What have you learned doing your own finishes?

[Tonar8352]

I thought it would be fun to see what you have learned doing your own finishes.  I know I do not look at guitars the same way as I did before I stared finishing them myself.  Here is my list.
Sunbursts are like snowflakes no two are alike.
I love Butterscotch Blond but you all knew that about me.
I hate doing Gold Powder in lacquer.
Swamp Ash is a pain in the ash to fill but it is worth it when you get the guitar finished.
Lacquer is very forgiving and you can fix a lot of mistake fairly easily.
Airborne particles are my greatest enemy.  I hate black dust landing in white finishes!!!!!
I feel like the karate kid doing a rub out.  Wax on Wax off.
Soak the wet/dry sandpaper overnight before wet sanding.
Use distilled water and Murphy’s Oil soap for the wet sand.
Fill the holes with paste wax before the wet sand.
I love my polishing arbor.

There is a ton of other things but the number one thing is the deep satisfaction of playing a guitar that I finished myself. How about you?

 

[SkuttleFunk]

hand rubbing with a micro cloth and Finesse-It II really, really sucks

hand rubbing with a micro cloth and Finesse-It II really, really sucks

hand rubbing with a micro cloth and Finesse-It II really, really sucks

hand rubbing with a micro cloth and Finesse-It II really, really sucks

hand rubbing with a micro cloth and Finesse-It II really, really sucks


I want an arbor  :binkybaby:


all the best,

R

 

[jackthehack]

Finishing a body with a binding can be a very painful process.

You never have to worry about screwing up trying to do a finish as long as you have enough #220 to sand it back.

Never wear your favorite jeans when spraying Goldtop Gold paint in even a minor crosswind.

 

[nathan a]

You never have to worry about screwing up trying to do a finish as long as you have enough #220 to sand it back.

Anticipate screwing up.

Also, it is possible to grow 'out' of a finish (like rattle can white with black stripes). :binkybaby:

If you have awning windows, be very careful walking around outside with your body on the paint pole.

 

[-CB-]

steer clear of them lacquer fumes...

 

[rahimiiii]

Patience is a virtue!

Everything else is, well just a learning process. It really does suck though waiting 2 months for a finish to dry but then again Warmoth takes that long anyways...

 

[stubhead]

A+ #1 PRIMERO RULE: Finishes like to get darker than you had planned, all on their own volition.

 

[jackthehack]

steer clear of them lacquer fumes...

I thought you only finished guitars FOR the lacquer fumes?  :icon_scratch:

 

[willyk]

I love the smell of nitro in the morning.... :evil4:

 

[Crappy]

Never let your cats near a body thats hanging with a fresh finish. You get these two things.
1) Cats with high gloss coats
2)A very fuzzy tru-oil finish body with paw prints and some nice dents

 

[Tonar8352]

Insert Quote
Never let your cats near a body thats hanging with a fresh finish. You get these two things.
1) Cats with high gloss coats
2)A very fuzzy tru-oil finish body with paw prints and some nice dents

LOL.  Some wisdom comes through painful experience. I bet that one hurt.! :icon_smile:

 

[Crappy]

Insert Quote
Never let your cats near a body thats hanging with a fresh finish. You get these two things.
1) Cats with high gloss coats
2)A very fuzzy tru-oil finish body with paw prints and some nice dents

LOL.  Some wisdom comes through painful experience. I bet that one hurt.! :icon_smile:

What hurt was the sanding to get the dents out :sad:

 

[willyk]

Insert Quote
Never let your cats near a body thats hanging with a fresh finish. You get these two things.
1) Cats with high gloss coats
2)A very fuzzy tru-oil finish body with paw prints and some nice dents

LOL.  Some wisdom comes through painful experience. I bet that one hurt.! :icon_smile:

What hurt was the sanding to get the dents out :sad:

Best way to sand dents out of a cat is to hit it over the head with a guitar first. It stops the cat scratching you so it doesn't hurt so much! :laughing11: :laughing11: :laughing11:

 

[Crappy]

Insert Quote
Never let your cats near a body thats hanging with a fresh finish. You get these two things.
1) Cats with high gloss coats
2)A very fuzzy tru-oil finish body with paw prints and some nice dents

LOL.  Some wisdom comes through painful experience. I bet that one hurt.! :icon_smile:

What hurt was the sanding to get the dents out :sad:

Best way to sand dents out of a cat is to hit it over the head with a guitar first. It stops the cat scratching you so it doesn't hurt so much! :laughing11: :laughing11: :laughing11:

I am going to buff out the cats :laughing7: need to get that high gloss

 

[Tonar8352]

I love it!!!!!!!!

 

[Alfang]

Everytime I think I must be close to sanding through the color, it's too late, add more paint dumbass

 

[rahimiiii]

I am going to buff out the cats :laughing7: need to get that high gloss

Then eat the cat for lunch... and make coats out of its skin (or at least a welcome mat)

 

[jackthehack]

Send skin(s) to Ed Roman, he can make another axe like these:

http://www.edromanguitars.com/resources/images/deazzpr1.jpg

 

[bpmorton777]

always wear a dust mask when sanding grain filler otherwise you will be blowing black snot out for days.

Brian