To pros, tinkerers, and anyone who knows something about repairing/finishing guitars

If you have a string instrument of any kind that needs fixing, a mistake you made in building a new instrument that you need to "disappear," or a question about the ethics of altering an older instrument, ask here. Please note that it will be much easier for us to help you decide on the best repair method if you post some pictures of the problem.
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Dylan Stevens
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Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:53 pm

To pros, tinkerers, and anyone who knows something about repairing/finishing guitars

Post by Dylan Stevens »

I have a question about (re)finishing a guitar.

After stripping a polyester finish and sanding the factory base coat and sealer, is it necessary to use a solvent like NAPHTHA to ensure that there are no remaining contaminants on the wood surface?

Can I go straight to sealing with shellac?

Any help is appreciated.
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Barry Daniels
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Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: To pros, tinkerers, and anyone who knows something about repairing/finishing guitars

Post by Barry Daniels »

Shellac is compatible with most everything and should be fine without the cleaning step. However, there is the risk that someone used a silicone polish on the guitar at some point and this could cause problems, so a naphtha cleaning would not hurt anything and might prevent a problem down the road.
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