Neon-Gecko
It is with some horror that I have just read a post offering advice on how to strip old paint off a guitar, even though that advice was offered with nothing but good intentions. I personally would NEVER use a chemical paint stripper, not only on a guitar, but anything that I wish to paint again! Most chemical paint strippers have rust inhibitors built into them, which usually consists of an oil of some kind. Should the liquid/gel penetrate the timber no future paint will adhere to the surface, apart from an enamel based paint, maybe! As for heat guns, unless used very carefully, you stand a very real chance of scorching the timber. I’m afraid there is no ‘easy’ way of stripping old paint off a guitar apart from sanding. Patience, sweat and even a little swearing and grumbling will be rewarded, I guarantee it! Start off with a coarse grit paper and sand with the wood grain even though you may not have sanded through to the timber yet. When most of the paint has been removed, gradually progress to a finer grit. I use 120, 220 and 320 grit sandpapers. Where you encounter obstructions or have to get into tight corners and have no choice but to sand across the grain, I would use nothing but 320 grit sandpaper. Anything courser and you’ll shred the wood grain and end up with a pile of very expensive Weet-bix! I hope that this advice will help anyone wishing to refinish their guitar themselves.
guidothepimmp
lol,
can't say I agree. Ive used paint stripper on many guits with "problem" paint and never had any issues with oiliness let alone with resprays.
mind you, i only use them when sand paper doesnt make much progress
Neon-Gecko
Maybe you could give a brand name? I've had nothing but issues with paint stripper, although I must say that the last time I used the stuff was around 10 years ago, maybe technology has moved on...
makepeace
nitromors?
sure - sanding is definitely the way to go with respect to getting the absolute *best* result, but its very time consuming and very often not effective, depending on what paint you're trying to strip.
Neon-Gecko
Thanks for the info mate, I'll give it a try next time I have a tough finish to remove.
makepeace
As an alternative to nitromors, which contains methylene chloride (health and environmental implications), Plascon RemovALL is also very good.
Neon-Gecko
Thanks for the tips, will definitely make a note. I must say though, I do prefer to sand, sure it may take longer, but I think that the results in the end are far better. I've always been a firm believer in "what you put in is what you get out."
slyd
HEAT GUN >☹ only !
Removing the finish from guitars is best with a heat gun! It scrapes off like a naartjie peel ?
Using some common sense will prevent you from "scorching" any of the wood. It REALLY takes a lot of heat to blacken it.
The only situation where a heat gun is a problem, is if you are attempting to remove a finish surrounded by plastic or cellulose binding. I have had 2 flame-outs, with the binding bursting into flames (due to a lower flash-point than wood). Remove the binding first, and Bob's your sister! Heat and scrape away!
