Wudtone and buffing/burnishing

[teamjeffo]

G'day DB and fellow forumers,

I'm coming to the end of the finishing of my first build (http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=7754) and I've noticed that I perhaps haven't been as careful as I could have been with my last coat of top coat.

Upon closer inspection (24 hrs after last application), I've noticed "brush" marks left from my rag used to apply. I'll see if I can get some photos to show, but I doubt the camera will pick them up.

I'm wondering if Wudtone products can be buffed/burnished, or will this fast track me to disappointment?

I thought I was being careful enough to only apply very thin coats, but the proof is sitting in front of me.

If buffing is not recommended, what can I do? If it is a viable option, have you any tips for a first timer??

Worth mentioning that I reckon I only have enough top coat for one more coat.

Thanks in advance

[teamjeffo]

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[wokkaboy]

Hey Jeffo, how many top coats have you applied ? You might as well apply the last top coat and let it cure for a week or 2 and see if those lines will polish out. Hopefully they will. Don't think I ever saw those lines when I used wudtone in the past.

[teamjeffo]

Three coats of top coat so far Wokka.

How do you and what do you use to polish?


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[teamjeffo]

I'm considering sanding back with a 2000 wet grit, and then buying a cheap Ozito buffer from Bunnings. I'm just not sure if you can with Wudtone.


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[wokkaboy]

I use micro mesh pads (1800 to 10000 grit) then Meguiars car polish by hand. Just make sure you give it 1-2 weeks to finally cure before you polish. 2000 grit wet and dry will work and a buffer or hand polish it.

[chrissyinbkk]

Azure lagoon, very nice, I'm doing the top of a LP right now with that, a few weeks ago i spoke to Andy @ Wudtone re polishing the finish, all he would say was to leave it a couple of weeks the polish it with photocopy paper of all thing then every 6 months or so a dab of Dr Ducks axe wax, I've got some I used on an strat that I did with the Amber Wudtone came up nice but not a highly polished finish like you get with a spray job

[teamjeffo]

I use micro mesh pads (1800 to 10000 grit) then Meguiars car polish by hand. Just make sure you give it 1-2 weeks to finally cure before you polish. 2000 grit wet and dry will work and a buffer or hand polish it.

Hey man, before I do my final coat, would you suggest I give it a good hard run down with steel wool to get out those lines??


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[Simon Barden]

Most people avoid using steel wool as the fibres they leave behind do tend to get everywhere. It has its place, but I'd avoid using it if I had alternatives.

I'd be wet sanding to get rid of those lines, using various sized blocks to keep the paper flat as possible. I might start at P600 to get the worst of the lines off and get a generally smooth finish all over, then run up through the grits to maybe P1500. Or you could use wet MicroMesh pads or cloth. My MM cloths run from 1500 to 12000 and 1500 MM is slightly finer than P600 paper, so you could run up the MM grits up to around MM 4000, which is equivalent to P1500.

But you are still likely to add some more lines with the final coat, which will need levelling with the grits again and then polishing/buffing, so you could do a rough P600 level now then just do all the hard work once the final coat is on and cured.

There is a difference between 'drying' and 'curing'. 'Drying' is the first phase where the solvents evaporate. Once they've done that, then the finish is in the second 'curing' stage where it hardens. Final curing/hardening can take months - one of those exponential asymptotic curves where it takes infinitely long (almost as long as a '70s prog bass solo) to reach the very hardest state it can. But there is a 'hard enough' state that's reached after a few weeks (it obviously differs from finish to finish) where it's almost, but not quite there; but will still polish up to a great shine.

[teamjeffo]

Most people avoid using steel wool as the fibres they leave behind do tend to get everywhere. It has its place, but I'd avoid using it if I had alternatives.

I'd be wet sanding to get rid of those lines, using various sized blocks to keep the paper flat as possible. I might start at P600 to get the worst of the lines off and get a generally smooth finish all over, then run up through the grits to maybe P1500. Or you could use wet MicroMesh pads or cloth. My MM cloths run from 1500 to 12000 and 1500 MM is slightly finer than P600 paper, so you could run up the MM grits up to around MM 4000, which is equivalent to P1500.

But you are still likely to add some more lines with the final coat, which will need levelling with the grits again and then polishing/buffing, so you could do a rough P600 level now then just do all the hard work once the final coat is on and cured.

There is a difference between 'drying' and 'curing'. 'Drying' is the first phase where the solvents evaporate. Once they've done that, then the finish is in the second 'curing' stage where it hardens. Final curing/hardening can take months - one of those exponential asymptotic curves where it takes infinitely long (almost as long as a '70s prog bass solo) to reach the very hardest state it can. But there is a 'hard enough' state that's reached after a few weeks (it obviously differs from finish to finish) where it's almost, but not quite there; but will still polish up to a great shine.

Great advice. I will prep with my 1500 g wet dry tomorrow for final coat, and use the MM I ordered today in a few weeks a few after I've played a few Hawkwind records




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