Finish repair
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Rob Ficalora
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:12 pm
Finish repair
I'm new here; introduced myself here... http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1861 but have a question about doing a finish repair on a 2nd hand Hofner my older son has. It's a very small ding, but it bugs him so I'd like to help him fix it. I've done a lot of woodworking but have limited experience repairing a finish (other than completely stirpping & refinishing). Is there a way to repair this ding without going that far? I've steamed out dents before, but not after a finish has been applied.
It's a chinese made Hofner if that helps identify what the finish is.
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Steve Senseney
- Posts: 673
- Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:45 pm
Re: Finish repair
I will start, but I expect other comments besides mine--
It would be best to live with this damage.
You could take a small tool and put further marks on the surface so that it has an even "vintage" appearance.
You can steam directly through finishes sometimes. However, it may damage the finish, and be cloudy in that spot even if you raise the wood underneath.
I only use French polish for my instrument finishing, so I don't have much experience with the commercial products that this would be finished with.
Is this area actually depressed, or is it more of a crack in the thick sprayed on finish?
It would be best to live with this damage.
You could take a small tool and put further marks on the surface so that it has an even "vintage" appearance.
You can steam directly through finishes sometimes. However, it may damage the finish, and be cloudy in that spot even if you raise the wood underneath.
I only use French polish for my instrument finishing, so I don't have much experience with the commercial products that this would be finished with.
Is this area actually depressed, or is it more of a crack in the thick sprayed on finish?
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Rob Ficalora
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:12 pm
Re: Finish repair
It's more of a crack in the finish, but the wood below is slightly depressed. If I knew what the finish was (and assuming it's a poly or other harder finish, I'd probably just build it up with finish and and blend/polish it out. Wouldn't totally disappear but you'd have to be looking for it to see it. But I have no idea what was used originally.
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Michael Lewis
- Posts: 1475
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:22 am
- Location: Northern California USA
- Contact:
Re: Finish repair
You might try contacting the distributor for the information you seek regarding the type of finish. I too suspect it is a poly and not easily blended. You get one chance to get it right, so do you risk swelling surrounding wood to get the dent to lift?
I would probably try CA to seal the fracture in the finish and let it go.
You MIGHT try to fill the dent with CA, and level it and polish, but as previously explained it is far too easy to make a small bit of damage look much worse.
One very important thing to remember is guitars are new only one time, after that they are no longer new.
I would probably try CA to seal the fracture in the finish and let it go.
You MIGHT try to fill the dent with CA, and level it and polish, but as previously explained it is far too easy to make a small bit of damage look much worse.
One very important thing to remember is guitars are new only one time, after that they are no longer new.