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Top scratches
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Author:  dubell [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 12:26 pm ]
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On my first, when I went to finish sand the top, I noticed a lot of scratches and dings.

On my second, I said, "Be careful not to scratch or ding the top." Well, I again have some scratches and dings. Some will sand out. The others are deep. For instance, one is from my weeding ring due to the binding tape snaping whilst I was pulling.....

Do you experience the same with your tops?

How do I get rid of the scratches and dings?

Thanks

Author:  MSpencer [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 12:35 pm ]
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Doug,

I don't get to many of these, first, I always remove my rings and watch when I go to my shop. Second, I use a carpet covered work board. I also store my wood on shelves that are carpet covered and have a couple of other areas padded as well for sitting wood down on. These two things should reduce scatches and dings while working with your tops. This is soft wood so bumping and placing it down on a surface with sawdust between the hard surface and wood can cause some of these problems.

Hope this is some help

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Author:  burbank [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 12:46 pm ]
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Doug,

If these are on unfinished wood, dents with no torn fibers, you might be able to steam them out. I've used dampened paper towels laid on the top with judiciously applied heat from a common iron with good results. Try it on scrap. You might be pleasantly surprised. After, be sure to let the wood get good and dry before any finish goes on.

Author:  Billy T [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:18 pm ]
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Oh NO! Hesh saw all those tools in surgery! @$#%^@!!! What a bad case of TAS, would do with that!

    You havn't gotten a sphygno, foreceps or any scalpels have you!!

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:47 pm ]
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Pre finish ding!--PREP, Prep and Prep again.

After finish dings! OH No!!-- Some can be hidden by drop filling, very light ones can be sanded down with out going through the finish. but like Hesh said treat the top before and after finish like it is a fragile piece of cut crystal.MichaelP38999.3665740741

Author:  Dave Anderson [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:59 pm ]
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Yeah,I learned on my first to be gentle with the top.Luckily all the dings and scratches sanded out fine!
Spruce and cedar are so soft,just be nice and easy with it Doug.And like others have said,some kind of padding or carpet on your work bench is good.

Author:  Mike Mahar [ Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:32 am ]
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Doug,
What everone seems to be saying is "be more careful". Ultimately, that is the only solution. I, however, was born with two left hands. (One of them looks like a right hand but don't let looks fool you) The vast majority of the scratches and dings that I get in my tops have no known source. They just magically appear! Of course, I put them there but I don't know how or when. How do you learn "not to do that again" when you don't know what you did?

Did you know that a stray drop of super glue will turn a carpet fiber into a lethal weapon? Inspect your carpet pads frequently and trim off anything that is hard or pointy. Vacume your carpet pads before every use. Nipped off fret ends will lie in waiting for the right moment to strike. Don't let the fact that you were ten feet away when you were nipping frets fool you. Ten feet is nothing to a flying fret end bent on escape.

The moment you see a ding, steam it out. Place a wet paper towel or soft rag over the dent and touch a soldering iron or iron tip to it. The is will not burn the top unless you accidentally bump it with the iron. (Did I mention that I have two left hands?) I haven't done that in awhile so I guess I can be trained.

Once you have steamed out the dents and done your final sanding on wood, wipe naptha on the top and inspect it under a bright light from every angle you can think of. Then sand out the new scratches that you missed the last time. Repeat. Then put a coat of shellac on the top. This prevents the top from getting dirty and seems to help with little scratches as well. If you don't French polish you can get a can of Zinnser Seal Coat. It keeps for a long time and you don't have to worry about dissolving flakes. It really isn't quite up to being a French polish but it is good for sealing and base coats.

I think Michael Payne is too cavalier with his tops. Don't treat them like a fragile piece of cut crystal. Treat them like they are made of frosting. But don't dispair, My fifth instrument was ten times cleaner than my first and I wasn't conciously any more careful when I built it. My carefulness was, however, efficent and directed. Even an Olympic calibre klutz, like myself, will get better with practice.

Author:  Mario [ Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:05 am ]
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Inspect your carpet pads frequently and trim off anything that is hard or pointy

First, lose the carpet pads!

HEad down to the discount stiore, and buy some large, fluffy bath towels. $4-$5 each. Buy a new one when you start a new guitar. Don't wash them, toss them. It just takes one drop of super glue to cause many dents.

I also see many of you using a vice to hold your guitar bodies while sanding sides, etc. Don't. Learn to do without.

Dents don't have to happen.

Author:  A Peebels [ Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:16 am ]
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My fingernails have been the culprit more than once, and they're not that long.

Al

Author:  Dave Rector [ Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:30 am ]
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I have a 4" paintbrush hung on a nail on the side of my bench. It's used to brush away dust and chips that are always accumulating on the bench. Just keeping things clean eliminates an awful lot of dents for me.

Author:  Billy T [ Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:26 pm ]
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[quote]My fingernails have been the culprit more than once, and they're not that long. [/quote]

   I had a walnut Gerstner tool box, it was beautiful, the ding fairy was all over that thing until I realized what fingernails can do!

Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:55 am ]
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[QUOTE=dubell]

Do you experience the same with your tops?



[/QUOTE]

Hahahahaahahahahhahahahaha!!!!






Uhhh, yes.

To luthiers, the scratches on my first guitar are noticable. To the other muppets, they cannot see them at all. And I have already shown a whole host of people!!!

One or two dings were due to parenting and luthierying at the same time...running off to see to a three kids squabbling with a blunt tool in the hand, isn't condusive to ding-free tops.

I am going to be sooo careful with my next build.


Sam Price39000.4982060185

Author:  martinedwards [ Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:47 am ]
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[QUOTE=Sam Price] running off to see to a three kids squabbling with a blunt tool in the hand, isn't condusive to ding-free tops. [/QUOTE]

or indeed ding free children!!

Author:  Sam Price [ Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:14 am ]
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[QUOTE=martinedwards]

or indeed ding free children!![/QUOTE]

LOL!!!!

That is the very reason why there are dings in my guitar top; you can't shellac or steam out dings in kids..

Author:  D Stewart [ Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:34 am ]
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You can steam the dings out of kids too though. Its just harder... to hold... them... still!

Bad daddy

Author:  Billy T [ Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:04 am ]
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I think it's the parents that get the steam dinged out of them!

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