Official Luthiers Forum!

All,

I posted here a couple of weeks ago regarding the finish cutting through on top (KTM9) when I got a bit too ambitious in leveling and buffing the top - around the rosette.

John Abercrombie and others helped talk me off the ledge ands realize that a refinish is in order.

Please see picture. I'm prepared to respray - KTM 9 with an undercoat of shellac.

The question is this - will KTM9 allow me to "spot finish" on an area just bigger than the area in question? I'll confess that that's what I've done - scuffed with 400 - one coat of shellac, then spraying KTM 9 on the upper half of the top. But after two coats, there's a noticeable difference in the color of the areas that cut through. Not sure if it's a function of the finish reflecting more or less than the area with older KTM 9 on it - (which might lessen with more coats) or another difference.

Bottom line - do I need to remove the bridge and sand the whole top down to the wood, and refinish, or will KTM 9 let me "spot - refinish"?? Thanks.

BUMP (sorry for the impatience - need help)

I did a spot refinish on a headstock over the last days.
Sanding - Zpoxy - Sanding - 3 coats of KTM9 (applied with a brush) - Sanded and leveled. It blended in the old finish without any problems.
Now I will let the new finish sit for 2 weeks and buff....

In abstentia of more expert knowledge I'll hazard a guess. Is the shellac completely clear like the finish? If you have more layers of shellac on the rest it could be a different color. I'm gonna say you're best off starting from scratch unless you can somehow color blend the raw spots.

All, Thanks for your replies. After several coats, the color is unmistakebly different. No question but to go back to the bare wood.

Todd, Thanks.

By "strip" - how would you go about it? Sand, or some other method?

Yes, I would refinish the entire top. Start by scraping the finish off, followed by sanding.

Chuck

_________________
_________________

Update -

I sanded down to the wood, put a spit coat of shellac on it, then reshot the KTM9. (Also hit the back and sides with some 400 and reshot those too. Figured, what the hey, easier than dealing with witness lines. After curing, sanding, buffing, polishing, turned out great.

(And I think the top was overbuilt at first, anyway, so taking 5 thou off with the sanding wasn't a problem.) I'll post some pics when she's set up properly.

Thanks!!