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Well, I am on vacation this week trying to finish a batch of 8 before a show next month in Nashville. I have been spending quite a few hours at the buffer and things kind of ramble through your head when doing monatenous work so I thought I would share some thoughts about buffing, in no certain order:

- My sanding schedule includes: 340 Abranet dry, 600 Abranet dry, 1000 Abralon wet & 2000 Abralon wet [wetted with a water and Murphy's oil soap solution]. Then to the buffer>

- Carpet the area surrounding your buffer as no matter how careful you are, sooner or later, something is going to go airborne and carpet is much softer than concrete.

- Cover your buffing stand frame, base and switch with carpet as the airborne object might hit it before the floor (don't ask how I know all of these wise thoughts).

- Move your buffer to an open area so you have plenty of free space all the way around the buffer. If you don't then you are likly to angle your work and use the side of the buffing wheel instead of using the face of it. This will keep the wheel's face wearing nice and square instead of at an angle.

- It takes me roughly 50 minutes to buff a body and neck going through 3 grades of Menzurna compounds (Medium, Fine and Very Fine). After the last pass my back is usually killing me. I remember my therapist (after a back surgery) said that your stomach muscles support your back. Therfore when buffing try to tighten your stomach muscles and you will have less back pain.

- If your floor is concrete stand on a rubber mat or carpet pad to relieve foot and back pain.

- Resist the temptation to bear down to hard while buffing. Allow the compound to do it's thing. Try holding the body with light pressure against the wheel and you can feel the compound biting into the finish even at lower pressures.

- Load your wheel often with compound and let the compound cut the finish. The compound is on the OUTSIDE surface of the wheel. If you bear down on the wheel you expose the inner surface where there is no compound. All you are doing then is creating heat by increasing friction.

- Don't use automotive WET compounds. I still have compound on my walls and ceiling from a bad choice years ago.

- Always buff off of an edge and never onto an edge. Resist trying to get to close to an edge. Take the time to flip the body so you are buffing off the edge and you might save yourself an airborne object.

- Even when you will be buffing for long periods of time don't let your mind wander off of the task at hand. That's when you will get carelss and mistakes happen.

- Wear tight fitting clothing, eye protection and a mask or respirator. Lots of airbonre particulate matter floating around while buffing. Don't wear gloves as they can catch in a wheel.

Please share your thoughts and ideas on this topic. I would love to hear Addam comment on this thread as he probably has more experience than many of us do.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

All good advice, and I echo the carpet around the buffer and floor. If I remember tonight, I'll post a picture of my cocobolo/redwood UFO.John How38622.6179976852

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Touch out in the middle and work towards the edges. never, as Tim stated, NEVER try to buff on the edges. And to reiderate Tim again, It really takes a def touch if you let the compound do the work. Pay attenion to the heat that is building. If you notice you work getting warm you are appling too much pressure.

Good Stuff...A couple other things that will help:

- If you have a belt on your buffer like mine, make it loose with just enough grip to spin the wheel. That way if you do press to hard the wheel will slow.

- Building a "little" heat when buffing goes a long long way to a good glossy finish, it should just feel warm and no more (this takes practice so be patient).

- NEVER EVER EVER hold the guitar in one place, always keep it in motion or you will create a hot spot and burn through.

- I have also found that having lamps on swivels over the buffer helps me see areas that need attention, I have one over each wheel of my buffer.

I enjoy buffing out guitars, the only things I've lost have been small things like bridges, I've never had a guitar tossed. I have people bring over guitars for repairs and before they leave most get a quick pass on the wheels, I can remove back scratches in a big hurry.

Cheers

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

Great advice guys, Thanks!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

What's the best approach when buffing near the soundhole?

Tim
Thanks for that info. I learned something from this that will help me do a better job. You obviously have it down. BTW, great photoessay on attaching the bridge.

John

[QUOTE=BlueSpirit] What's the best approach when buffing near the soundhole?[/QUOTE]
When buffing I divide the top into four quadrents with the center of the four below the soundhole on the center seam line. I work each quad individually and charge the wheel with compound as I move into the next quad.

Always buff around the hole so the wheel is rotating off the hole's edge and not into the edge. If you buff into the edge you run the risk of burning the edge, catching the lip and launching the body or worse yet, tearing a chunk out of the top

The back is divided into two sections with the midpoint on the center seam line. First two passes [w/ each grade of compound] I buff cross grain and third pass with the grain from top to bottom and 4th pass bottom to top. I use this method with medium and fine grits of compound. Last grit I only cover the surface once against grain and once w/ grain.Tim McKnight38623.3178819444

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com