How do I restore this finish?

[NickInMesa]

I bought this 1993 CIJ Jazz from some guy who did a "relic job" on it. I did my best but I am trying to get the shine back to it, after he apparently used steel wool or what have you to make it look as trashy as he could. I can tell you there are a lot of things I fixed on this bass.

When I started the job:



Electronics removed:



After using wax and lemon oil:



The last photo would make you think that the shine is back but that's because the second photo captured more of the flash.

Refinishing would remove the road wear, which I like, because it shows this bass has been "places" I have absolutely no clue about

What best method would you advise me to use?

Link to the Flikr set

[draftsmann]

In a word, "Micromesh". Comes in various grades from 1200 grit or so down to a superfine 12000 grit. I used it to polish the Tru Oil finish on my self-finished double bass. Expensive but good - I can't praise the stuff highly enough.

Adrian

[PasdaBeer]

ultru fine sandpaper to flatten the clear coat thats there, then come back with polishing compound and a buffer.

[NickInMesa]

Originally Posted by PasdaBeer

ultru fine sandpaper to flatten the clear coat thats there, then come back with polishing compound and a buffer.

What type of buffer do you suggest?

I have a buffing wheel, the one you put on your cordless drill, will that work?

[PasdaBeer]

i would use one that attaches to a DA (dual action) sander.


When your using a polishing compound, it actualy has some abbrasive material in it, pure circular movments can create swirl marks if not used correctly.

[Rocky McD]

StewMac sells a nice foam buffer that goes into a hand drill. It's not expensive and works pretty well.

[pin_head_47]

I'll also recommend the DA type if you can get access to one, they're super easy to use and have alot fewer risks than a regular orbital one, including swirl marks and possibly burning through if you're not careful.

If the steel wool was fine enough, you may not need to sand it, but otherwise start at the highest grit that will take out the scratches (perhaps 1000 grit) and work your way up to 1500, then 2000 or so. Make sure you wet sand, and keep an eye on how much you take off so you don't go through. The higher grit you go then the less buffing you'll need, and vice versa.

The type of compound and polish you want will depend on your desired finish at the end, but if you plan on leaving some of the "road wear" intact then I wouldn't be worried about getting a super glossy result.

[VroomVroom]

DA should have enough horsepower if you go fine enough with the sandpaper. Porter Cable 7424 is probably the de facto standard, and is dirt cheap now that the XP version is in ready supply. There are as many brands of pads and compounds/polishes as there are Jazz bass designers, so I hesitate to recommend. I will tell you that I lean toward Lake Country pads (the smaller the better - 4" and even 3.5" are terrific for projects like this) and Meguiar's polishes...although Menzerna is another staple on the shelf. FWIW, auto detailing sites, a la www.autopia.org are great resources for finding deals on this type of stuff. For what you're doing, I'd guess you'd be looking at an investment of $150...possibly a bit more, which would cover sandpaper, the buffer, pads, and polish. Expensive, for sure, but if you plan to do any finish correction in the future...on basses or cars...you'll certainly see some ROI.

FWIW...and I bow to others with more sanding experience...I'll offer how I'd likely approach this. If you can work down to 3000-grit wetsanding, I'd suspect that the PC, with an LC orange pad and Meguiar's #105, would do the heavy work. You can then jewel the finish with a white pad and Meg's #205. If you're going this far, you may as well protect the finish. I recommend a good automotive polymer sealant. Good luck!

[ThaLowEndTheory]

I would run to the auto parts store. Pick up some some sand paper. Probably start at 1200 and work up to 2000 grit wesanding. Also pick up some rubbing compound and polishing compound. If you have a hand drill, you can also pick up 2 foam pads that you can use with the drill. Basically the same style that stew mac sells. Usually $10 a pop. I usually get mine at O'rielly's or Autozone. I use Meguiar's products.

Here is a list of different compounds and polishes by grit and by brand. Choose one from the heavy category, and one from the light/polish category for basics. If you want to go all out add a medium step and a glaze for your final step. These also run about $10 a bottle, but you can use other products. For example you can find turtle wax rubbing compound and polishing compound at most walmarts. Not the top of the line product, but it will get the job done.

http://www.dano.pocketrubbish.com/de...oductchart.htm