Refinishing / Bleaching knots guitar body

JD50

I have old Musicmaster that I am in the process of stripping... the finish had these long cracks that had over time become black & full of who knows what.

Pretty easy to strip, just applied nail varnish remover which worked great then hit it with my orbital sander.... will do the edges & neck pocket by hand obviously.

I was planning to finish in a white Wudtone finish but the body has a couple dark streaks/knots..... which may look shite

Anyone have experience of bleaching wood?

https://i.imgur.com/AN1sOwP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mMs1XWi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2wMn7jn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HpANSPn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/52Dfv3T.jpg

DannyP

I had a go at bleaching a dark area of a maple cap once using Liberon Wood Bleacher.

The results weren't dramatic at all, but it did mitigate the contrast between light and dark areas to a point I could handle and where it made little difference once a red stain was applied.

Maple may behave differently to ash or alder, though. I wouldn't know.

If you mask around the dark spots and bleach them, you may get it to a point where it looks less jarring under a Mary Kaye type finish, but I wouldn't expect them to disappear.

JD50

DannyP said:

I had a go at bleaching a dark area of a maple cap once using Liberon Wood Bleacher.

The results weren't dramatic at all, but it did mitigate the contrast between light and dark areas to a point I could handle and where it made little difference once a red stain was applied.

Maple may behave differently to ash or alder, though. I wouldn't know.

If you mask around the dark spots and bleach them, you may get it to a point where it looks less jarring under a Mary Kaye type finish, but I wouldn't expect them to disappear.

That sounds promising, not expecting to make them disappear but if I could fade them slightly that would be good.

Did you apply multiple coats?

JD50

...so body is completely stripped of paint.... I didn't need to sand the edges as the nail varnish remover dabbed on a microfibre cloth took it all off with a bit of elbow grease, amazed to be honest.. thought I was gonna have to sand really carefully to avoid taking off the round over & damaging the profile...

All together the whole process took around 3 hrs.... I thought stripping a poly finish would be mare but was a walk in the park.

lovestrat74

Did you create another thread on your refin?

poopot

JD50 said:

All together the whole process took around 3 hrs.... I thought stripping a poly finish would be mare but was a walk in the park.

It wasn’t poly if acetone striped it!... 

JD50

lovestrat74 said:

Do you create another thread on your refin?

Not made a decision yet on what colour.... 
My daughter has suggested something akin to a sparkly LPB...
Also been super busy at work and shortly.off on hols..... 
I did put it back together so I can play it

http://imgur.com/a/aCSE2Bk

SnazzyGeezer

I think the wood bleach, works on the woods natural tannins
Ive had good results with Mahogany/Alder with Rustins wood bleach
The length of time you leave it on for makes a big difference too.
But i don't think you'll get a lot of mileage from Maple/Ash etc with the bleach

lovestrat74

JD50 said:

lovestrat74 said:

Do you create another thread on your refin?

Not made a decision yet on what colour.... 
My daughter has suggested something akin to a sparkly LPB...
Also been super busy at work and shortly.off on hols..... 
I did put it back together so I can play it

http://imgur.com/a/aCSE2Bk

An aged nitro refin would look great on that to match the naturally aged headstock. Black on black - if your keeping the guard - with plenty of checking. Or a 3TS would look great too!

JD50

lovestrat74 said:

JD50 said:

lovestrat74 said:

Do you create another thread on your refin?

Not made a decision yet on what colour.... 
My daughter has suggested something akin to a sparkly LPB...
Also been super busy at work and shortly.off on hols..... 
I did put it back together so I can play it

http://imgur.com/a/aCSE2Bk

An aged nitro refin would look great on that to match the naturally aged headstock. Black on black - if your keeping the guard - with plenty of checking. Or a 3TS would look great too!

Hmm not sure on the black I know they came in black and have a 64 Jag in sunburst....

I suppose black with a dark purple sort of Aubergine fade might look cool...

Also been looking a Sherwood Green /BRG

I may also have a look at putting an earlier style musicmaster pickguard on there with the chrome plate.... I have a Jazzmaster tremolo doing nothing aswelll..