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Sea Foam Green would have been my choice but it looks a good job made.

Brian's advice is right on the money - that rubber trick is just perfectly. I know you know way more about this than me Grant, and you know this anyway... but the longer you can wait before doing the sanding the better. I found that I picked up lots of little micro scratches when sanding too early. I waited a while, the paint hardened, and the finish came up really well. I think it was a case of the bits of paint being removed would clump up in the sandpaper, and they would in turn scratch the finish, because it was still soft.

werdna wrote:Sea Foam Green would have been my choice but it looks a good job made.

I like green, but this was a factory Fiesta, and so it must return to that colour. Yes, there's something wrong with me.

AiRdAd wrote:Brian's advice is right on the money - that rubber trick is just perfectly. I know you know way more about this than me Grant, and you know this anyway... but the longer you can wait before doing the sanding the better. I found that I picked up lots of little micro scratches when sanding too early. I waited a while, the paint hardened, and the finish came up really well. I think it was a case of the bits of paint being removed would clump up in the sandpaper, and they would in turn scratch the finish, because it was still soft.

Yes, I reckon about a month at this time of the year. I did the Jazzmaster neck after 10 days but that was summer. I don't use a rubber, but i might give it a try. What I have used is the back of a coin battery.

I have some great 3M foam pads that go up to 10000...normally I finish at 2000 and go to buffing compound.

Your sanding plan is destined for success. After about 800 it's quite hard to tell whether you are making a difference any longer. I love the sanding and buffing the most out of the whole process.

GrantB wrote:I like green, but this was a factory Fiesta, and so it must return to that colour. Yes, there's something wrong with me.

Some people get a little bit obsessed about the colour of their guitars. So I hear.

What brand of compounds do you guys use for the final cut and polish? I've used the Meguiars stuff with mixed success.

I start with Stewmac stuff...med then fine, then shift to 3M scratch remover, then up to Meguiars for the final two stages. Gold Class is the final from memory.

Is the fine compound not good enough after taking it through to 2000 grit? So Meguiars swirl removed then wax?

At Auckland Museum, the Kiwi Music display temporarily on features a white 1962 strat owned by Harry Lyons of Hello Sailor. There is also a nice 1964 Jansen Bandmaster, which is basically a tele with binding.

Has anyone asked why it needed a refinish? keep that shit banged up and battered i say

but that does look amazing! and cant wait to see it finished!

I agree - but someone beat me to it

Ive got between 6-7 coats of clear on this now. The results are very good. I very tempted to leave it for the curing stage. I know my family would like the industrial chemical smell to be gone! Finishing work really does suck.

what sort of stripper do you use and how many passes ?
i'm stripping a bass at the moment and I got some water based stripper (environment and all that...)
but I applied some last night....scraped it off this morning and hasn't made a blind bit of difference
if anything it's shinier!!
might as well have used natural yoghurt

lol. I used some auto stripper in an aerosol from Repco

GrantB wrote:I agree - but someone beat me to it

Oh god, the yellow!