Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[St.James]

I have an SL2H with a few scuffs on the clear coat. It's not too deep, but looks like a pain to get out. What's the best way to go about fixing that?

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

do you have a hand buffer? if not, you can pick up a 6" RO buffer at home depot for around $20. i'd start with that, some fine cut compound (i like meguiars, you can get it at auto parts stores) and swirl remover. take the strings off and either mask off or remove the hardware and buff it out.

if that doesn't help, wetsand with 1500, then 2000, then 2500, then buff it out as described above.

sully

[St.James]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

That's kind of what I thought, but the more I read here the less I realize I actually know.

What you you think of those foam buffing pads at stew mac that fits in a variable speed drill?

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

i like em okay, but it's REALLY easy to burn through the finish. especially if you're using a spraycan lacquer like krylon, etc. i've got a few pieces of buffing equipment so far, and i mainly use a combination of the RO hand buffer and a foam polish pad on my drill. my drill is a cordless 18v black and decker, and it doesn't seem to spin too fast for too long. you just have to be really careful with it.

that said, turtle wax makes a foam polishing bonnet for an RO buffer, which may be a safer route to go.

sully

[St.James]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

This guitar is the original Jackson finish. Just has a few scuffs that pisses me off every time I see them and looking to get them out as painlessly as possible.

[Model1VH2]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

Hey Sully,
You wouldn't happen to have any pics of that "RO hand buffer", would ya?

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

not at the moment, but it's basically like one of these:

[Model1VH2]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

Cool, thanks!

[krimson]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

I used to help a friend that painted cars and Sully is right on with his suggestion. It's amazing what a light wetsand, rubbing compound, and 3m Mirror Glaze (Swirl Remover) can do.

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

<font color="aqua">so how do you guys do inside the horns? Doing them by hand is time consuming as hell and a complete pain in the ass... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] </font>

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

yeah, it's a COLOSSAL pain in the ass. i want to pick up one of those mother's powerball attachments that go on a drill; here's a link: http://www.autogeek.net/mo5140.html

they're for cleaning metal wheels, and getting into the nooks and crannies and really cleaning them out. they have a smaller one as well. i saw a commercial for it a few months ago and the first thing i thought of was buffing out strat cutaways.

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

<font color="aqua">I have one of these (oscillating drum sander), and I've been trying to come up with a slick attachment that would hold a buffing "spool" instead of the drum sanding sleeve. It would work great, not perfectly, but great! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

</font>

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

you could put the superball on there, no?

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[ QUOTE ]
you could put the superball on there, no?

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">well I could but the rubber would burn through the finish! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

seriously, I'd have to come up with a threaded adapter (damn left handed threads lol!) to mount it and then raise the guitar body up a few inches but that could possibly work. </font>

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

yeah, sorry, i was thinking that somehow it could be mounted lower or some shit like that.