How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

['59]

I've been given a free Bullet Strat and would like to use it for testing out certain techniques such as refinishing. I would like to first know the best way to remove the thick poly finish. Will acetone do the trick or do I need to sand it down by hand?

 

[StoRMiE]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Heat gun and a scraper. Is it a hardtail? because if it is it's plywood underneath.

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

It is hard tail. I don't care too much if it's plywood, as I am looking for some pretty not transparent pickups, but I'll start another thread for that later on down the line.

Any tips for the scraper, and what type of heat do I need, a lot?

 

[StoRMiE]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Not too much heat at once and try to keep it moving to avoid burning.

Think there's quite a few threads on the subject of using a heat gun to remove paint on here you'd have to search it though.

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I wouldn't suspect a hair dryer would have enough heat?

 

[StoRMiE]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Not even close, a heat gun gets up to around 1,100 degrees on max heat. A cheap one is about $20-25.

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Are there any other ways to easily get rid of the finish? Could I simply sand it down?

 

[AlexR]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Sanding is THE very opposite of easy. In fact you could not have picked a more laborious or time consuming choice.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

LOL, I sanded the finish off an Epiphone Les Paul once, and I will absolutely never do that to a guitar — or myself — again.

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Would acetone do the trick? I'm willing to try the heat gun method given the guitar is so cheap, but I'd like to be certain their aren't less risky methods first.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Would acetone do the trick? I'm willing to try the heat gun method given the guitar is so cheap, but I'd like to be certain their aren't less risky methods first.

Nope. If it was nitro it would, but then if it was nitro it would sand easy too. Modern poly finishes which is what this guitar finish is are very difficult to remove-or repair.

 

[justFred]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Aircraft Paint Remover;
GLOVES!!!
VENTILATION!!!
patience - it will take several applications with wait time for each toe eat its way thru the armor stuff Fender uses but it will soften it it so you can scrape away layer by layer until you get to a point were a sander will take it the rest of the way down.
It is very nasty stuff, bad for people, bad for the planet but it does do a job on paint.

 

[Mincer]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I've seen some poly finishes crack off like a shell. I've seen others resist most methods of removal. That stuff wasn't intended to ever be replaced, I am sureWhatever method you use, report back and let us know how it goes.

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I'm not going all the way down to the wood, I'm not going for a translucent finish. Could I just sand it down enough until the the body grips the paint? I assume if I went with a large amount of light finishes would make it so the stock navy doesn't show through.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

Would acetone do the trick?

Acetone WILL NOT TOUCH plastic finishes of any kind.

Why do you think a heat gun is risky?

 

[justFred]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I'm not going all the way down to the wood, I'm not going for a translucent finish. Could I just sand it down enough until the the body grips the paint? I assume if I went with a large amount of light finishes would make it so the stock navy doesn't show through.

Whole nother story from removing entire finish. If you just want to repaint over existing there are various techniques you can google. I have found going over it with 100 then 220 grit, clean guitar with naptha, don't touch it after that, always wear gloves and paint it.

 

[Jacew]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

It's easy if you get sanding tool like this:



For me that's pretty much must have tool for any paint job. Super easy to get rid of old paint from anything. Just requires little touch up with smooth paper afterwards (400-800)

 

[FuseG4]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I am refinishing a Squier at the moment and could not get a heat gun to lift the finish without burning and causing the glue to come out of seams!
I used 80 grit random orbital sander and hand sanded the edges.
Took two days of working a few hours a day

 

[FuseG4]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I'm not going all the way down to the wood, I'm not going for a translucent finish. Could I just sand it down enough until the the body grips the paint? I assume if I went with a large amount of light finishes would make it so the stock navy doesn't show through.

Yes you can

 

['59]

Re: How to remove Bullet Strat Finish?

I am refinishing a Squier at the moment and could not get a heat gun to lift the finish without burning and causing the glue to come out of seams!
I used 80 grit random orbital sander and hand sanded the edges.
Took two days of working a few hours a day

Why did you go all the way to the wood? How long would you say it would take to use simple paper down to the point in which it could be painted.