Refinishing/Dent Repair Tutorials?

[BassNoob1]

Where could I find some refinishing and dent repairing tutorials? I don't necessary want to refinish the entire bass, I just wanna patch up some scratches. Would this be ideal?

[honeyiscool]

I don't mean to be a negative nancy but this is not as easy as you think.

[BassNoob1]

I didn't think it was going to be easy, I actually wasn't sure how difficult it would be, hence me asking if it was ideal, ha.

Is that a "don't-bother" then?

[202dy]

There are dents. And then there are scratches. The materials and methods are different for each. Finish repairs are dependent on the original finish. It is also dependent on the desired result. Sometimes the techniques are both employed in the same repair.

Dan Erlewine's Guide to Repair is a good place to start. Furniture repair manuals are good sources for information on steaming out dents.

The most important thing is to practice the chosen techniques on scrap.

Repeat: Practice on scrap.

[jimbilly]

If it's black or has a clearcoat, eliminating scratches is pretty easy. Anything else and you're just better off buying a bass without scratches. I've had success using clear nail polish, and black nail polish. Matching colors is nearly impossible.

[tastybasslines]

Gerlitz Carnuauba Guitar wax. It will clean up your finish pretty good and fill in some small scratches, but not huge dents.

[Pilgrim]

Reranch has some good basic refinishing info at http://reranch.com/basics.htm

You can find a great deal of info online by searching - and I'm sure you can find fairly comprehensive discussions by searching TB.

I second the recommendation to get Dan Erlewine's books - they are the bibles of the guitar repair industry.