Members Knottyhed Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 So what's the best way to strip a guitar's finish (i.e. the quickest and easiest)? Sanding, chemicals, heat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarNoobie Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 heat gun, just be careful not to hold in one place to long or you will start burning wood... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 What kind of finish? Poly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Knottyhed Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Poly I would assume... it is a Maverick Bass guitar. A heatgun... would a blow torch do the same job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members leftwing73 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 if it's poly, a heat gun. It'll come off in big sheets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darkone15 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 yea i tried using cheical on poly and did just about nothing. Now i have no experience(sp) witht the heat gun but unless that takes three months you should be ok. Your could also try sanding thats what I ended up doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members leftwing73 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Poly I would assume... it is a Maverick Bass guitar. A heatgun... would a blow torch do the same job? A blow torch would do the same job, but it's more focused heat - you have to be reeeally careful or you will burn the wood. I blowtorched an old Explorer body once and made a mess of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members leftwing73 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 yea i tried using cheical on poly and did just about nothing. Now i have no experience(sp) witht the heat gun but unless that takes three months you should be ok. Your could also try sanding thats what I ended up doing. i stripped a poly body with a heat gun in less than an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Poly I would assume... it is a Maverick Bass guitar. A heatgun... would a blow torch do the same job? A blow-torch would {censored} it all up. Don't use one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 if it's poly, a heat gun. It'll come off in big sheets. Ya it will. I use a Wagner HT1000 model. Works like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funderbunk Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Heat gun for poly seems to be the best way - most chemical strippers just shrug their shoulders while poly laughs at their ineffectiveness. One word of caution - be sure to wear some kind of eye protection, and gloves aren't a bad idea. The poly can pop off when heated up, and a hot chunk of softened plasticy goo hitting your skin/eye/whatever isn't a pleasant thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members songsforbears Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Question, as one of my dreams is to have a natural Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe AND I'd like to take the poly off the neck as well and replace everything with tinted lacquer... 1. I'm looking on Amazon for heat guns and some of them have multiple temperature settings. What temperature is the best? 2. Even after the heat gun, will there be some poly residue left over that should be sanded off before I put a clear lacquer coat on it? 3. Will the heat gun take the clear poly finish of a maple neck and fretboard? Will I need to be very careful about the heat thinning the glue that applied the frets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snambo Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Question, as one of my dreams is to have a natural Fender '72 Telecaster Deluxe AND I'd like to take the poly off the neck as well and replace everything with tinted lacquer...1. I'm looking on Amazon for heat guns and some of them have multiple temperature settings. What temperature is the best?2. Even after the heat gun, will there be some poly residue left over that should be sanded off before I put a clear lacquer coat on it?3. Will the heat gun take the clear poly finish of a maple neck and fretboard? Will I need to be very careful about the heat thinning the glue that applied the frets? Here's my experience coupled with your questions: 1) Ive only used heat guns that had one setting - HOT. I'd start with the heat gun a good distance from the surface and bring it in slowly until I got a reaction. It's a feel kind of thing. 2) Yes. And when you think you're done with sanding you will need to sand MORE! 3) Uh oh. I've never stripped a fretboard so I can't really help you. If you do it then be careful of the inlays also. I would think that it would be really easy to accidentally fry them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Personally I never had luck with the heat gun method. Basically by the time there was enough heat to remove poly, there was also enough heat to char the wood, warp the neck, crack the wood...basically bad stuff. I prefer sanding everything off....granted, it's more messy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ed_sped2 Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 If you want chemicals, try AirCraft Remover by KleenStrip. You can get it at an autoparts store. It is the only chemical that I have found that can remove poly. It should soak for a couple of hours, and then the finish will just wipe off. That is the best alternative if you are wary of using a heat gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funderbunk Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 If you want chemicals, try AirCraft Remover by KleenStrip. You can get it at an autoparts store. It is the only chemical that I have found that can remove poly. It should soak for a couple of hours, and then the finish will just wipe off. That is the best alternative if you are wary of using a heat gun. I've had a couple of bodies that didn't even flinch when hit with the KleenStrip Aircraft Remover. Some of that poly out there is ridiculously tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meyhna'ch Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Heat gun works very well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pope on a Rope Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Personally I never had luck with the heat gun method. Basically by the time there was enough heat to remove poly, there was also enough heat to char the wood, warp the neck, crack the wood...basically bad stuff. I prefer sanding everything off....granted, it's more messy. It sounds like you were trying to vaporize the finish off of the guitar. When done properly there should be no charring or warping or any other bad stuff. The trick is to keep the heat gun moving and not concentrate on one spot. You only need to soften the finish enough to peel it off with the scraper. It does not need to be heated so much that the finish turns to goo or starts smoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.