Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

[jackson1]

How would you go about removing swirls and light scratches from an old 1987 Soloist body (with graphic)? The scratches are all over the body - you know, like old guitars end up after being used (not abused) after 17 years of use.

My own idea would be to wet sand it, starting with grit 1200 or so and continue up in grits ending with a polish. But are the cleacoat thick enough for this approach - will it be safe you think?

I don't think the scratches can be polished away with a polish containing abrasive. I could be wrong. Any help appreciated.

Thanks!

[mm2002]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

I think you'll be safe to wet sand and buff it as long as none of the scratches are deep (through the clear). I'd start with 1500 grit with soapy water (lightly), and then go to a medium cut compound, and then to a fine cut polish (both with a sponge pad).

[jackson1]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

OK thanks a lot, mm. I already ordered some 3M Perfect-It III Fast Cut Compound and 3M Perfect-It III Finishing Glaze and i'm looking forward to see how these two products perform on both new and old lacquers. I hope the Fast Cut isn't too fast cutting, hehe.

What's the soap for? I thought the wet should be as pure/clean as possible?

[Bengal65]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

Another excellent polish is Stewmac's "fine" polishing compound. It's really amazing and it goes a long way.

[mm2002]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

Screw Stewmacs stuff, it's nothing but overpriced repackaged stuff for twice the price in 1/4 the quantity! (did that make sense??)

Jackson1, for wetsanding always put a few drops of dishsoap in the water. It acts as a lubricant and makes the paper last longer + it prevents the sandpaper from accumulating any "buildup" of the sanded finish which can and will cause scratching. I'll give ya another little piece of advice: always soak the sandpaper in water for 5 or 10 minutes before you start sanding. This softens the paper backing a little and prevents deep scratches that can occur from the edges of the paper.

[Ace]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

You can remove them, but they'll be back next month.

[jackson1]

Re: Need advice on swirls and normal scratches

mm, i haven't had any buildup as of yet. I'm sanding like 4-8 strokes with a pre-soaked sandpaper and then i spray down the sandpaper with water + wipe the guitar clean from any liquid - again and again. Works really well, no scratches, no buildup. And the sandpaper seems to last very long, so i'll keep the water soap-free for now. Btw. i'm using grit 2000 just to be safe. If it's not enough i'll go down to 1500 and try again. Thanks for the info, mm.

Ace: "You can remove them, but they'll be back next month."

After sanding, the clear will be polished with a light abrasive and then hit with a finishing glaze to seal the top. I hope that will keep the surface strong and i bet it will last more than a month. I'm pretty sure it will.