Stripping poly finish into matt finish

[iwantdigimon]

Hello, anyone in SG provide these services?

I know bro Gr3y used to, but I guess its not possible now.. anyone else? pls pm!

thnks!

 

[fretless6]

u mean a gloss finish to a matt finish? Cos poly is used in matt finishes as well. If all u want is take out the gloss, u can do it urself by rubbing it down with 00000 grade steel wool.

 

[iwantdigimon]

thanks bro! any tips while doing it? Do i need to tape anything? remove anything? Do i need a buffer to finish up, or can I just buff it with just a cloth?

 

[fretless6]

If all u want to do is take off the gloss, then u dun need a buffer. Buffers are used to shine up the finish. I would recommend taking everything off. All ur electronics, neck, pickups, screws.

Hand rub with the 00000 steel wool (Get it from Home-fix, $25 a pack), don't mix it up with normal steel wool, this is very fine stuff. Be careful when rubbing down corners (right angles), as they are prone to "sand through". Basically how u get a matt or satin finish is to introduce very fine scratches on the finish to diffuse light, what you want to do is to get full and relatively even coverage of scratches.

But make sure you're serious bout the change, cos once u satin the finish, its very very hard to bring it back to a full gloss. Think through impact on resale value, etc.

 

[iwantdigimon]

thanks!!!!

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Hahah bro, just wondereing, why do you want to change the finish?
Maybe GC or TYMC(Penin) offer the service. Or maybe Sound Alchemy (Coronation) or Guitar Workshop(BB) as well. No harm mailing them.

 

[iwantdigimon]

well, its a personal preference. is it peculiar? haha

just wondering, are u teleplayer?

 

[relinquish69]

best advice I can provide: If you can get your hands on 2000 grit sandpaper, doing it is no problem. It's not easy to obtain but I know my sources hahaha.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

well, its a personal preference. is it peculiar? haha

just wondering, are u teleplayer?

Teleplayer as another account or Teleplayer as one who plays the Telecaster?
Uhh, no to the first, i don't have another account.
If you're wondering whether i play a Telecaster, then, yes i do.
And no, it's not peculiar. I like Natural finishes as well.
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1434922097055180719iQEmMR
I love that look... Koa Top guitar.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

best advice I can provide: If you can get your hands on 2000 grit sandpaper, doing it is no problem. It's not easy to obtain but I know my sources hahaha.

Hahah bro, where you get it from? My neighbourhood hardware shop don't have.

 

[fretless6]

The problem with using sandpaper is that its hard to hit surface that aren't flat with it. Versus steelwool, which would conform in terms of shape, making it much easier to work with. Not to mention, 00000 steelwool is much easier to obtain.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

But steelwool, will it damage the wood, if say you rub too hard, it penetrates the finish already and at the wood.

 

[fretless6]

Steelwool comes in different grades, much like sandpaper grits. 00000 grade is very very fine, its not the same as the type you use to wash dishes. You probably need to sit there and rub the same spot for an hour to go through the finish.

http://www.colron.co.uk/prodshow.as...name=Bare Wood Surface Preparation&intext=int

"Colron offers a variety of grades of Steel Wool for the stripping, preparation and finishing of wood. Colron 00 Coarse Grade and 000 Medium Grade Steel Wools, aid in the stripping, preparation and cleaning of wood without damaging the surface. They are ideal for some of the most difficult restoration and stripping tasks as they adapt perfectly to mouldings and intricate areas. Colron 00000 Fine Grade Steel Wool is used for finishing and polishing, and is especially useful for accessing intricate areas such as mouldings and carvings.

00000 Fine Grade
Special finishing and polishing quality
For polishing wood and furniture to a deep gloss finish
For polishing and cleaning brass, copper, mirrors and glass"

 

[iwantdigimon]

You probably need to sit there and rub the same spot for an hour to go through the finish.

man... so much work! haha thanks! any grade higher and the finish will be botched?

 

[fretless6]

man... so much work! haha thanks! any grade higher and the finish will be botched?

What I meant was, it'll take that much to "sand through" the finish with 00000 grade. Was answering the Jumpin Jellybean. Knocking down the gloss on a finish is ez, just gotta make sure it's done evenly. Not with some glossy spots here and there. Btw, even satin/matt finish needs maintenance. Areas that come in contact with u, e.g. the upper bout where ur picking arm rests, will eventually get rubbed into a gloss and need to be steelwooled down to satin again.

 

[iwantdigimon]

thanks! learnt alot here.. im gonna try it now!

 

[mero]

Hahah bro, where you get it from? My neighbourhood hardware shop don't have.

you can easily find 2000 grit sandpaper from model shops. those selling gundams/model kits etc.