Polishing a satin finish

[primal1]

Yesterday, I saw a guy polish his Dot Studio with rubbing compound and detailing wax, and went, "hey, I've got all three of those things in the basement!" So I did my Dot Studio, and it was glorious. Today, I did my Les Paul, and it looks even better. This took about 45 minutes per guitar, including removing and replacing the parts.

The finish now is really glossy, but it's not the thick lacquered crap that I hate with a passion. So, perfect for me.

 

[WRGKMC]

Car waxes are a bad choice for guitars because they contain silicones. If you get these on a fretboard you can ruin a neck. if the silicone gets into the fingerboard you can have frets can lift out and since silicone is nearly impossible to get off a surface, especially a porus surface, it can do allot of damage.

You cant finish over silicone either. If you ever had to overspray a lacquer finish to repair it, it rejects the new lacquer from melting into the old and you get all kinds of fish eyes and bleeding.

if you want to buff a hazed lacquer finish you should used the products designed for that finish. You first strip off all the old wax with naphia (likely the cause of the dullness to begin with) then you use the proper pumice or buffing rouge to buff the lacquer. If its a new finish you start with heavier pumice grits and work down to very fine grits. If you stop there you wind up with a french polished type finish. If you want a glass finish you use a buffing wheel impregnated with a pastly cream that buffs it up to a mirror finish. Then you do the same with a good wax containing carbuna wax designed for lacquer and wont dry the lacquer out over time and cause it to check and crack.

A quick google will get you these products.

http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/htdocs/rubbingpolish.htm

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Hand_polishing/ColorTone_Polishing_Compounds.html

http://www.pjtool.com/polishing-compounds.aspx?gclid=CNr0uMPv9boCFUtp7AodETwArg

http://zimnickiguitars.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/sanding-and-buffing-the-lacquer/

 

 

 

 

 

[primal1]

Heh. Didn't know that. I was just going off what others have done. Good thing I didn't get any on the fretboard!