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  #1  
Old 01-12-2019, 06:54 AM
MyTwoCents MyTwoCents is offline
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Default Martin finish cure

I got a 1979 Martin D-35s at an auction and I wonder if I can fix and save itīs finish.

When I got it, it looked dull, in some spots like a mixture of gunk and bubbles - I have never seen anything alike. There were also marks from the players clothing. And it was somehow sticky.
So I carefully started cleaning it with a Martin guitar polish. I did not touch the top yet, just the body. After the "cleaning" the guitar looked great - not very shiny but good.

But the finish is not hard. It gets marks from my jeans, my sweater sticks to the guitar, and it still is a bit sticky. When I rub my finger with light/medium pressure on it, it looks as if the finish vanishes or gets dull. The neck is a bit sticky as well. It seems the new marks can be "polished" and then disappear.

What could I do? Apparantly it has been mistreated. Is there any way to get the surface harder again so it wonīt stick?

Any comment or help is much appreciated!
Greetings, Frank

jeans mark


rubbed with finger


untreated


untreated
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  #2  
Old 01-12-2019, 09:18 AM
Ben-Had Ben-Had is offline
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Default D-35

I just finished repairs on a 1972 D-35 that included some finish work very similar to what you are showing. On the back were several spots and the neck was a mess. He opted not to have the back done but the neck was so bad it really needed some work. The finish was so soft that trying to work the worse areas completely took off the finish along with the color, not the kind of job I want to tackle again.

Why was it that way - I'm not totally sure. If you have ever seen what some vinyl straps or guitar stands can do to nitro finish the damage on this guitar looked like that but more extensive and not localized. I was wondering if something in the guitar case had effected the entire finish.
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  #3  
Old 01-12-2019, 09:41 AM
6L6 6L6 is offline
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Not sure how you cure the finish, but I'd for sure talk to Frank Ford at Gryphon Stringed Instruments about it.

As for polish, I love LIZARD SPIT. It will remove all haze with just one application.

https://www.gryphonstrings.com
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:22 AM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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I know that over time, products like Windex will soften most finishes - not just lacquer, - and the only thing I know to do with such a problem is to refinish.
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Old 01-12-2019, 03:09 PM
B. Howard B. Howard is offline
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That has been exposed to something that affected the lacquer. My guess it was maybe over-sparyed and we have a reaction between the original lacquer and the new whatever.... A lot of dings in the top look finished over. It will never get hard again no matter what you do, only remedy is to remove and refinish.
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Old 01-12-2019, 07:48 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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My reply is similiar to Brians.

I think you may be lucky enough to just lightly sand the outer layer on the guitar and then apply a fresh coat of nitro, the cracks will remain but the tacky finish will hopefully be resolved.

Steve
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Old 01-13-2019, 05:15 PM
MyTwoCents MyTwoCents is offline
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Thanks for all of your infos! I will write a message to the preowner and ask him what happened. Maybe he tells me

I didnīt have the idea that it possibly has been finished over, thatīs interesting.

Light sanding and a fresh coat of nitro sounds like a good idea to me. Not much to loose I guess and I wouldnīt mind the cracks.
I like the idea because I think that way the new laquer does not get into the wood. If the result is not satisfying I could still completly refinish it.

I wonder if that is something I can do myself. How would the nitro be applied? How would you light sand it?

Iīm anxious to hear what the owner tells me....
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Old 01-13-2019, 06:11 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Not trying to sound rude, but if you are unaware on how it should be done then really you should not do it, finish work is one of those things I would not advise tackling for the first time on a quality guitar.

Steve
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  #9  
Old 01-13-2019, 07:04 PM
MyTwoCents MyTwoCents is offline
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Wink

Thanks Steve, I take that as a good advice! This is a beautifully sounding guitar and I donīt want to mess it up. I repair my guitars mostly myself but I have never done any finishing.
I will try to gather informations about it and if I feel I canīt do it, I am definitely not going to.

There are also issues with a warped top and the intonation, two small side cracks, a pickguard crack (none of the above mentioned by the preowner) so I have to find out about all of this - and possibly I will have some of the work done by a pro.

Thanks again for your advice!
Greetings Frank
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  #10  
Old 01-14-2019, 12:02 AM
Carey Carey is offline
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If they finish is as described by the OP, I'd think twice about spraying anything on top of it, as is.
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