Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

<font color="aqua">ok, you didn't catch that I was "funnin" ya about saying "superball"? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] </font>

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

.....oh. man....


i can't believe i missed that one. it's been that kinda day.

[LouSiffer]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

I use a big ass buff wheel on a bench grinder to get into the horns and pretty much everything else. Orbital buffers do a great job on flat surfaces, but, even with good polish, they often still leave a swirl effect.....hard to see, but, on black paint, it sorta sticks out. With the buffer wheel, you don't get that swirl to it.-Lou

[St.James]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

See, that's what I'm looking to do is get a buffing arbor, but I don't want to drop $500 on the thing.

You say you can take a $40 bench grinder and put a big buffer wheel on there and it will work the same?

[sully]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

ya sure can. the only thing that i'd want to do is find a variable speed bench grinder, though. the one speed only type may spin too fast, and you're setting yourself up for failure because there's no training wheels, if that makes sense.

sully

[St.James]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

Very cool, thanks! I always wondered about that, but figured they were totally different things.

[LouSiffer]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[ QUOTE ]
ya sure can. the only thing that i'd want to do is find a variable speed bench grinder, though. the one speed only type may spin too fast, and you're setting yourself up for failure because there's no training wheels, if that makes sense.

sully

[/ QUOTE ] Yup, Sully is correct on this. I am fortunate in the fact my father in law has a pole barn with nothing but woodworking equipment ( he builds pre-pro custom cabinets )The bench grinder I use has a remote motor with a belt drive to the wheel with different ratios for different speeds. You can get a variable speed single unit bench grinder, but, they do cost a little more. If you look at Jackson's in house photos of a guitar in production, you will notice that all final polishing of the finish is done with these types of buffers.-Lou

[Soloist1]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

I keep hearing good things about micromesh. Haven't tried it yet, but it sounds safer than buffing. At least for someone who isn't practiced at using a buffing wheel. It's not hard to buff to much and go right through the finish.

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ya sure can. the only thing that i'd want to do is find a variable speed bench grinder, though. the one speed only type may spin too fast, and you're setting yourself up for failure because there's no training wheels, if that makes sense.

sully

[/ QUOTE ] Yup, Sully is correct on this. I am fortunate in the fact my father in law has a pole barn with nothing but woodworking equipment ( he builds pre-pro custom cabinets )The bench grinder I use has a remote motor with a belt drive to the wheel with different ratios for different speeds. You can get a variable speed single unit bench grinder, but, they do cost a little more. If you look at Jackson's in house photos of a guitar in production, you will notice that all final polishing of the finish is done with these types of buffers.-Lou

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">that's exactly what most of the manufacturers use. Those things are huge and they have nice long shafts so you don't knock the body into anything while buffing. Ahhh to be filthy rich, eh? </font>

[Bengal65]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

Also, on the bench grinder tool, you have to take it slow, because the HP requirements are lower than the buffer motors. It will work though, but you have to take it easy. In addition on the lower power bench grinders using a larger diameter buffer wheel will give you clearance problems especially if you are doing the inside of the horns. Keep that in mind. I use one to polish hardware, but I'm using like a 6 or 7" buffer wheel and I have to go light on a 1/4 HP motor.

[Bengal65]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ya sure can. the only thing that i'd want to do is find a variable speed bench grinder, though. the one speed only type may spin too fast, and you're setting yourself up for failure because there's no training wheels, if that makes sense.

sully

[/ QUOTE ] Yup, Sully is correct on this. I am fortunate in the fact my father in law has a pole barn with nothing but woodworking equipment ( he builds pre-pro custom cabinets )The bench grinder I use has a remote motor with a belt drive to the wheel with different ratios for different speeds. You can get a variable speed single unit bench grinder, but, they do cost a little more. If you look at Jackson's in house photos of a guitar in production, you will notice that all final polishing of the finish is done with these types of buffers.-Lou

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">that's exactly what most of the manufacturers use. Those things are huge and they have nice long shafts so you don't knock the body into anything while buffing. Ahhh to be filthy rich, eh? </font>

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, I'd love to have that setup! $$$$ StewMac has a great set up with the floor mounted pedestal. I'm dreaming to get one of those. [img]/images/graemlins/baby.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Budman68]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
ya sure can. the only thing that i'd want to do is find a variable speed bench grinder, though. the one speed only type may spin too fast, and you're setting yourself up for failure because there's no training wheels, if that makes sense.

sully

[/ QUOTE ] Yup, Sully is correct on this. I am fortunate in the fact my father in law has a pole barn with nothing but woodworking equipment ( he builds pre-pro custom cabinets )The bench grinder I use has a remote motor with a belt drive to the wheel with different ratios for different speeds. You can get a variable speed single unit bench grinder, but, they do cost a little more. If you look at Jackson's in house photos of a guitar in production, you will notice that all final polishing of the finish is done with these types of buffers.-Lou

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">that's exactly what most of the manufacturers use. Those things are huge and they have nice long shafts so you don't knock the body into anything while buffing. Ahhh to be filthy rich, eh? </font>

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, I'd love to have that setup! $$$$ StewMac has a great set up with the floor mounted pedestal. I'm dreaming to get one of those. [img]/images/graemlins/baby.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">maybe we should pitch in and buy a nice one and we'll just ship it back and forth when we need it! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] </font>

[mm2002]

Re: Buffing scuffs and scratches out of the clear coat

When I paint a guitar, I pay extra attention to clearing the insides of the horns, and lay it down slicker than snot. They usually need very little if any buffing in there. Of course, sometimes the price is a small run or sag on the surface of the body, but they're a lot quicker and easier to fix than trying to buff out stuff inside the horns. This is the same logic we use in auto finishing. Lay the "hard to reach" areas down wet and slick, and leave the majority of the sanding and buffing on the outside panels where they are easy to work with. Try it, it works! (of course this doesn't apply to resurrecting old finishes)