anyone ever just buff?

[dmraco]

I just finished a nitro finish and it is currently being cured (dried).

My question is has anyone skipped the final sand process?  The finish looks good but needs to be evened out a bit.  I was thinking of using a polishing compound...or even a rubbing compound followed by a polishing compound.  Not sure there will be enought grit.

Worth a shot a feel.  I think it will try in a small area under the pickguard...

Thoughts?

 

[Cagey]

You'll be sorry.

Be patient. It only costs a little more (time or money) to go first class, and you're never sorry.

What's the hurry? Don't screw around. Do it right.

 

[Cagey]

Incidentally, a rubdown followed by a polish will not fix a raw nitro finish. You need the finish sanding to level it out. Otherwise, what you'll get is a shiny bad finish rather than a nice, reflective, wet-look shiny finish.

 

[dmraco]

no hurry.  It is just a finish never looked this good out of the box.

 

[Spider]

Yes, I've done this twice now. My first Warmoth build was a Mary Kaye finish blond swamp ash Tele and I followed the ReRanch 101, what seemed to be considered best practice finishing with nitro. The result was really good, deep shine etc. but it took a long time and lots of effort (which was good fun as it happens) For my second and third builds (a Strat and another Tele), I didn't want that deep glossy finish - I was looking for something more raw. So after spraying and allowing time to cure I used Mico-Mesh finishing pads (got the set from Stew-Mac), starting with the most coarse and moving to the finest, then finished with polishing compound. Result - fantastic, just what I was looking for. There's good shine, but it looks more raw and organic. I also finished the Tele (maple) neck in the same way, using vintage gloss. Also, it only took about an hour for the whole process for each guitar. I know it's cheating, but it worked for me!

 

[AtoZGuitars]

Once in a while you get a little bit of a dull look to it because of overspray settling on the top.  If it looks perfect but just a tiny bit dull you can sometimes just buff it.  I pretty much agree with everyone else though, dont rush it.  Theres really no reason not to just go ahead and sand and buff it.  You will definitely have the best results and the smoothest finish. 

 

[QehQeh]

The whole point of sanding the final coat is to level the surface - to get rid of all of the "peaks and valleys" or "orange peel." If you use rubbing compound (more abrasive than polishing compound) you're not only knocking off the peaks but you're also carving out the valleys. If you just buff with polishing compound (without leveling) you end up with a surface of glossy "peaks and valleys" which doesn't reflect light as well as a level surface.