Finished my Baja Tele - (Video pg13)

[taylornutt]

Phil,

Is this the 3m Finesse It II you used?

[wantsasupersonic]

I use Turtle Wax rubbing compound. this is after about 1 hour of buffing by hand. I will go about another hour or so. One suggetion I should make though, may be to late but to use a small sanding block when wetsanding. see the wavyness in the reflected light. They are caused by wet sanding with my finger tips. It causes a wavy surface instead of a near perfect flat surface. This is my daughters Squire Mini. So I'm not trying to make it perfect. Just trying to want to play it more. BTW if your wondering thats Krylon flouresent pink, Dupli-Color clear effect and 2 cans of Dupli-color clear.

[wantsasupersonic]

Now that I see The pic's full size, my camera does no justice. Ive used The Turtle Wax rubbing compound on all my guitars and they're like glass.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Phil,

Is this the 3m Finesse It II you used?

Yes sir, that's the stuff!

Oh, and I'll second the notion of using a block to wrap the sanding paper around. I'm not sure if you need or can use one with the micromesh, but they're important to use when wetsanding with conventional paper.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Now that I see The pic's full size, my camera does no justice. Ive used The Turtle Wax rubbing compound on all my guitars and they're like glass.

I've tried that too - I've got tubs of the red rubbing and white (green container tub) polishing compounds here. They seem to work well too, but I think the Finesse It is actually a bit "finer" grit than even the Turtle Wax white compound, and it seems to remove even finer scratches and swirl marks. That's just based on my experience - I have no further facts to back that up though.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Is it safe to leave the body outside in the heat? Would that speed up the hardening process?

If it's not humid outside, it may speed things up a bit. When I went on the tour over at Fender, they had a few paint drying rooms where the temps were at least 20-30 degrees (F) hotter than the rest of the factory. Nitro isn't a chemical drying process; it hardens as the solvents (acetone, etc.) evaporate. Low humidity and warm conditions appear to help, but even with that, it just takes time. Another thing I've heard that helps a bit is "cracking" the surface by lightly sanding it with 800 grit every week or so during the drying process... apparently it breaks up the surface just enough to remove some of the outer "shell" so the paint underneath can dry / and the solvents can evaporate easier. Does it work? I tried it once, and it seems to help, but again... not a lot. It still takes a good two to four weeks for nitro to firm up to the point where I'd want to even consider reassembly, and it will still be somewhat "soft" for a good month or three after that....

[taylornutt]

Phil,

Is this the 3m Finesse It II you used?

Yes sir, that's the stuff!

Oh, and I'll second the notion of using a block to wrap the sanding paper around. I'm not sure if you need or can use one with the micromesh, but they're important to use when wetsanding with conventional paper.

I used a block with the #600 and #1000 paper. the Micro mesh is a rectangular pad so you really don't need a block.

[taylornutt]

Is it safe to leave the body outside in the heat? Would that speed up the hardening process?

If it's not humid outside, it may speed things up a bit. When I went on the tour over at Fender, they had a few paint drying rooms where the temps were at least 20-30 degrees (F) hotter than the rest of the factory. Nitro isn't a chemical drying process; it hardens as the solvents (acetone, etc.) evaporate. Low humidity and warm conditions appear to help, but even with that, it just takes time. Another thing I've heard that helps a bit is "cracking" the surface by lightly sanding it with 800 grit every week or so during the drying process... apparently it breaks up the surface just enough to remove some of the outer "shell" so the paint underneath can dry / and the solvents can evaporate easier. Does it work? I tried it once, and it seems to help, but again... not a lot. It still takes a good two to four weeks for nitro to firm up to the point where I'd want to even consider reassembly, and it will still be somewhat "soft" for a good month or three after that....

I am not in a hurry. Being broke will do that. My plan is to order the finesse it polish and shield the body after polishing with a combination of shielding paint and copper tape. I will wait at least a month from the last clear coat spray before attempting assembly. I have worked too hard to rush it along and screw it up. I can't have the guitar setup until I get paid again anyway. I might see if the tech will install the nut so that part is finished. I also plan to lightly sand and polish my Musicmaster body to remove some stick residue.

[Haze]

I might see if the tech will install the nut so that part is finished.

It'll be better to have him do it all at once, more accurate measurements and adjustments can be made when you have it up to the body the neck will mate.

[taylornutt]

I was finally able to order some more supplies to finish up the build. My Luther quoted me for the setup and a new bone nut. I will probably go with that. I ordered the polish, Fender strap and new pickup selector knob in white. The polish got here today. I wll begin polishing the body tomorrow and post some pics. Then I will move on to shielding and start reassembling. I am in the home stretch. I need to get some strap locks and some strings if I don't already have some.

[Stuart]

I've used 3m Finesse It II, too. but mine is the version for boats, which amusingly is harmful to marine wildlife. Works well though.

[taylornutt]

Here is the body after 3 coats of polish. How many coats should I apply? It's not perfect but I am happy with it.

[benecol]

I'd put a load more paint on that if I were you: you can see heavy and light spots (probably where you sprayed for longer at the end of a run etc.), and it'll only get worse as you polish and rub it as the project goes on. A little extra time spent now will save an awful lot of regret in the future.

Sorry, but my two-penneth worth...

[Phil O'Keefe]

I think he was deliberately trying to go lightly so he'd be able to see some grain through the finish.

As far as how much polish, it's up to you. At this stage, Fender would be "buffing" the guitar out with a wheel and polishing compound, so it's actually quite a bit of "rubbing" to get a really high luster / shine on there... and it won't work as well as it should unless all the sanding was done properly - IOW, polishing isn't going to remove any deep scratches or level things out by itself.

If you're happy with the way it looks now, then you're "done".

[taylornutt]

I think he was deliberately trying to go lightly so he'd be able to see some grain through the finish.

As far as how much polish, it's up to you. At this stage, Fender would be "buffing" the guitar out with a wheel and polishing compound, so it's actually quite a bit of "rubbing" to get a really high luster / shine on there... and it won't work as well as it should unless all the sanding was done properly - IOW, polishing isn't going to remove any deep scratches or level things out by itself.

If you're happy with the way it looks now, then you're "done".

That pretty much sums it up. I will do a little more buffing, install the string ferrules and start shielding.

[benecol]

I knew you wanted a thin finish, but surely you'll want it even too?

[taylornutt]

I knew you wanted a thin finish, but surely you'll want it even too?

It got a little heavier towards to the neck area than I might have liked, but most of that will be covered by the pickguard anyway.

[taylornutt]

I put my string ferrules into the body. Can you tell this is my first guitar project? This is why I bought a drill press

[Haze]

mmmm... orangy

[Phil O'Keefe]

Is it safe to leave the body outside in the heat? Would that speed up the hardening process?

One more comment about leaving a freshly painted guitar outside in the direct sun. If you decide to try this, I'd recommend waiting until it is well and fully cured - at least a couple / few weeks of dry time - if it's going to sit in direct summer sun. Otherwise, you might get some bubbling / blistering of the paint, especially if you live in a hot climate. I would instead suggest leaving it in a hotly heated (100 degree) room instead.