Matching Fender urethane with CA

[Obsessive Tinkerer]

Hi all,
So I have a 1995 American Standard Strat neck that twisted on me so I used it to learn about getting a perfect gloss finish. After clamping it to a heat press and steaming it until it confessed to it’s sins... it’s dead straight.

looking at my finish work I’m noting that where I applied CA is far glossier than the original polished finish. My technique was to add a small blob of CA where there were dents, I scraped with a razor and sanded dry and wet from 1000 to 7000. Then I compounded and used Maguires 7 and 9. There isn’t a scratch or swirl mark to be found now. However, there are blobs of higher gloss where I treated the dings.

Considering CA is a common ding repair tool, I have to figure this ghas come up before. Has anyone had this same issue and resolved it? Considering how smooth the surface is, I think the CA has permeated the original finish, so anymore sanding it moot and will just go into the wood.

thoughts are appreciated.

 

[larry1096]

What you're seeing is actually a difference in the clearness of the two finishes, I imagine. Either that, or there was a tint (added or from aging) on the finish of the neck, and the water-clear CA lacks it.

Something worth trying is rubbing the whole neck down with a very light brown shoe polish, then rubbing it all off. That can add back a tiny bit of tint.

Larry

 

[Obsessive Tinkerer]

What you're seeing is actually a difference in the clearness of the two finishes, I imagine. Either that, or there was a tint (added or from aging) on the finish of the neck, and the water-clear CA lacks it.

Something worth trying is rubbing the whole neck down with a very light brown shoe polish, then rubbing it all off. That can add back a tiny bit of tint.

Larry

Thanks,

the tint aspect makes sense as this neck is quite yellowed. I’ll give the shoe polish trick a shot. Thanks.

 

[vortexxxx]

You can take down the higher gloss blobs using different methods. I don't know what the easiest or best would be to advise. As an art student, I became good with an airbrush, so theoretically I can mask the area around the gloss and shoot it with clear that is less glossy. It need only be a fine 1 or 2 quick passes over the area. If you knew you had clear that is exactly the same in glossiness as the original, you dont really need to mask.
I'm sure there are probably easier ways though.

 

[Husky]

If there is a high spot then use a glass slide to use as a flat sanding plate and some sticky back sandpaper like 1000 grit (auto supply store in disks) stuck to the glass slide. As for color forget it. Shoe polish will create a sticky mess.

 

[larry1096]

If there is a high spot then use a glass slide to use as a flat sanding plate and some sticky back sandpaper like 1000 grit (auto supply store in disks) stuck to the glass slide. As for color forget it. Shoe polish will create a sticky mess.

I'm not prepared to argue *anything* guitar related with Mr. Suhr. A man's got to know his limits.

I will just report that, depending on the original finish, many folks have reported that specific Kiwi polishes will permanently tint poly finishes if applied in a specific way. A quick Google will show many reports of it succeeding. An important component of the process seems to be 'polishing' the Kiwi completely off the neck after some hours of application or you will, indeed, create a mess.

That said, I've never done it, and have no direct experience, so listening to my advice on this would certainly be unwise.

Larry

 

[Husky]

I'm not prepared to argue *anything* guitar related with Mr. Suhr. A man's got to know his limits.

I will just report that, depending on the original finish, many folks have reported that specific Kiwi polishes will permanently tint poly finishes if applied in a specific way. A quick Google will show many reports of it succeeding. An important component of the process seems to be 'polishing' the Kiwi completely off the neck after some hours of application or you will, indeed, create a mess.

That said, I've never done it, and have no direct experience, so listening to my advice on this would certainly be unwise.

Larry

Maybe there is a tan suede that will work. In general though if it is surface stain by getting in to the scratches it will come off and wear unevenly. I also find shoe polish to be sticky. If it is able to stain the finish then it would be irreversible so make sure you pick a shoe color you like ;-). I also thought it was more about trying to stain the glue to match the neck. Fender didn't use a lot of polyester on necks, maybe just the 70's. They did use polyurethane, lacquer and Acrylic urethane so the results are going to depend. Scotch brite in grey is OK for dulling the finish.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

The only Kiwi I'd ever use on a guitar would be Kiwi neutral, and that only to remove scuffs from a poly finish.

 

[Terry McInturff]

1) The difference in gloss levels CA/Urethane is due to the differing hardness of the two; the CA is harder and thus buffs out glossier.
2) There are now CA glues that are specifically designed for filling in chips on catalyzed guitar finishes, and these are softer than standard CA glues.
3) There are also purpose-designed clear and opaque tints for use with CA. Via experimentation it should be possible to tint CA to a pretty good match.

 

[jvin248]

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sand it back to satin all over

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