Best way to remove poly finish?

[djetz]

...not to replace with nitro.

The body on my partscaster is a nice two piece ash body with what's described as an amber finish. But the stain is more orange than amber and it doesn't really look all that good with the neck, which has a maple fretboard, so I'm thinking at some point I'll strip it and refin with tung oil. That's all I want, a stripped look.

It's a partscaster - USACG neck, good hardware of various brands, and a decent cheapo chinese made two piece ash body. It's a fine guitar, but has zero resale value, so it doesn't really matter if the body gets an amateur strip job.

So what's the best (and easiest) way to remove the poly finish and get back to bare wood? Keeping in mind that my tools are very basic and my skills with woodwork and particularly finishing are, frankly, rubbish. I figure I can handle rubbing oil into the body, but anything more advanced than that is beyond me.

If I can get the finish off without too much hassle (and I don't really care if the body ends up a bit rough) it's better than the alternative, which is buying a replacement body.

[bubbles_horwitz]

most people will be quick to recommend a heat gun, but you'll probably end up burning the wood a bit and will have to sand that down.
i recommend epoxy remover. i use a brand called "jasco". not sure if it's available on your side of the planet.
you just brush it on in small patches, then wait for the finish to start bubbling/flaking, and then scrape it off. it's messy, but easy.

[ohm-men]

Heat gun as said, witht the unfortunate result of wood burn stains. Not that pretty.
I used a common paint remover, just the stuff you get in most DIY stores. Best work outside or in a well ventilated erea.
Since Ash has a grain, I'm not sure it will be that easy to remove everything as the finish tends to get into the grain.  I guess you will have some sanding ahead of you.

[djetz]

I don't mind a bit of sanding, I can manage that to a passable standard. Heat gun isn't going to happen, I wouldn't use it enough to make buying one worthwhile. It's hand tools only for me, but I can easily sit and watch a movie while hand sanding, and it's harder to mess things up if you're not using power tools.

I'll search for Jasco and see if I can identify a local equivalent. It's probably just some generic chemical that eats finishes. That's probably all I need to know, really; the best thing for dissolving poly finish.

Thanks for advice.

[djetz]

Something I've seen suggested online is using a clothes iron as a heat gun, which is a possibility.

Also, I tried chipping off a bit of the finish at the back of the guitar, in the route for the vibrato springs (I refuse to call it a "trem"), and I've confirmed that the orange stain is in the finish, not under it. Once the finish is off, the wood is naked, which is what I wanted to see.

[eggwheat]

I always use paint stripper..personally i dont like using a heat gun or sanding..just in case of damaging anything..

[djetz]

I always use paint stripper..personally i dont like using a heat gun or sanding..just in case of damaging anything..

Yeah, I think my first move will be a trip to Bunnings, there's a branch nearby. Bunnings is the Australian home-handyman megaplex, so they should have some kind of noxious ecology-damaging paint stripper, which seems to be what I want. I'll just slather some on and see what happens before I start thinking about ironing the damn thing. Hopefully I can soften the finish up enough to just scrape it off in a layer.

They'll probably have some kind of tung oil, too. Research seems to indicate that "gunstock oil" is actually the best choice - but I somehow suspect that it's not as easy to find here as it is in the US. I'd never even heard of it till today - anyone know any alternate names for the stuff? The recommended brand is "Tru-Oil".