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I should know better.

FInishing up my Brazilian 000 baby and lacquered it up yesterday with final coats. Did a light sand and buff before proceeding to install the neck. Decided to apply some self stick sandpaper to the neck block area to fine tune the neck fit with body as it looked like I missed a little in the early fit process.

Now the ahhhhhhhhhh shucks moment --- Pulled the sand paper off and with it came some lacquer. So ticked off at myself I was ready to kick the dog!!!!

Feathered the area where the lacquer came off and planning to brush on some new lacquer up to the line and sand and buff. Hoping I won't get any witness line in the process and it is only a small area on each side of the heel area.

So anxious to finish this one. Playing out with a friend on New Years eve and was looking forward to using this new build. Man

I guess this is another one of those good learning opportunities

You might have been OK Rich if you had heated the adhesive on the sandpaper with a hair drier .. you also didnt really do this a day after spraying right ??? The lac is way too soft for that kind of pressure - you probably melted the adhesive into the finish with the sanding pressure. I use masking tape when spraying sometimes, the green stuff, and it pulls off fine (I just did a trans reddish brown top ala PRS on a students electric, and pulled the tape off about a half hour after letting the lac set up - it comes off fine - its a low tack tape.

When I set a neck post finishing, I just use 400-600 wet dry paper and hold the neck on the body, then pull gently.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

i won't touch a fresh lacquer job for 2-3 weeks and prefer not to buff until 4 wks have passed! any sooner and thing happen, usually bad.

little touchups will cure faster but on new work where you have laid down a complete finish you have to have patience.

Of course I know better now

Tony, yes - color me dumb - painted it yesterday morning and 24 hours later was trying to get that neck put on. I think I will be allright - not that bad, but just feeling slilly about the whole thing. Once the finish is on, it feels like "Man, I cant wait to be playing it, it is almost done!!!" and that's when the trouble usually starts.

Michael, Patience? What is that ??? I know, I know, I know.

As far as rubbing it out, in my prior life of many years ago, I was a body man and we shot lacquer all the time, and scuffed and buffed much sooner than 24 hours. The only problem would be a little gloss fade and a little buffing would bring it right back for ever.

Of course, that was on steel and this is on wood which may be different. I didn't do an agressive buff, just enough to allow me to work on the neck assembly and bridge (glue).

Of course now, I am having to wait to make a repair.

The reason I posted is to warn all the other kids on the block "Don't try this at home", hoping others will benefit from my lack of patience.

Yep Michael is right! Once the final coat goes on let it hang for at least 2 weeks before you do a thing to it. It is going to shrink back and harden up.MichaelP39078.6679861111

Bummer Rich,

Sorry to hear of the setback, but at least with nitro, time and skill is all that is required to put things right again.

Cheers

Kim

Rich .. I have some patience I can sell you. Here is the deal - you send me the freshly sprayed guitar, return postage, and a couple hunderd bucks (thats for the patience, send more depending on how much patience you wish to purchase). Wait four (or more) weeks, then look for the postman to bring you a large guitar shaped box, exactly like the one you sent me !!! Simple aint it !!!

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Tony

Now why didnt I think of that???? You will have to pry this one from my dead hands

I applied some clear earlier today and it looks like it will be fine. Leveled first coat and applied a second to build to the level of the original finish. Didnt appear to be any witness lines - maybe because it was so fresh to begin with. Think I will let it set up for for a more appropriate period of time this time and work on some of the other projects I have in progress.