My Nitro Refin Progress Thread

[Silence Kid]

Re: My Nitro Refin Progress Thread

Thanks for the advice - emailed Bill at ReRanch whose quick reply was "scuff/lightly sand" whatever the present finish is. He also took a guess that there might have been an oil finish on the guitar.

I'm doing black because that was the original finish (bad luck, I know.) I was put in contact with someone with first-hand experience of G&L finishing in the 80s, and they indicate rather than sanding sealer, clear nitro was used- So that was my plan, rather than shellac or specific sanding sealer. Do I understand the body should be sealed before I use grain filler, either way? And are there any particular issues with using clear nitro as sealer?

I was also led to believe that a separate primer coat would not be necessary, given that I'm using black; can I forego primer since I'm spraying black? Or is the primary reason for the primer in this case to aid in identification of imperfections?

[Ayrton]

Re: My Nitro Refin Progress Thread

Shellac is your friend. Think of it as a universal bonding agent.

Scuff up the body with 220. No reason to go all the way to bare wood unless a translucent finish. Seal the wood with sanding sealer or shellac. I would use shellac, but your choice. Grain fill and sand back, then sealer again (2-3 coats). Now is the time to get everything perfect. Fill any dings, repairs and so on, then primer. Once your primer is on, you will be able to better see any flaws. Deal with them now. Don’t stress about sanding thru the primer or sealer. If it happens, you can easily spray over.

Once you are happy with the primed body, start your color coats.

If you haven’t selected a color yet, I would suggest a lighter solid color. Much easier to get satisfactory results on the first try.

Ask any questions you like

[justFred]

Re: My Nitro Refin Progress Thread

Email Reranch...they will get back to you quickly with the correct answer...trust them only...

[Silence Kid]

I planned to post pics of a beautiful finished product, rather than create a thread for this - But I will drop any pretense of hubris; I don't have enough idea what I'm doing and will probably need help. Might as well show all the ugly along the way.

My reasons to refinish are: Protect against moisture and bring the guitar back to factory-original. I plan to follow this schedule inspired by the " 3x3 " method, and StewMac 'thin skin' nitro finishing schedule (if I comprehend their logic) :

1 - Prep, grain fill, dry, and sand
2 - 3 coats of clear (as sealer) during day one; 3 coats color (black) over the course of day two; and 3 final coats clear during day three
3 - Wait for cure, then wet sand/polish.

Initial points of concern I have:

• Is there any reason I should not sand to bare wood before I begin? Sounds like spraying nitro or grain filler over poly or even hardened TruOil would not -actually- cause issues? Still; am I better off removing entirely? Or if I test a bit and it sticks- any issue scuffing/cleaning what is there and laying finish on top?

• Any way to tell if the present finish is Stain only, TruOil, matte poly, or something different that may be reactive? Or explain to me why it does not matter, per above. Still NO clue what finish is on the guitar is at present. It's not grain-filled at all anyway; feel-able pores, but does the (visible below) slight sheen on the wood mean oil, finish, or just stained wood?

...Anyway. Sorry to get all weird over this, guitar has sentimental value and is a great sounding/playing axe so don't want to ruin it: