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at_leo_87 -> RE: installing new golpeador, missing a chunk of lacquer (Jul. 31 2009 3:07:27)
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quote:
Leo, How did it turn out?
Oops, just found the other thread with the pictures. Looks like a success! Did you use a hair-dryer to warm up the golpeador before peeling it off? and how did you fill out the missing piece of laquer?
I didn't take off the blue sheet yet so I don't know 100% but from i see so far, it turned out great! better than i expected.
i took a blowdryer and warmed the edge of the neck side of the golpeador. these golpeadors went way up the body, the bass side all the way up to the end of the body. it looked horrible! i figured if i am going to use heat and i might damage something, it's better to damage one of the braces near the soundhole than one of the fan braces (im assuming the fan braces are more important).
i kept one hand through the soundhole to make sure the inside wasn't heating up. i moved the heat around a bit, never stayed in one exact spot and used it for 15 seconds at a time max.
then i just stuck my fingernail under there, which was a bit tricky. once i lifted it a teeny bit, i applied turpentine right away. then i just followed my pulling with a q-tip dipped in turpentine. so i just pulled, rubbed a little turpentine where the golpeador was coming off, pulled, rubbed, etc. the turpentine made it easier to pull the golpeador off and helped glue residue clean up as well.
once i got the golpeadors off, i used a cloth double wrapped around my thumb and turpentine and just pushed the glue (the long thumb nail has multiple uses!) by now, the turpentine i used to take off the golpeador has soaked in the glue residue for a bit. in the other thread, you can see how i pushed it all into one spot. this stuff is very stick, so try not to get it on your hand or other parts of the guitar. at this point, the guitar was as greasy as the tacos i had for dinner. make sure you really get all the glue off. by the way, my guitar is lacquered. so i have no idea what works for french polish. and i think using lighter fluid might have been easier from what i read.
i cleaned up the turpentine with water, then wiped it dry.
i used printer paper to cut out a shape for the new golpeadors. using tracing paper would have been much easier. cut the printer paper to the size of the golpeador or however big you want the golpeador to be. i then placed it down where i wanted it on the guitar and roughly tried to outline the rosette. then i used a compass to make a proper circle for the rosette. be extra sure about this part. measure and check 5 times. for the bottom corners, i just traced a really small dish and for the top, i traced the round part of my compass. a shot glass would do as well.
i took the piece of paper and flipped it over (so it is mirrored/reversed) and lined it up against the back of the golpeador sheet, taped it then cut with sharp scissors. i worked very slowly. i made small adjustments afterward with the scissors and sand paper, just rubbing it a bit to make it even and rounded.
now the fun part! i placed the golpeador in position. taped one side down well (i taped the bass side.) then i lifted up the rest of the golpeador and sprayed water all over (put a towel in the soundhole for this) the top. then i peeled off a bit of the back where i taped it to expose the adhesive side. press the golpeador down, then use something (your thumb, a block piece of wood wrapped in cloth, etc.) to push the golpeador down and the air bubbles out. the water will carry the air bubbles out with it when you push on them. then peel back some more, push down, push out air bubbles. then peel back some more, etc. until finally the whole thing is in place. clean up the excess water.
and that's it!
i didnt bother with the missing piece of lacquer, i just left it. it's actually not noticeable now that i took the old golpeador off.
the whole process probably took an hour. maybe more. but it goes by fast and it was actually pretty fun.
it's definitely do-able by anybody. you just have to be patient and work slow and accurate. the hardest part was cutting old the golpeador. and that was pretty easy.
if you want practice, replace the golpeadors on your least favorite guitar first. [:D]
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