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Topic: Polishing |
Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 6:33 am |
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Just wondering how the great guitar refurbishers here polish their end plates ,necks and pedal bars ect..to the mirror finishes . Hand held drill ? bench grinder ? What polish and pads for moderate scratches taking it down to mirror ? thanks ,Jerry
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 6:57 am
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I'm certainly not a great builder, but I use two 14" x 6" multi layer cotton pad wheels, mounted on a 2" dia. by four feet shaft, double ended buffer, with a four feet spread between buff wheels. It is powered by 1 hp, 1800 rpm 3 phase motor, driven by an inverter for speed control. I used to use the bar rouge, but I now have gone to McGuire's Ultra cut liquid. It works much better and is way cleaner to use. I use one wheel for buffing and the other for waxing.
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You can observe a lot just by looking
Last edited by Bill Duncan on 27 Apr 2014 12:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 8:43 am
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| sooo....evidently everything must be disassembled from the cabinet...correct? |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 8:45 am
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Don't they polish them before assembly?
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 10:45 am
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before assembly
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You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Dickie Whitley
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 11:27 am
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Ok, just asking here, sans taking the PSG apart, can I not use a handheld buffer/polisher with the cleaner/polish combination and still have it looking good?
Maybe with Mothers or McGuire, or Aluminum Deoxidizer and the Purple Metal Polish? Or maybe I'm really missing the point of the OP's question?
Any help/guidance deeply appreciated. |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 11:55 am
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Dickie,
It's a matter of what you are polishing, and what the surface is, and what shape it is in.
If it's just a touch up of an already polished surface, yes those things you mentioned may be OK.
If it's heavy polishing probably not.
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You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 1:37 pm
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If it's pitted, sorry, you're gonna have to take it apart. If it's just dull from oxidation and time, yeah, your favorite aluminum polish will work.
If it's a mica guitar, you MIGHT be able to use a dremel or hand-held wheel on it, but I wouldn't try it with a lacquer guitar. It doesn't take TOO much work to remove endplates.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Dickie Whitley
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 1:41 pm
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Thanks Bill and Lane, and really just referring to maintenance of keeping it clean and shiny (along with occasional lube).
As far as taking stuff apart, I may wait till Mickey Adams finishes his video, hopefully he's still working on that.
Last edited by Dickie Whitley on 27 Apr 2014 1:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 1:42 pm
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Yeah, Mothers, California Custom, et c will do that job. Apply car wax to protect it.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 1:50 pm
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| I got a Stage one,, no polishing needed at all... |
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Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 2:31 pm
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O.K. I've got a few spots on my pedal bar I'de like to touch up. Maybe my best bet is to find a polisher around here, not wanting to booger it up with a drill and pads. Thanks
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Jerry Horch
From:
Alva, Florida, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 2:34 pm
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O.K. I've got a few spots on my pedal bar I'de like to touch up. Maybe my best bet is to find a polisher around here, not wanting to booger it up with a drill and pads. Thanks
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Franklin D10 /Walker Sterio Steel JBL's /DigiTech Quad4/ Korg Toneworks/ Dobro DM 1000 / Santa Cruz Guitar VA |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Apr 2014 2:53 pm
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Should be a local metal polisher around, usually they have a minimum of one hour, a pedal bar should be under that
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2014 7:31 am
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For a minor job, I use Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish.
However, for the ZB I am presently restoring, I wound up buying a unit from Eastwood that uses 10" buffing wheels. They sell a kit with a 1/2 hp motor, stand, buffing wheels and buffing compounds. I had no prior experience with such a unit, but let me warn you, it is a dirty job but somebody has to do it!  |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2014 8:03 am
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Erv,
Try the McGuire's Ultra Cut. You will never use the nasty buffing rouge bars again.
It's about $35.00 or so a quart, but it goes a long way, and it is much cleaner, and it works better than the rouge.
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You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Glenn Uhler
From:
Trenton, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2014 12:08 pm Industrial Buffers
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Bill, Erv, and everyone else-
Industrial buffers have a big "wing-span" so you can buff big items without hitting the other wheel. The really big ones can have motors up to 5 HP, and variable speed is often built in.
If you don't have any experience buffing, make sure you put something soft, like a foam rubber pad or a pet bed on the floor inder the buffer. If you catch the edge of the piece you are buffing on the wheel, it will be pulled out of your hand and thrown to the floor faster than you can say "$#!#"! If it hits the floor at full force, it will be damaged.
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1974 Marlen S-12 1968 Tele 1969 Martin D-35H |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2014 1:28 pm
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I've been building guitars since the early seventies and I have had one guitar, many years ago, slammed to the floor. One is usually enough. As for putting padding on the floor, it will only be in your way if you are working on a reasonably large item, such as a guitar.
Buffing is not hard to learn to do do, but it is hard to do. It can be hard on the back and shoulders. I recently buffed a 28" x 25" x 10" maple wood, poly coated amp. It wasn't hard to buff, the buffer did a great job. It was hard to hold to buff.
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You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2014 7:13 am
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Bill,
I will have to try the McGuire's product.
I went the whole route with the sanding bands on an expander wheel and then the tripoli compound and finally the white rouge. It's a dirty job!! |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2014 9:27 am Bill Duncan
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Bill Duncin, you have a PM. Martin.
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Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2014 1:36 pm
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Martin,
PM did not come through.
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You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Ron Pruter
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2014 3:04 pm
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Best way to buff is let some one else do it.
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Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112. |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 29 Apr 2014 3:42 pm
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Bill D. If you could send me your phone # and a good time to call, I would like to ask some questions about the Ultra Cut . Thanks, Martin.
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Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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Stephen Cordingley
From:
Ontario, Canada
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