|
|
Post by ijustwannastrat on Sept 24, 2009 22:26:06 GMT -5
I didn't know if I should put this in luthiery or acoustic guitars, so I put it here. I have an alvarez rd8, it is a dreadnought style guitar. As my may know by now, I loath playing guitars with glossy surfaces. So I was wondering, how could I easily turn this into a good looking satin or matte finish? I had some 0000 steel wool in my hand, and I was staring at this bastardly finish, and I was hit with an idea. Ask people who know.
|
|
|
|
Post by newey on Sept 24, 2009 22:45:27 GMT -5
I don't know, but Cynical would be the 1 to ask, as pointed out earlier today. He seems to have the mantle of resident refinishing guru these days.  My best guess (IOW, what I would do) would be to get a sanding block and a big sheaf of 400 grit sandpaper. It clogs up quickly, so you have to replace the sheets often. Take the finish down to where the gloss is off, no further. Then mask and respray with your choice of matte finish. You should test the new finish before spraying, in an unobtrusive spot. An Alvarez is a pretty nice guitar, I don't know that I'd use the rattle-cans for that. If you don't have access to a real spray gun with a compressor, the Preval disposable units work pretty well. |
|
|
|
Post by cynical1 on Sept 25, 2009 12:27:38 GMT -5
If all you're looking to do is knock the gloss off some 600 grit sandpaper and 0000 sand paper can do the trick.
Depending on the thickness of the existing finish you may run into trouble sanding on the corners, but go slow and life should be good.
I always liked the results of spraying a high gloss with a matte or satin finish over the top of it. You end up with a matte finish that really jumps out at you when the light hits it. You get a real depth to the grain and finish without the "waterbed pine" gloss to it.
Happy Trails
Cynical One
|
|
|
|
Post by ijustwannastrat on Sept 25, 2009 14:51:13 GMT -5
I like cynical's suggestion a little better. I am aweful at spraying, so I stay away as much as possible. The gloss seems thicker than needed, so it should help with that too.
|
|
|
|
Post by vonFrenchie on Oct 17, 2009 13:52:50 GMT -5
The only way to get better at spraying is to practice, practice, practice.
And cynical... that idea of yours about the matte over the high gloss is kind of similar to the way Cadillac would paint their "white diamond" finish. They'd sand the clear coat down and re-clear coat it a lot, this gives the effect that its a super-deep paint job in the right light. Both the matte over gloss and the regloss methods look beautiful if their done right.
|
|
