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  #1  
Old 02-08-2018, 11:38 AM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Default Help Needed on Disaster with Finish and Bridge

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for your guy’s expertise on a disaster situation that I am currently dealing with. Please hold any judgments. I already feel like a moron. I’ll be brief in the story, but I was creating an aluimum inlay on my bridge. I did research and found got a leafing pen and designed it. I then let it dry and painted a water based polyurethane finish to seal the paint. The polyurethane then faded some of the paint and left it smeared and unattractive. I then used a cleaning compound to rub away the finish and compound. When cleaning the bridge. It took of the paint, but it left a HORRIBLE residue and then some of it went onto the finish of the guitar and left a haze on it. I’m really not sure where to go from here. Should I take it to a luthier? Should I consider a bridge replacement? Also, what will remove this haze?!


I tried to post pictures, I’m not sure exactly where to post photos.

Thanks guys!
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  #2  
Old 02-08-2018, 02:16 PM
thechoochlyman thechoochlyman is offline
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Create an account on Imgur.com and then link the URLs here.
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Old 02-08-2018, 02:46 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Sorry for your disaster - most of us have "been there" before.

The answer really depends on the type of finish on the guitar.

Please give specific info and post some pictures.
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Old 02-09-2018, 08:13 AM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Finish: non catalyzed gloss/vintage toner
Bridge: 2 1/8 black ebony

Below is a link to pictures.

Thanks for much for you help everyone

https://imgur.com/a/zfxjQ
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  #5  
Old 02-09-2018, 08:44 AM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnrhendon View Post
Finish: non catalyzed gloss/vintage toner
non-catalyzed is a type of curing reaction, usually describing a lacquer. Is this a lacquer, then? If so you can blend in a lacquer fix but it takes some special skills.

The vintage toner is irrelevant.

The bridge is super easy to fix: you can lightly scrape/sand the ebony down (that isn't finished) and get a beautiful finish on it with care and technique.
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Old 02-09-2018, 08:46 AM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
non-catalyzed is a type of curing reaction, usually describing a lacquer. Is this a lacquer, then? If so you can blend in a lacquer fix but it takes some special skills.



The vintage toner is irrelevant.



The bridge is super easy to fix: you can lightly scrape/sand the ebony down (that isn't finished) and get a beautiful finish on it with care and technique.


Well, that’s great *wipes sweat from my forehead*

Can you explain the “special skills”

Thanks again for the response
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Old 02-09-2018, 08:53 AM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Sure....
basically the ebony is not finished - it is raw wood. Some companies put dye in it to darken it but the wood doesn't have a sealing top coat on it.

Fine woodworkers use something called cabinet scrapers to microplane the surface instead of sanding (do a quick youtube search to see it).

I use a similar technique when working with fingerboards, using a single edge razor blade, cabinet scraping with the grain/ Super easy. The only thing is to mask/protect/avoid the guitar top and get a feel for scraping. You dont want to use sandpaper as that will round edges and give a softened geometry.
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Old 02-09-2018, 09:46 AM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
Sure....

basically the ebony is not finished - it is raw wood. Some companies put dye in it to darken it but the wood doesn't have a sealing top coat on it.



Fine woodworkers use something called cabinet scrapers to microplane the surface instead of sanding (do a quick youtube search to see it).



I use a similar technique when working with fingerboards, using a single edge razor blade, cabinet scraping with the grain/ Super easy. The only thing is to mask/protect/avoid the guitar top and get a feel for scraping. You dont want to use sandpaper as that will round edges and give a softened geometry.


Just to clarify. You’re referring to the bridge in the case of the cabinet scraping?

I’m just a tad confused (if the scraping was in reference to the finish in the body) on how exactly to cure the haze.

Thanks
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Old 02-09-2018, 12:23 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnrhendon View Post
Just to clarify. You’re referring to the bridge in the case of the cabinet scraping?

I’m just a tad confused (if the scraping was in reference to the finish in the body) on how exactly to cure the haze.

Thanks
Yes I was specifically (and only) referring to cleaning up the ebony bridge.

The pictures are really helpful for the lacquer finish.

Lacquer is very repairable by a pro since it will remelt and can be made invisibly repaired but you need a real finish pro with skill and equipment. its not hard but it just takes a special skill
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  #10  
Old 02-09-2018, 03:46 PM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Good call on the razor blade and cabinet scraper. Got the white off the bridge. It’s a hair lighter than before, but that’s understood. Thanks for that information.

I assume a luthier can take care of the finish?
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Old 02-09-2018, 06:44 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnrhendon View Post
Good call on the razor blade and cabinet scraper. Got the white off the bridge. It’s a hair lighter than before, but that’s understood. Thanks for that information.

I assume a luthier can take care of the finish?
Yes they will be able to but make sure they are a good with finishing not just guitar technician repairs ("art" not "science").

Run some olde english lemon scented mineral oil on the bridge and it will look like new again
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  #12  
Old 02-13-2018, 07:45 AM
Shawnrhendon Shawnrhendon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
Yes they will be able to but make sure they are a good with finishing not just guitar technician repairs ("art" not "science").



Run some olde english lemon scented mineral oil on the bridge and it will look like new again


Ran the oil and it looks perfect.

Thanks again for all of your help!
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