beandip
Frito's Better Half
Ah, what the hell, I'll throw some pics in with this one too.
I started out using a Dean Vendetta XM body (that I'll probably turn into something later) in great shape.
Then, using some 320 grit sandpaper, I scuffed up a small portion on the back of the guitar, just to let you see the amount of damage we're talking about.
The first thing that had to be done was bring everything up to 600 grit. Anything rougher, you might have a gleaming finish, but you'll still see scratches at an angle. I actually ran out of 600 grit, and the most "in between" grit I had was 1000, so I used a lot of extra work, but got the same effect.
Using something similar to Meguiar's medium cut compound (12 bucks at Autozone, and wax free), I spent some time and a lot of elbow grease working most of the scratches out. We've got a nice satin haze going now, but still not shiny is it?
Now we move on to the Speed Cut compound. Same thing. Much better looking once we're done. Could almost pass as shiny.
Now we move on to the fine compound from the same line.
and to finish up with some swirl remover compound.
And now you have a very shiny guitar.
It's fairly simple. There's no secrets to it. Follow the directions. In reality, I used Stew Mac's polishing compounds and swirl remover, but after speaking with their customer service many times, we've kinda gotten to know each other. I've been told that while they're different compounds, and contain different binding agents etc, they're the same grits and do the same job.
Remember, always use a new paper towel for each compound. I went over everything twice with each compound. Coarse/Coarse, Medium/Medium, Fine/Fine, Swirl Remover/Swirl Remover. What this does is not only give the finish a minute to cool down (it does create friction heat), but also allow you to see your progress and adjust accordingly. I rubbed for about 10 minutes total with each compound, and 20 minutes with the swirl remover. The longer you work the swirl remover, the shinier finish. Wipe everything down with naphtha and follow up with your polish of choice.
I started out using a Dean Vendetta XM body (that I'll probably turn into something later) in great shape.
Then, using some 320 grit sandpaper, I scuffed up a small portion on the back of the guitar, just to let you see the amount of damage we're talking about.
The first thing that had to be done was bring everything up to 600 grit. Anything rougher, you might have a gleaming finish, but you'll still see scratches at an angle. I actually ran out of 600 grit, and the most "in between" grit I had was 1000, so I used a lot of extra work, but got the same effect.
Using something similar to Meguiar's medium cut compound (12 bucks at Autozone, and wax free), I spent some time and a lot of elbow grease working most of the scratches out. We've got a nice satin haze going now, but still not shiny is it?
Now we move on to the Speed Cut compound. Same thing. Much better looking once we're done. Could almost pass as shiny.
Now we move on to the fine compound from the same line.
and to finish up with some swirl remover compound.
And now you have a very shiny guitar.
It's fairly simple. There's no secrets to it. Follow the directions. In reality, I used Stew Mac's polishing compounds and swirl remover, but after speaking with their customer service many times, we've kinda gotten to know each other. I've been told that while they're different compounds, and contain different binding agents etc, they're the same grits and do the same job.
Remember, always use a new paper towel for each compound. I went over everything twice with each compound. Coarse/Coarse, Medium/Medium, Fine/Fine, Swirl Remover/Swirl Remover. What this does is not only give the finish a minute to cool down (it does create friction heat), but also allow you to see your progress and adjust accordingly. I rubbed for about 10 minutes total with each compound, and 20 minutes with the swirl remover. The longer you work the swirl remover, the shinier finish. Wipe everything down with naphtha and follow up with your polish of choice.
