Refinishing question

[wblock77]

I wasn't going to post pictures of my project until I was done but I need to ask a question before I go further. I had a train wreck to repair (see attached before picture) and got it back together in a way that I think is good (particularly considering my novice status). I am all the way up to the wait period before the final sanding and polishing. It feels smooth and looks good (to my satisfaction). I decided to take a picture. The picture shows white lines at the transitions to my super glued repairs. I t doesn't look like that to my naked eye but my eyes are getting pretty old. Should I back up or press on. The resale value on this guitar is shot (see before picture) so I'm not worried about that. I just want to learn about this process. Will the polishing help this? Maybe the resolution here won't show it. [ATTACH]N71_0595.jpg[/ATTACH]

[wblock77]

this might show it better. I emphasized it pretty well with Lightroom exposure increase. N71_0595-2.jpg

[Carey]

If your question is whether or not the white lines and such evident in your
photos will be visible after finishing, the answer is almost certainly "yes".

As for continuing on as-is: I would, but it's not my guitar. You'll learn a lot by finishing the job.

[wblock77]

Thanks for the reply Carey. I think I will take it over the finish line. You answered what I was wondering about. I knew that it couldn't be brought completely to new without replacing the whole back. I was just anxious to speculate on what will happen with the white lines. This will be my guitar I get to take in the RV and such. I'm just glad it recovered structurally and a joy to play. Someday it might have had a hole worn in the front like Willie's but I'd have to take off the pick guard and do a lot of strumming.

[phavriluk]

DISCLOSURE: I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS.

But nothing stops minds from churning. Picking one small area, can the light lines be cut out/picked away? Can the gaps later be drop-filled (Nitro please) and do the white lines stay away? Any chance c/a 'accellerator' was used to help move curing along? I've seen c/a frost up after getting sprayed with accellerator.

I've found my worst enemy is impatience, not lack of skill or materials.

Good luck with this. Looks like a guitar revival is at hand, no matter how the cosmetics work out.

[runamuck]

Those white lines look like what happens when most brands of accelerator are used. If so, they won't disappear with finish.

To avoid this problem in the future use Glue Boost accelerator.

[John Arnold]

While accelerator can foam the CA causing the whitish look, I think this is a case of loose finish around the edges of missing patches. Thin CA can sometimes be wicked under the loose finish, but it rarely does a complete job. About the only recourse is to remove the finish from the affected areas and drop fill, either with lacquer or CA.
I avoid the foaming or cloudy CA on drop fills by using odorless CA (Bob Smith Industries Super Gold) and Gluboost accelerator. Odorless CA has the advantage of not kicking off quite as fast, plus it will not attack nitro lacquer.
Looks like a very nice repair, notwithstanding. Guitars with this level of damage often end up in a dumpster.

[Carey]

I think it's especially common to see loose finish edges in situations like the OP's with polyesters and polyurethanes, and getting those edges stuck firmly down can be a chore.

[redir]

You did a pretty good job of it especially considering you have never done this before. To take solace in that anyway.

IDK what kind of guitar it is but if it is an expensive one then sure you lost some value but perhaps not as much as you think.

I would try sanding out the affected area and refinishing the area. It might take the whiteness out and/or minimize it in which case you may be able to hide more by coloring.

Regluing across grain like that is difficult. Next time consider using Titebond.