Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello,
new here.

I plan to strip the paint from an old pbass i've aquired using a heat gun. Got the idea from this tutorial:
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/burn.htm

I'm just wondering how the heat will effect the wood. What if I actually grilled the instrument using a controlled heat/fire source?
Does this sound crazy?

Thanks for reading,
dood

Definitely crazy. I've seen flame figure in a lot of woods...but never grill marks.
A heat gun would probably work but would still leave some scorch marks. Do it outside because of fumes.
Are you planning to refinish with clear? I doubt they used their prettiest wood under a solid paint finish.
How about just re-paint over the old stuff?

Ceee-riminy! Thought I had seen it all, but this one is new to me.
Once again the internet exposes a moron.

I'm not talking about you, Dude - I mean whoever posted that recommendation regarding the use of the heat gun. Not only was the guitar exposed to an excess of heat that could have delaminated any body joints, but burning the wood is just not acceptable behavior for a refinish. Then to add insult to injury by more sanding of a surface that is already sanded? It's MADNESS, I tell you!

If the P-Bass is really old, just use a chemical stripper. DO NOT sand it afterwards, scraping or abrading with a little Scotchbrite is OK as long as you don't overdo it.

On some of the plastic finishes, I have used a fresh pack of Exacto blades to literally cut the finish off. Use the one about 1/2 inch wide, square - like a chisel.
But be careful - use a low angle, low pressure, and keep the sharp edge pointed away from your body.
The finish will pop off in pieces - eye protection might be a good idea.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I have a Squier P bass that was given to me in pieces. My stepson bought it on ebay for almost nothing. All the parts were there, but someone had tried to remove the finish using, of all things, a soldering iron.. There were numerous burns and gouges all over the body. I sanded it until all the burn marks and gouges were gone, and then refinished and assembled it. Didn't hurt the tone. The bass sounds really good. The body is somewhat thinner, and lighter(which is actually nice).
Granted, this was a Squier and not a Fender, but I often wonder what in the world the person who did that was thinking. How in the world does this become a good idea in anyone's eyes?
As for the heat gun, I'm with Chris on this one. I'd be concerned about loosening the glue joints in the body and having the bass fall apart on me.

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Scorching and burning the guitar body to remove paint is not a good idea. Hey, how about a sandblaster, that would work, too!

_________________
Old growth, shmold growth!

Thanks, I appreciate your responses.

I'm just curious how the heat effects the wood. After 2 minutes of "googlin' " and reading opinions here, probly not gonna do it.

Now i'm stuck. With re -finishes, What are the advantages of totally stripping the guitar down to the wood?

Will I get the same results if i paint over the existing finish?

dude.

Depending on how old the bass is, I'd say leave it alone. If you must, I think painting over it is the favorable option, just because the original finish is still there when you need it to be. It's also easier than stripping it first for obvious reasons.

I would say do as is done in an automotive body shop (assuming you're going to go with a solid color) Get the paint that is there as smooth as possible, a light coat of white primer, lightly sand, (400 grit) and shoot with lacquer or acrylic enamel. Lacquer can be polished sooner and is much more forgiving.

Hope this helps.
Robb

cool beans.

I've removed the clear coat on this guitar's body and have reached a chalky white layer of paint that seems like a really good base/primer coat to start from.
Near the bridge area I can see a cloud of wood glue underneath the paint. Should I avoid this glue? I ask because i'm wondering if there are any operations that can enhance the overall quality of the instrument.

dieod

Being a noob myself, I'd probably want to know why I was seeing that. Let's see if some of the more experienced luthiers have a suggestion for this......

yeah what he said. ^


diddly

Well, are you sure that "cloud" is wood glue - or filler, or.....?

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

How about using a card scraper to remove everything and smooth the wood? Should be pretty fast and easy.