Sanding a cab.....

[zhivago]

Hi everyone,

I removed the old tolex from a cab I have, and now I need to sand it down so I can apply some new tolex.

What grades of sanding paper should I use?

many thanks in advance,

John

[Tinman]

Use the coarsest grit you feel comfortable using. I might start with something as coarse as 60 grit. Definately use a wood block with the sand paper wherever you can. The bare wood you expose will sand away a lot quicker than the surrounding areas that are still covered with glue. The block will help you bridge over the exposed wood areas and prevent dips in the surface. If you are retolexing the cab, I wouldn't bother sanding to anything finer than 80 grit. Check your work often as you sand and don't apply too much pressure. 80 grit goes through pine pretty quickly.

[Southbay Ampworks]

If you've got a bunch of glue, I'd recommend 50 grit, especially if it's a plywood/baltic birch 4x12, use an electric belt sander (I have RECENT experience). If it's a pine cab, you can go to 60 grit, but watch what you're doing.

One product that helps is to use finish stripper, and to scrape off the glue/stripper muck with a putty knife in the direction of the wood grain, not cross grain. With especially heavy glue this is the way to go, UNLESS it's a particle board back, then you have to use the belt sander/block since the stripper might do bad things to the glue/sealer/whatever in the particle board. Better to not take a chance, I didn't on the JCM 900 cab I recently finished a "makeover" to.

Good luck!

[Southbay Ampworks]

Here are the links to the tolex/cloth tutorials I've done, if they can be of any help to you, use them.

Fender Tweed: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=68281&highlight=tweed+101

Grillcloth installation: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=67452&highlight=grillcloth+101

Marshall 4x12 slant cab recover: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=70200&highlight=recover+101

Marshall JCM 900 slant cab "makeover": http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=1186568#post1186568

If you get stuck, email me and I'll see if I can help...

[zhivago]

hey guys, thank you for all your help! :)

I got the re-tolexing thread bookmarked (that's what gave me courage!)

the cab is a 1x12 Musicmaster Bass Amp cab.

There's glue on it...not too much...it's been sprayed plack too, so I'll need to clean it all off before applying the new tolex (I'm gonna go for blonde!) :)

[zhivago]

Here are the links to the tolex/cloth tutorials I've done, if they can be of any help to you, use them.

Fender Tweed: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=68281&highlight=tweed+101

Grillcloth installation: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=67452&highlight=grillcloth+101

Marshall 4x12 slant cab recover: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=70200&highlight=recover+101

Marshall JCM 900 slant cab "makeover": http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=1186568#post1186568

If you get stuck, email me and I'll see if I can help...


thank you ever so much for this :)

these threads are GREAT resources!!!

I'll have a go this weekend and report my progress!!

John

[zhivago]

hey guys...quick update...it's coming along ok...

I've sanded off the glue...the cab is painted black so I'm sanding through all that too...I don't have a sander, so I'm doing it manualy....heh...talk about aching hands!! :)

I'll be turning this cab into a head, by the way...

here's a pic of the progress....

http://www.againstperfection.net/guitars/MMB_sanded.JPG

more updated in the following days/weeks :)