Quick Repair Tip: Blush out that white haze from hot steam

[vintageparlors]

Removing an old parlor guitar neck from the neck joint using steam heat is fairly standard practice but the intensity of the steam heat can breakdown the guitar's finish and create a whitish haze. Sometimes a quick swipe of lacquer thinner can release the effects of hot steam and return the finish to its original appearance. Photo 1.

Other times it's not wise to physically touch a sensitive finish to avoid unforeseen damage from a cloth or wire wool so using an special aerosol spray to remove the white haze is an alternate. I use this product sold by StewMac but there are others on the market that achieve the same result. Photo 2

A quick and light "spritz" of the product on the area in question requires a short wait before the white haze begins to disappear and the prior finish begins to show through. Photo 3.

Quick Tip: Spritz only and don't overdo it. Too much of an application will cause the underlying finish to run, making the condition worse than before I started. It make take only a few minutes for the product to start to work but it takes a much longer time for it to dry. Avoid your fingerprints being left on the finish by waiting as long as possible to before handling the de-hazed area.