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Posts: 6447
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
Refinishing a student Bernal?
My trusty Bernal student model needs a refinish on the soundboard. I had a sticker on there for a while and you can see the shape where the light didn't get to the wood. I would like to restore it.
I think it is a poly finish. Can I rub it down lightly (what with and which grit?) and then finish with tru-oil (which I know how to do and rather like). I don't want to pay for FP.
Would this even out the colour and mask the sticker shape or will I need a tint?
RE: Refinishing a student Bernal? (in reply to Escribano)
I am no luthier, but remember stories about several luthiers first experience with trying to remove poly finish. Scraping, sanding or corrosives would turn out very tiring. Heat gun and spatula was the way.
I suppose that takes knowledge of how to use the heat gun though. I had a German luthier almost ruin a guitar of mine by using a heat gun for removing a golpeador.
Posts: 1708
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA
RE: Refinishing a student Bernal? (in reply to Escribano)
Really, FP would be best because it would not be necessary to remove any of the old finish first, and a very small amount of FPing would probably improve it a lot.
Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: Refinishing a student Bernal? (in reply to Escribano)
i stripped a gutar neck that had a poly goop finish and can tell you that you will take off wood when removing the poly goop. you have to get to the wood. i tired to cheat a little around the heel and not go to the wood and the polyurethane over the last layer of poly goop will show--has a different color, etc. i went back and re-did the heel. from what i know about tru-oil one has to start with naked wood and build up the layers. in many respects it is like shellac. polyurethane over tru-oil is do-able but i am not sure if the reverse will work.
that said, i wonder if covering everything but the area that had a sticker and putting the guitar under a uv light each day when the guitar is not in use would work. i have heard people using uv light to get an aged look. violin folks are known to "cheat" a little using uv lights.
Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
RE: Refinishing a student Bernal? (in reply to Escribano)
quote:
I had a sticker on there for a while and you can see the shape where the light didn't get to the wood. I would like to restore it.
Are you in a hurry? Maybe you could just wait? In time the newly exposed part will 'catch up' with the darker wood. And as Keith has said, a bit of extra UV on the lighter part will speed up the process.
RE: Refinishing a student Bernal? (in reply to Escribano)
If a finish is not having any mechanical, chemical of structural failure, as in cracking, peeling, powering off, etc. A good idea is to just leave it alone.
Is there any exposed wood are any places where the existing finish has been compromised to be really thin? Almost bare? If the finish is full thickness and otherwise healthy then cleaning and a light polish it gives it much more sight appeal.
If not, you can take a high quality automotive polish put a half teaspoon full on a soft cotton cloth and clean the top with that by gently working in small circles. Turn the cloth often when it builds up with dust and grit. Wipe off the residue carefully minding things like the corners of the bridge and edges of tap plate where the polish gathers.
The ghosting from the sticker........I only hope it was not a sticker of Barney the Dinosaur, because you are stuck with his silhouette for another two to four years. Hopefully it is something manly like a beer advertisement.
I've seen guitars of parents that have the kids stickers on them, fun funny stuff usually. They ask: "How can I take this off? My kid put this on my guitar!" Reply: "What you don't like Minny Mouse and Spice Girls? Try 3M Adhesive remover, sparingly."
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