DIY finish checking

[Rumbling_Groover]

Have all the originals checked width-wise?

I think the length-wise check looks real good, but if none of the originals do it, I wouldn't want it.

Not a burst, but my '61 330TDC has both vertical and horizontal checking

 

[NOSBIG]

It doesn't get very cold here in the UK; maybe -5C or so on a bad night in winter. Anyway, this winter I'm gonna leave my 98 R8 out all night then bring it into a nice hot room in front of the fire and we'll see what happens. Either way, I'll let you know the results. Last year I tried it and sod all happened. I think you guys in the US with your higher temperatures get your guitars cured better and more ready/able to check when a low to high temperature change is applied. I reckon the finishes on our guitars in the UK are generally too 'plastic' to check.

This is what happened to my lester when I left it out...........Ha Ha Ha!!!

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd311/terrychapman/?action=view&current=Guitar3.jpg
http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd311/terrychapman/?action=view&current=guitar1.jpg
http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd311/terrychapman/?action=view&current=katrinaguitar157.jpg

 

[Yunpac]

yunpac,
Im really interested in your checking. :dude:

You have to let us know how the headstock goes.

Also, when you say you put it in the freezer.....how ?
.......the whole guitar ?
.......did it get very damp ?
....... any neck/fret problems ?

OK here goes-

here is a pic of the freezer:

The whole guitar wouldn't fit so, I just put it in body first, with part of the neck and headstock sticking out. I pulled the door shut as far as it would go and watched some tv for an hour and a half - pulled it out - crack city!

I put it on a guitar stand until it was thawed out, toweled it off a bit - just a little damp- no prob with the neck or frets - didn't even go out of tune-

I put it in upside down later for another hour or so - no checking on the headstock - i dunno?! whatever - the body looks awesome!

ok - I will put some pics in the next couple posts...

 

[Yunpac]

 

[Yunpac]

 

[Yunpac]

 

[les strat]

Hey yunpac, can you get a few more finely focused shots (have a macro setting?)

 

[kharrison]

Looks good is the arm wear on the top bout natural?

 

[buyusfear]

yeah, looks good, but try backing up a bit to get the image in focus.

More pics please~!

 

[dwagar]

just send your guitars to one of the Canadian forum members for the winter. We'll check em for you.

 

[buyusfear]

just send your guitars to one of the Canadian forum members for the winter. We'll check em for you.

+1

No problem!

heres a pic I took from last winter on a day it was around -40 C. I think my pickups covers would crack let alone the nitro.

 

[Yunpac]

Looks good is the arm wear on the top bout natural?

yes! it started slowly - just the edge of the finish started coming away from the binding (like3-4 years ago) and the laquer started getting very brittle after sweating on it, then putting it on it's stand, sweating on it, repeat...

after a while it started crumbling away in small pieces- it didn't really wear through like you would think of on a strat - like the rubbing from the arm made it thinner and thinner - the laquer just got brittle and started coming off in chunks due to the rubbing...


AND - I will try to get some more in focus pics! Its hard to get the right angle to see the checking! I just snapped off 20 pics and posted the ones where you could see the cracks-

PS - just noticed - 500 posts - nice little milestone

 

[Yunpac]

How's this for natural aging! My buckle rash! haha I'd like to see what some of the baywatch/ebay fans would think of this as far as a decrease in value! haha!

same situation - brittle laquer - just started coming off in little chunks after a few years! I love it

 

[schofnsteen]

Left my '05 R9 in deep freezer for 4 hours and brought her out into the house and NOTHING!!After a minute or 2 used blow dryer.NOTHING but a haze appeared on the guitar.Any thoughts?

 

[avereste]

The kind of laquer is so important.
My refinished standard:

 

[alexanderja]

Left my '05 R9 in deep freezer for 4 hours and brought her out into the house and NOTHING!!After a minute or 2 used blow dryer.NOTHING but a haze appeared on the guitar.Any thoughts?

I think if you tried it again, but this time hit it with the blow dryer straight away, it will have more chance. You have to get the maximum shock, from its coldest temp to the warmest as quickly as possible.:hmm

 

[PaulSG]

I used a hair dryer and a can of compressed air with decent results. Warmed an area up with the hair dryer and then sprayed the area with the compressed air can held upside down. Instant checking. As someone stated earlier the checking appears to be coming from the inside out. You can't feel the cracks yet. I'll try to take some pics today.

FWIW I had tried leaving it outside for several hours and then bringing inside to the fireplace and had no results at all.


Hard to get a good pic that shows it well. This is the best I could do.

 

[bnorm44]

This is the result of cold weather and rapid warm up. I think it depends on how cured the nitro is.

 

[alexanderja]

I wrapped the neck of mine in about three layers of towel to insulate it against the rapid temp. changes and then left it in the boot of my car over night. When I bought it indoors I immediately hit it with hot air from a hair dryer. It was pretty nerve racking, having no idea what the effect was going to be. I did get some checking, but only in the top dip from binding to the the back.....just three check lines. I think this curved area is more of a weakpoint.
But it shows that the Gibson paint will check.
I think it just needs more of a shock than old Nitro because of the plastisizers.
In the next few weeks, when nights get a bit colder, im going to repeat the process but hit it with a large warm air blowing unit ive aquired.....IM PRETTY SURE IT WILL GO....

...WATCH THIS SPACE :wah

 

[PaulSG]