Requesting advice on stripping guitar

Ozzie

Ozzie

Well-Known Member
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I have an Ibanez RG120 that I basically pulled out of a dumpster. It's been sitting collecting dust for years now, so I finally decided to do something with it.
The neck and body seem to be in good shape & the pickups, though not wired up now, do work. I figure while the guitar is semi disassembled already, I'm going to strip it and refinish it.
My question is what's the best way to strip away the existing finish? I thought a heat gun was a good idea, but after watching a couple of youtube vids, some folks say that if the body isn't a solid piece, the heat may do damage to the planks being glued together. Is an orbital sander a better idea?
I've never done this before so any advice from someone who has is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance. All comments and suggestions welcome.
Ozzie
 
Ozzie said:
I have an Ibanez RG120 that I basically pulled out of a dumpster. It's been sitting collecting dust for years now, so I finally decided to do something with it.
The neck and body seem to be in good shape & the pickups, though not wired up now, do work. I figure while the guitar is semi disassembled already, I'm going to strip it and refinish it.
My question is what's the best way to strip away the existing finish? I thought a heat gun was a good idea, but after watching a couple of youtube vids, some folks say that if the body isn't a solid piece, the heat may do damage to the planks being glued together. Is an orbital sander a better idea?
I've never done this before so any advice from someone who has is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance. All comments and suggestions welcome.
Ozzie
Click to expand...

Play this when you do it!

 
Ozzie said:
I have an Ibanez RG120 that I basically pulled out of a dumpster. It's been sitting collecting dust for years now, so I finally decided to do something with it.
The neck and body seem to be in good shape & the pickups, though not wired up now, do work. I figure while the guitar is semi disassembled already, I'm going to strip it and refinish it.
My question is what's the best way to strip away the existing finish? I thought a heat gun was a good idea, but after watching a couple of youtube vids, some folks say that if the body isn't a solid piece, the heat may do damage to the planks being glued together. Is an orbital sander a better idea?
I've never done this before so any advice from someone who has is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance. All comments and suggestions welcome.
Ozzie
Click to expand...
What I have done in the past is just sand down the original finish so the new paint will adhere.. you do not have to go to bare wood..
 
Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
What I have done in the past is just sand down the original finish so the new paint will adhere.. you do not have to go to bare wood..
Click to expand...
I had a crap Tele DYI kit someone else assembled and finished. Guy painted the body with a paint brush. I sanded to bare wood since my plan was to stain and then clear it with tung oil. Considering I didn’t fully know what I was doing… it actually turned out pretty good.

Edit: I took it to bare wood since I wanted to see the grain. Painting would have been way easier.
 
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Ozzie said:
I have an Ibanez RG120 that I basically pulled out of a dumpster. It's been sitting collecting dust for years now, so I finally decided to do something with it.
The neck and body seem to be in good shape & the pickups, though not wired up now, do work. I figure while the guitar is semi disassembled already, I'm going to strip it and refinish it.
My question is what's the best way to strip away the existing finish? I thought a heat gun was a good idea, but after watching a couple of youtube vids, some folks say that if the body isn't a solid piece, the heat may do damage to the planks being glued together. Is an orbital sander a better idea?
I've never done this before so any advice from someone who has is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance. All comments and suggestions welcome.
Ozzie
Click to expand...
If you are going to refinish it with an opaque color and not see the wood grain like in transparent finishes. Then all you have to do is take 400 - 600 grit sandpaper and sand the gloss off using a sanding block. The roughness of the sanded paint will cause a mechanical bond with the new paint.
Contoured areas you will obviously have to do by hand.
Do not go down to bare wood.
Once the glossy finish is gone. Clean the surface with a lint free rag. You can use ammonia free windex.
Let it dry, then paint.

Question: are you using a rattle can or a pneumatic sprayer?
 
If you are going to refinish it with an opaque color and not see the wood grain like in transparent finishes. Then all you have to do is take 400 - 600 grit sandpaper and sand the gloss off using a sanding block. The roughness of the sanded paint will cause a mechanical bond with the new paint.
Contoured areas you will obviously have to do by hand.
Do not go down to bare wood.
Once the glossy finish is gone. Clean the surface with a lint free rag. You can use ammonia free windex.
Let it dry, then paint.

Question: are you using a rattle can or a pneumatic sprayer?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't know how it will be refinished yet. This is going to be a father / daughter project and the finishing part is left up to my artist daughter. I told her I will strip it and she has free reign to do whatever she would like to do with it.
 
Ozzie said:
To be honest, I don't know how it will be refinished yet. This is going to be a father / daughter project and the finishing part is left up to my artist daughter. I told her I will strip it and she has free reign to do whatever she would like to do with it.
Click to expand...
That’s all fine. But the first thing you need to ask yourself and your daughter (which is super cool by the way) is do you want wood grain or a solid color. That will determine if you are going down to wood or just roughing the surface.
Remember. If you go down to wood, you need to seal it before you start painting or you will have a really uneven paint job.

From what it sounds like, I’m thinking a solid color.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
If you are going to refinish it with an opaque color and not see the wood grain like in transparent finishes. Then all you have to do is take 400 - 600 grit sandpaper and sand the gloss off using a sanding block. The roughness of the sanded paint will cause a mechanical bond with the new paint.
Contoured areas you will obviously have to do by hand.
Do not go down to bare wood.
Once the glossy finish is gone. Clean the surface with a lint free rag. You can use ammonia free windex.
Let it dry, then paint.

Question: are you using a rattle can or a pneumatic sprayer?
Click to expand...
1663348705085.png
 
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