Anyone removed a poly finish before?

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by jeremyb »

YUMMO!
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Molly
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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by Molly »

Hollowpoint wrote:Thanks guys! Now I just have to fill some of the old pickguard screw holes (new ones don't quite line up) and find somewhere that can print waterslide decals in white!

Good luck with yours Molly! Getting my finish off turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. I tried a hair dryer, a heat gun, and poly stripper and really didn't get very far other that the very top coat of of the poly off with a heat gun and scraper. That still left a thick coat of poly that i went at with sandpaper for days on end.
Oh... Sounds like a mission. Swear I stripped my Strat like peeling an orange. Just shows ya. Dunno what, but it does show ya. :-)

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by Bg »

not all poly is created equal ;)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by GrantB »

Fender poly from the 70's is the work of Beelzebub.
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by Bg »

GrantB wrote:Fender poly from the 70's is the work of Beelzebub.
yeah and before that, fullerplast is a bitch to get off and that dates back to 1963. It was applied before the Nitro thus negating any actual perceived toanal benefit of having a thin layer of nitro. Allegedly - I've not stripped one that old :D
Sure they aren't the only culprits but its the best known. And I've used 2 part epoxy to grain fill. Just not to that extent.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by Hollowpoint »

Bg wrote:not all poly is created equal ;)
Indeed! I hadn't realised beforehand that the Squire VM's are finished in polyester and not polyurethane.

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Re: Anyone removed a poly finish before?

Post by Eruera »

Yeah the whole 'poly' finish thing makes it sound simpler than it is. Polyester and polyurethanes will generally require different solvents, indeed different polyurethanes may not share a common solvent and some are thermoplastic while others aren't. There also appear to be some sneaky epoxy finishes in the mix as well, which is another ballgame again.

If you could get hold of it, methyl pyrrolidone and some heat would be fairly close to a universal finish remover.

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