Unique Maple Strat

[Wolf Follower]

So...I ordered this body back in September 2001. I remember being really exited about the top - sort of like a wavy river running through the middle of it. Anyway, being raised with a do-it-yourself attitude (and not having too much extra money to spare), I decided to slap the finish on myself. The year before I had refinished an all-mahogany acoustic guitar with Formby's tung oil mix and it turned out great. Unfortunately, that type of finish seems to work best on dark, open-grained woods so I wasn't quite as pleased when I tried to replicate that success on this instrument. It turned out okay, but I always felt like I hadn't done it justice. Also, somehow I managed to put a prominent scratch on top of the lower horn prior to finishing it.

I did build it into a full guitar with a nice birdseye maple / rosewood neck. Somehow I don't have a single photo of the full build and it's been disassembled and sitting in a box for the last 10 years (I hang my head in shame). The good news is that I still have the body. I'd like to build it back up again but was wondering if I should consider having it refinished. Is it possible to remove a penetrating finish like tung oil? I think it would look great with a dye and a high gloss finish. Also, anyone know of any options for having it professionally finished?

Thanks everyone,
WF

 

[Cagey]

Refinishing is sort of a labor of love because the costs are often prohibitive due to the amount of labor involved. So, it's a DIY project, unless you're fairly flush. Even a new finish on raw wood is going to run in the $300+ range, possibly more depending on who does it. Having to remove an old finish and prepping for a new one is just a cast iron bitch, so expect a substantial adder for that. Bursts are adders as well.

On the plus side, since that's such a pretty piece of wood and you finished it in oil, you could just continue on with that finish with repairs to improve its appearance. Oil finishes often require repair, as they're not very durable.

Finally, you could coat it in shellac as a barrier to allow you to shoot something new on top, then use a tinted transparent lacquer and some subsequent clear if you really wanted to change the color. That would preserve the grain, which is quite attractive. But, there again, you're probably going to pay an adder for the barrier work and surface prep, plus whatever a lacquer finish would run, so I'd be figuring in the $350-$400+ range.

Another member here known as Tonar might have some different suggestions. You could PM him and see if he's interested. It's also early enough in the year that I could do it. You're probably looking at 8 to 10 weeks in any event.

 

[Wolf Follower]

Thanks for all the info, Cagey. I certainly appreciate the wisdom. Sounds like I'm looking at a lot of $ for a fairly modest improvement. I think I'll take your recommendation and keep working with the existing finish. I've got no real problem with that - it looks reasonably good a has a really nice feel.

If I read you right, I can keep adding oil, even though the existing finish is pretty old. Would I be able to sand down that one area with the scratch to bare wood and have a seamless transition after I reapplied the finish? Also, I if were to add more coats on top of the whole thing, what preparation would be required? Cleaning and a light sanding?

WF

 

[Cagey]

Depends on how deep the scratch is. If it's right down into the wood, you'd have to sand to the lowest point of the scratch to even it out, which means exposing raw wood. Even though the finish is clear, the raw wood will be lighter, so it'll show up that way. As light as all that looks, it may not be a big problem. But, sometimes such repairs can look worse than the blemish, so it's a judgement call. For one scratch, I might just give it a lick and a promise. If the whole body was spanked up, then you'd wanna refinish the whole thing and the scratch would be eliminated in the process.

As for the rest of it, it looks like it needs cleaning/sanding anyway, so that needs to be done. Some 320 grit would probably be in order to start levelling it, and be sure to use a block - don't do it by hand except on the curves, and go light there. Then, additional coats get sanded between applications until you're happy with the number of coats you have on there. Let it sit for a couple/few weeks, and go after it with some progressively finer papers, perhaps ending up around 1200-1500 grit. Then, some buffing/polishing, and it'll look spectacular.

 

[Wolf Follower]

Thanks again! I'll be leaving that scratch alone - it's actually in the end grain of the alder. Not sure when I'll get started but I'll follow the recipe you laid out. Is there any other finish you recommend in place of more tung oil? I am limited to wipe-on application. Also, what do you recommend for buffing/polishing?

WF

 

[Cagey]

I'm not an oil guy, so I'm probably the wrong one to ask. But, I think when you start with tung oil, you have to finish with it. Also, it can take a very long time to cure, prior to which you really can't buff it. I think for the finishing coats you're supposed to thin the stuff with mineral spirits, let it cure forever, then you can use micromesh polishing papers to get that final luster.