Easy way to remove paint?

[VanOsbourne]

Whats the easiest way to remove paint from a guitar body?

I want to strip all the paint down to the wood.

[DonP]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

I just did this yesterday. I tried KleanStrip heavy duty from Lowes. Says it takes only 15 minute - NOT! After 4-5 hours, I still have the white base coat. I'm going to use a palm sander the rest of the way.

I guess I could say the stripper did most of the work, but still leaves a lot to be desired. Either that or this paint is just rock hard! I could probably do a few more applications of stripper to get the rest of it off.

If your paint is like mine, get the strongest stuff you can find.

[txcharvel]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

If it's poly, don't take it all the way to the wood. The poly is the best base coat you could want. Just rough it up enough and prime it.

If it's laquer, any paint stripper should work fine...and fast. Use a 3-inch putty knife to scrape off the gunk and follow up with steel wool until all the paint is gone.

If you do take it all the way to the wood and you are doing the paint yourself, use a good sealer or the grain will show through no matter how many coats you put on. Trust me, this advice come from experience [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[charvelguy]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

Tie a rope to it and haul it behind your truck. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[DonP]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

[ QUOTE ]
If it's poly, don't take it all the way to the wood. The poly is the best base coat you could want. Just rough it up enough and prime it.

If it's laquer, any paint stripper should work fine...and fast. Use a 3-inch putty knife to scrape off the gunk and follow up with steel wool until all the paint is gone.

If you do take it all the way to the wood and you are doing the paint yourself, use a good sealer or the grain will show through no matter how many coats you put on. Trust me, this advice come from experience [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

How can you tell if it's poly? The paint on mine has a sweet smell to it. I smelt it when I sanded and painted it the first time (didn't go down to the wood) and I smell it again with the stripper.

Since I've stripped mine (not all the way - some wood showing in a few places), should I sand and paint, or should I continue what I started and go to the wood?

Main reason I wanted to go to the wood was to see what type of wood this body is. I think it's solid maple - very heavy, but I'd like to know for sure.

I bought it with an Aria neck 15-20 years ago, but I know for sure it's not an Aria body. I'll post a new thread with pictures, asking for help id'ing the body.

[paige]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

If your using stripper, the secret to it is when you brush it on always swipe it in the same direction. After you apply it cover it with thin plastic, this keeps the solvents working against the paint. If you don't the solvents escape and don't work half as good.

[nonamemx]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

Dont eat the paint chips! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[bucknaked31]

Re: Easy way to remove paint?

If you're gonna take it down to the wood and are using a paint gun (not a rattle can), you can use a catylized polyurethane (which is almost like an epoxy), coat it a few times wait until it cures, then wetsand it. Since it is almost all solids, it will not sink into the wood. Once it's leveled, you can shoot color and more clear. Usually it takes about 4 shots of poly to fill ash, 3 coats to fill mahogany or walnut and 2 coats to fill alder and basswood.