How to strip paint?

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cpeck
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How to strip paint?

Post by cpeck » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:29 pm

I've got a JM body that I want to strip and repaint...is there an easy way to do this?
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by i love sharin foo » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:31 pm

What kind of finish is it? Stripping lacquer is really easy, but poly takes some more work. A lot more actually. If it is lacquer, I like to use this gel stripper that Walmart sells. It is citrus based and there are no nasty fumes to worry about it.

Justin
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by cpeck » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:37 pm

i love sharin foo wrote: What kind of finish is it? Stripping lacquer is really easy, but poly takes some more work. A lot more actually. If it is lacquer, I like to use this gel stripper that Walmart sells. It is citrus based and there are no nasty fumes to worry about it.

Justin
It's a 90's MIJ body...not sure how to tell what kind of paint it is.
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by aen » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:39 pm

HEAT GUN.  it'll take it donw to the wood in under an hour.  You just point it at the guitar, wait for the finish to bubble up, stick a scraper under, and rip it off.  If you're really tricky, you can squeeze a scraper under the finish and scoot it around behind the heat gun to get huge pieces off.  I just did it to a tele, and I got 3/4 of the back side off in one piece, which took about two minutes.
I prefer their older stuff.

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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by i love sharin foo » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:39 pm

If it is original it should be poly. You will probably need to heat up the paint with a heat gun and then scrape and chip it off using a putty knife or something similar. Usually the stripper won't be too effective with the poly. You could still try though.

Good luck!

Justin
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by i love sharin foo » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:40 pm

aen wrote: HEAT GUN.  it'll take it donw to the wood in under an hour.  You just point it at the guitar, wait for the finish to bubble up, stick a scraper under, and rip it off.  If you're really tricky, you can squeeze a scraper under the finish and scoot it around behind the heat gun to get huge pieces off.  I just did it to a tele, and I got 3/4 of the back side off in one piece, which took about two minutes.
You beat me by 18 seconds you bastard  >:( !


;D :P


Justin
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by cpeck » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:43 pm

Thanks lads.

Now how about getting it refinished?  I've heard car places can do this...I just want a single color.  Any advice?
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by aen » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:02 pm

i love sharin foo wrote:
aen wrote: HEAT GUN.  it'll take it donw to the wood in under an hour.  You just point it at the guitar, wait for the finish to bubble up, stick a scraper under, and rip it off.  If you're really tricky, you can squeeze a scraper under the finish and scoot it around behind the heat gun to get huge pieces off.  I just did it to a tele, and I got 3/4 of the back side off in one piece, which took about two minutes.
You beat me by 18 seconds you bastard  >:( !


;D :P


Justin

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I prefer their older stuff.

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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by pullover » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:41 pm

cpeck wrote: Thanks lads.

Now how about getting it refinished?  I've heard car places can do this...I just want a single color.  Any advice?
If you want to do it yourself, you can read up on it at the reranch site, or just google "how to paint a guitar." But if you don't want to do it yourself, which I totally understand, then just take it around to a few automotive places. Ask them if they have any guys there that play guitar, because they will be the most interested in doing it. Usually they will work cheaper if your cool, and don't mind waiting for them to do it when they get the time. They can shoot it in a small area and keep it in a booth with a car so they should be pretty cool about it. You should fill and seal the wood yourself before taking it to them.
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Re: How to strip paint?

Post by JazzBlaster » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:52 pm

I stripped my MIJ it was candy apple and it took a few days using stripper. I repainted it using the reranch stuff and am happy with it. (that was about 7 years ago)
It's not about the gear! It's about you, your hands, your imagination, your feelings.

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