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Thread: My technique for applying wipe on finishes (poly, tru oil) sucks... hoping for advice

  1. #21
    Member ThatCluelessGerman's Avatar
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    The current weather (hot and dry) has allowed me to add quite a few more coats of poly in quicker succession. I'm now letting it cure for a few more days, but then, how should I proceed best?

    The surface is already flat (as flat as a carved top can go) due to my prior attempt to polish it, so there are no really high or low spots, only some dust specs. Should I now sand it to remove the dust (which grid?) or should I go straight to the cutting and polishing?
    I don't know what I'm doing but I hope I will end up with a guitar

  2. #22
    GAStronomist Simon Barden's Avatar
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    Wait. I'd leave it at least two days after the last application before doing any sanding. I like to sand the first level of cutting quite soon, as you then get more surface area for drying the finish. But then leave it for at least a week, (but two is better and three better still, before doing the final cutting and polishing. Whilst solvent/evaporation/drying can be fairly quick in this hot weather (35°C here and very humid now) curing is a slower chemical reaction that takes time and isn't so influenced by temperature.

  3. #23
    Member ThatCluelessGerman's Avatar
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    Oh, okay :-)
    I wanted to let it dry/cure for until monday or tuesday, then polish. Good I have asked before

    But what grid would you start to sand it? It is already very flat, only a bit of dust has to go. I thought I'd probably sand with 3000 or 5000 grid? Last time I started at 1000 and went up to 3000, and then, when polishing, I cut through the finish. So that's what I'd like to avoid, therefore starting this high as I don't have much to remove anyway?
    I don't know what I'm doing but I hope I will end up with a guitar

  4. #24
    GAStronomist Simon Barden's Avatar
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    I'd start with P600, then maybe P1200 and then P2000 and then polish. All wet sanding.

  5. #25
    Member ThatCluelessGerman's Avatar
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    Hm, I don't know. It's already flat. I don't need to remove that much material....
    I don't know what I'm doing but I hope I will end up with a guitar

  6. #26

  7. #27
    Member ThatCluelessGerman's Avatar
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    Good point. I'll wait.
    I don't know what I'm doing but I hope I will end up with a guitar

  8. #28
    Member ThatCluelessGerman's Avatar
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    I know I actually wanted to wait, but it kept looking at me.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    It's pretty glossy. Not a perfect factory finish, but I'm good with it for now.

    Man, this thing was a real b*tch. Thanks everybody for your help here (and on all the other threads ). Excited to finish it, but my headstock decal stuff is not here yet.
    I don't know what I'm doing but I hope I will end up with a guitar

  9. #29
    GAStronomist Simon Barden's Avatar
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    Looks really nice. But you can still give it another polish in a couple of weeks if you want, and get it looking even better.

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