A new OM about to be born

[TEETERFAN]

Yep, you’re right, heat gun is a “Harbor Freight Special”. I now keep a hair dryer right next to it now and use the appropriate tool. I also put a finger or two next to the area I am heating to get real feedback on the amount of heat actually being administered. Heat gun is relegated to heating tools for steaming dents.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

UPDATE
I've been waiting for some warmer weather to test out repairing this cracked finish problem and I'm VERY HAPPY to report that this weekend I fixed the problem on the neck.
I mixed up a 8 to 1 thinner to lacquer with a little bit of retarded. Put it in a Preval sprayer and sat on a stool in the sun and sprayed this over the cracked areas multiple times, always holding the area horizontal, and repeated until it looked like the lacquer melted into the cracks.
That was Saturday afternoon. This morning I dry sanded with 800 grit all areas; headstock front and back and the heel and about half way up the neck shaft. It took very little sanding to get flat and NO CRACKS!!!!

So I'm hyped about it. And hopeful that I can accomplish on the top also. It is really cracked.
Looking to remark the bridge and neck area again tomorrow and spray the magic potion on Wednesday.
I'll approach it the same way but use my HVLP sprayer for the job.

I'll try and show a before and after of the top.
Wish me luck!!!!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I did the same thinner spray on the top 6 days ago and I'm level wet sanding with 800 grit.
The spraying worked here also. Cracks melted in.
The before picture shows where the cracks were. Slightly recessed or sunken lines from the lacquer filling in the cracks. The after picture shows it level and no cracks showing. I'm so happy.

The goal now is to complete this guitar by the first week of March so it can be taken to India.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Today I buffed out the finish with my shop fox arbor setup. 12" buffs. Menerza compounds
The guitar came out very nice. I'll show it in the next posting.

My buffer has a 3 speed pulley and the mount I made puts tension on the belt from the weight of the motor. If you push too hard it will slow the wheel. This is a good thing.

[Stray Feathers]

Kevin, I am using a setup almost identical to yours, and Menzerna abrasives, but am still confused as to best practices. What Menzerna grits are you using, and how often do you refresh them on the wheels? Bruce W.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Bruce if I'm honest I have to say I've gotten confused also.
I do this so infrequently my old brain forgets. I bought two compounds years ago. Still have enough to last the rest of my life. I need to look up the codes again to see which is the finer polish. One is not marked for some reason the othe says ultra or ultimate finish. The last time I used them I marked them to use in order but this time they seemed backwards. Both do a good job .
So all that to say....
I wet sand to 1500 grit and at that stage either compound is good but probably I only need the one "ultra" as it makes it glass smooth and high shine.
Be sure to run the buff against some bare wood for a minute or two to warm up the buff. You don't want to have dried hard compound working on your finish.
Apply enough pressure to warm the surface of your guitar but keep it moving. You don't want too warm as to soften the finish and you don't want to cause a low spot.
I move the instrument back and forth below the center line if the buff. Start at the center of say the back and work down toward the edge. Just get close to the edges don't actually buff the edges. They will get polished.
Rotating to 90 degrees and do the same.
If you see bad areas better to re-sand those then trying to "buff them oot"
I run about 1000 rpm. I don't like faster....scary. Will go faster but can get hot too easily on the finish and I don't want the buff catching and grabbing and throwing my guitar to the floor!!!
I'm no expert but it gets the job done.

I need look up the compound codes again and get that straightened out again.
Hope this helps.
.

[Stray Feathers]

Yes, helpful - thanks Kevin. I am using Menzerna P204 "medium cut", pinkish buff in colour, on one wheel. On the other I use Menzerna GW16 "finish compound", marked 4 on a scale of 5, buff in colour (they don't seem to have the same grading system). But how often do you apply compound? Every few minutes? Once per guitar? Every five guitars? Is there something that just makes you think it's not working right, so you put more on? I may be overkilling, because I wet sand to 1500, then use MicroMesh, 4000 to 12000, then Menzerna 16 and 2L pastes hand-rubbed (can't remember just now which is the finer), and then go to the wheels. So I can get a pretty good gloss (and I have not tried an auto-type buffer yet) but I am still having issues with scratches not properly sanded out. But it is good to see that others are working in similar ways and getting good results. Bruce W.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Bad news.
Cracks are coming back.
I'll have to strip the top and a little on the sides and respray.
I gaVe it the old college try. Not this time I guess.
I'll start sanding it off in a few minutes.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The top looked good after sanding. I left about .001" of finish on.(sanded through to wood in one small area) 4 light coats today and it's looking pretty good. I'm hoping to be able to do 3 or 4 more tomorrow and then be done!!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Update

This guitar is almost done!
The finish turned out fine. Not perfect but that's always how it goes.

I have Taylor tuners in place. Nut is fit and slotted.
Saddle is set "close" to finished height. 5/64ths at the 10th fret on the low E. The bridge always pulls up after stringing up at least a 64th so some minor adjustment I'm sure will need to be made.

I've installed a LR Baggs Anthem pickup.
All that's left tomorrow is to make and glue in the label and put on the strings and see how it sounds.

First time putting one of these pickups in so it will be fun to see how it works and sounds too.

I'll report more after tomorrow. :)
Nice to be almost done.