac and sold it. Broke even when you count the labor, but I took my schooling in stride after it came out looking very nice in natural. I would imagine a plain lacquer thinner, even nail polish remover would strip the newer Guild finish. Be careful around the bindings and soundhole ring inlay, if there is any. Unless you're 12 years old, you'll long be dead before it ages like your Gibson. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Hey.....Here is the ULTIMATE "finish and re-finish" site and forum.... ReRanch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Stewmac just sent out their email hokking their new EZ lacquer product. Check it out if you end up stripping that poor thing. http://www.stewmac.com/epa/5880?utm_source=EPA&utm_medium=email&utm_content=SKUImageLink&utm_campaign=EPA_5880_A_20120926 This might not be the correct link but I'm shooting it out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcPhee89 Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Thanks for the help. What's the best way to remove finish over top of the "strip" down the center of the back ? It's rosewood with a binding strip in the center like.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Timber Owls Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 As mentioned above, the best way to remove a finish is to first find out what type of finish it is. But that being said, I have had a lot of success with Citristrip. It works on lacquer quite well, and is less harsh than most other solvents. The only thing is, this stuff is gnarly! You need to be super sure to tape off any areas you don't want lacquer removed, and do it well! Sometimes it can creep under tape, so use wisely. That being said, if it is just sprayed on finish, it will cut through it and take it off, and even if it is stain, it can take off some of the top layers. However, most deeper penetrated stains will need to be removed with sanding. Refinishing is all the preference of the individual and the desired look of the guitar. Very old Gibsons (Up until the 40s) were french polished by hand with shellac. It is a great process to make an instrument look a bit more worn, but very time consuming. Most Gibsons today are sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer, as it claims it is the best finish because it helps the wood breathe a bit more and age better. Some cheaper guitars will use polyurethene instead, since it is less labor intensive and dries quicker. It really all depends on what you want it to look like, as well as how much work you want to put into them. Polyurethene usually does not require much experience, just apply and sand. But the other two methods require much more practice and skill to get it to look just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Timber Owls Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks for the help. What's the best way to remove finish over top of the "strip" down the center of the back ? It's rosewood with a binding strip in the center like.... You would have to remove all of the finish from the back because even if you tape off the binding strip, it would still leave the lacquer (or urethane) over the strip. It is best to just use a more mellow stripping product, and try to make sure you're not eating away at the binding. Citri-Strip has worked well for me in not removing plastic binding, but it would be a good idea to put some on a piece of scrap plastic and then see if it reacts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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