How do I relic my poly finish strat?

[Adieu]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

I would think if you took a heat gun
Warmed up the finish
Then set an aluminum pot full of ice on the warmed up area

It would check like nobody's business

I dont know for sure

But my buddy left his strat in a tin shed here in Alabama
And the heat and humidity caused the flame veneer to separate and peel off
It's not the cool checking
It's more jagged, uncomfortable potato chip like

Remove all the hardware and plastics
Stick just the body in the oven at 140 degrees for one hour

Poly bubbles cracks and peels under heat

[ehdwuld]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

Not under low heat
140 degrees isn't enough to bubble it

It should soften then contract when it cools

Heat is how you remove polyurethane

Softens and scrapes off

Heat gun is how you heat it

Look up some YouTube videos on removing polyurethane
You'll see

[ehdwuld]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

https://youtu.be/fHIE5KVIV98

https://youtu.be/QnmRfzfco1w

[dave74]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

You relic it first, then coat lol.

[Adieu]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

Not under low heat
140 degrees isn't enough to bubble it

It should soften then contract when it cools

Heat is how you remove polyurethane

Softens and scrapes off

Heat gun is how you heat it

Look up some YouTube videos on removing polyurethane
You'll see

Yeah Ive DONE it

Heat indeed removes it... but not in a pretty fashion.

[RorySquier]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

You relic it first, then coat lol.

Now that guitar actually looks real cool with it's relicing style. Canadian guitars sure rock!



;>)/

[RorySquier]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

Do you do any chicken pickin' on your Charvel Mr. Kramersteen?





;>)/

[Chistopher]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

Yeah Ive DONE it

Heat indeed removes it... but not in a pretty fashion.

How so? Usually they put it on thick enough that you can peel all the paint off in a couple of sheets.

As for relicing, your best bet with poly is to just get it wrapped. This guitar may look like it's reliced, but it's all vinyl. It's gonna be tough to find a guy to do it, but it will work out better in the long run. This example isn't perfect, but blame the artist not the art form. You can get more moderate looks than this with no trouble.



That or you can just refinish it and relic it yourself. That has the most risk, but IMO, the most reward.

[treyhaislip]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

Don't do it. Poly is a problem to relic. It won't look natural.

The whole raison d'etre for using poly on a guitar is so it will look nicer longer.

Bill

Absolutely this.


That being said, Frank Verrilli can do it. I got a super good deal on a Fender MIM Pelham Blue Strat (traded a $100 Schecter for it) that some kid had tried to relic using a sander (thankfully he started on the back and not the front.) Frank did a killer job on it. Wish I had pics but it was 2 phones and a different phone number ago.

[PFDarkside]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

That said, play it for 30 years in the real world, and that poly will look relic'd better than a fake lacquer relic job now.

A few dents, chips and swirl marks?

[Jacew]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

A few dents, chips and swirl marks?

How do you get swirl marks?

[ehdwuld]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

How do you get swirl marks?

Wiping it off with the same rag you wipe the frets with

Little swirls all in it
Over the years it gets pronounced

[PFDarkside]

Re: How do I relic my poly finish strat?

How do you get swirl marks?

Wiping it off with the same rag you wipe the frets with

Little swirls all in it
Over the years it gets pronounced

And all the abrasion from clothing/limbs/picks that wears away lacquer only gives micro scratches in poly.