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Old 10-22-2018, 12:12 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Location: Tucson, Arizona
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Default Permanent finger prints and haze after using Stew Mac Preservation Polish??

I polished my buffed-out 000-15sm over the weekend with this polish and noticed that no matter how long or hard I rubbed with a clean cloth after applying the polish, a hazy residue would remain on the wood, causing wavy lines demarcating the area where I had applied the polish from those I hadn't. I also noticed my own finger prints where I had held the guitar body in place, but not applied polish. Apparently, a little bit of polish had been on my fingers and became imprinted onto the back of the guitar. No amount of hard rubbing could get rid of them.

I ended up re-buffing the affected area with Stew Mac swirl remover and repeated applications of the Preservation Polish in quick succession. It appears to be the case that the polish dries very quickly, within seconds, to the point where rubbing and buffing with a clean cloth no longer removes it.

The only way to "fix" the issue was by applying more polish, rubbing it onto the surface for a maximum of 15 seconds or so, and removing it immediately and very quickly by rubbing with a clean cloth. After several rounds of doing this, the haze disappeared. The finger prints, however, are less visible, but still there.

What the heck? Am I doing something wrong? Polishing a guitar should not be this difficult, should it?

The issue seems to be that the polish dries on quicker than I can remove it by the actual polishing process.

Could I safely remove dried-on polish with lighter fluid?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
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"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with)

Martin America 1
Martin 000-15sm
Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS
Taylor GS Mini
Baton Rouge 12-string guitar
Martin L1XR Little Martin
1933 Epiphone Olympic
1971 square neck Dobro
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  #2  
Old 10-22-2018, 12:22 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
I polished my buffed-out 000-15sm
In buffing your guitar, did you go through the finish?

I'd need to see photos to provide any greater insight.

"Polishes" usually contain some abrasive, wax and a thinner/carrier in some proportions. The thinner/carrier is there to make the polish spreadable, but doesn't do any work, itself. When the thinner/carrier evaporates, one is left with abrasive and/or wax. It is the "elbow grease" on this abrasive and/or wax that does the "polishing". Usually, wiping with a clean cloth removes any excess.
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Old 10-22-2018, 12:36 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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Sometimes, climate, and even how old the polish is, or if you shaked the container properly to mix it, can cause that. Also you may try using a damp pad or cloth to apply and buff out the polish. I have used naptha in the past, but just a damp cloth should remove most residue...
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  #4  
Old 10-22-2018, 01:02 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 5,744
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
In buffing your guitar, did you go through the finish?

I'd need to see photos to provide any greater insight.

"Polishes" usually contain some abrasive, wax and a thinner/carrier in some proportions. The thinner/carrier is there to make the polish spreadable, but doesn't do any work, itself. When the thinner/carrier evaporates, one is left with abrasive and/or wax. It is the "elbow grease" on this abrasive and/or wax that does the "polishing". Usually, wiping with a clean cloth removes any excess.
I did sand the guitar (which was stupid, I know) when I did the buffing, but that was about 2-3 years ago. In hindsight, I shouldn't have done it, but that's now water under the bridge. I did go through the finish all the way into the wood by accident in a couple of spots, but those are not part of the area that I decided to (re-) polish this past weekend.

It sounds like it's the wax that stayed behind and left the haze, but for some reason, I was not able to rub it off, unless of course, by "elbow grease" we mean rubbing a lot longer than I did. I rubbed hard for a minute or so, but when I did not notice any change in the haze, I figured more rubbing wouldn't help.

I wonder if the polish simply isn't good anymore. Since I bought it 2 or 3 years ago, it has been sitting in a box in the garage, which here in Arizona gets up to temps of 100-plus degrees Fahrenheit. I just figured the stuff doesn't age, but perhaps it does?
__________________
"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with)

Martin America 1
Martin 000-15sm
Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS
Taylor GS Mini
Baton Rouge 12-string guitar
Martin L1XR Little Martin
1933 Epiphone Olympic
1971 square neck Dobro
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