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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Refinishing Problem
I recently sanded down a Gibson LP Special, Factory Faded Worn finish,to the wood in some places but not totally, then upon spraying it with a black Laquer, it began to lightly roughen up. I realize you don't spray Laquer over Enamal, but I assumed Gibson hadn't used any Enamal on it, what happened ? Any help will be greatly appreciated and simplify it please, the whole Nitro, or Poly , etc...stuff totally looses me. Thanks, FiveO
Hi FiveO, there are no easy rules to paints and sometimes one finish ontop of another just reacts giving a bad finish. The moral of the story is always to strip back to clean wood.
Nitrocellulose will be on older (pre-80s) guitars or high spec/relic instruments today. Nitro responds to paint-stripper and sands off easy. Polyester/Polyurethane is much tougher and needs a heat gun to remove. No idea what Gibson's faded/worn finishes are but they always appear to cut the cost of an intrument.
Also when you sand a finish back you often work it deep into the wood grain. How about lightly using stripper and sandpaper to remove the botched coat and then get a road worn 'relic' finish by applying antique wax?
Thanks for the advice, it makes sense and I think it'll help. Thanks, FiveO
Hi five0 ,I wish I knew the perfect answer too your problem but I dont,I would check a local guitar store,furniture refinishers,wood shop teachers at high schools.I have painted several show cars.All came out good.But I have never painted a guitar.Did you wash it before you painted?If not you may have sanded some wax into the wood.Did you prime paint serface before applying finish color paint?
No I didn't Prime it, I assumed since it was only down to the bare wood in places that I would be OK to just spray the finish coat, esp since it was black , I wasn't too concerned about it not covering well. I had wet sanded it with 800 grit and had a nice smooth surface. I was going for a high gloss finish rather than the old faded worn from Gibson. It obviously reacted weird though, not actually bubbleing up but dried to a rough texture ?? I guess now I'll have to sand it all the way down to the wood and go at it again, maybe it'll be worth it. Thanks for your interest..... FiveO
No I didn't Prime it, I assumed since it was only down to the bare wood in places that I would be OK to just spray the finish coat, esp since it was black , I wasn't too concerned about it not covering well. I had wet sanded it with 800 grit and had a nice smooth surface. I was going for a high gloss finish rather than the old faded worn from Gibson. It obviously reacted weird though, not actually bubbleing up but dried to a rough texture ?? I guess now I'll have to sand it all the way down to the wood and go at it again, maybe it'll be worth it. Thanks for your interest..... FiveO
Five-O,
If you sand down to bare wood do not use any sand paper heavier than a 220 grit and use a sanding block or a flat piece of wood to sand. It will give you an even surface with out any indentations or valleys after your done. Buy yourself a can of stewmac's water base grain filler and reseal the grain. Sand back the filler a bit than paint it with what color paint your going to use. If you do not use a grain filler/sealer the wood will soak up paint and or stain plus varnish (poly lacquer, nitro or hand rubbed oil finish, tru oil or tung oil, linseed ect, ect, ect) like a sponge. Make sure the paint your using is compatable with the finsh your going to use otherwise you will get more experience in finishing again.:)
Bootlegger.
Thanks Bootlegger for chiming in, I always appreciate your opinion and advice....Good to hear from you !....FiveO
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Refinishing Problem
