Deglossing a bass body

[RyanJD]

Congrats on the new job!

And...if you do strip it and don't like it, you can repaint it with nitro and let it wear natch.

Still, I would like one of the experts here to explain your paint job with all of those crazy layers.

Yeah maybe I'll post a new thread about my whole beautiful mess when this is over and let the (other) experts weigh in. Lol.

I want to knock all the paint back to the last layer but that would take FOREVER, unless I use sandpaper on the sander.
The problem with that is the dust that gets everywhere and that I would have a high chance of going too far into the finish (again).
So basically I think I'm going to go for a strip.
I might ask my boss if I can borrow one of the heat guns at my job. He's a self-proclaimed sound engineer in his spare time. Music is his night job, so maybe he'll understand.

 

[godblender]

Yo RyanJD...I thought that I'd post real quick and let you know that you shouldn't feel too bad about the job on your bass. Yesterday I started the same process on my Warmoth shell pink precision body. I was using 3200 Micromesh. What I learned from the experience: I'll never try this on my own again! I'm going to try and work it out but overall I'd say I botched the job and a big part I feel was due to a complete lack of patience. Oh well.

 

[RyanJD]

Yo RyanJD...I thought that I'd post real quick and let you know that you shouldn't feel too bad about the job on your bass. Yesterday I started the same process on my Warmoth shell pink precision body. I was using 3200 Micromesh. What I learned from the experience: I'll never try this on my own again! I'm going to try and work it out but overall I'd say I botched the job and a big part I feel was due to a complete lack of patience. Oh well.

Hey thanks. I appreciate that. Lol.
I'm also sorry to hear about your misfortune.

On the upshot...
A Warmoth body would more than likely have nice grain, so if you have to strip yours down, I'm sure it would at least be pretty!

 

[Rip Topaz]

Yeah maybe I'll post a new thread about my whole beautiful mess when this is over and let the (other) experts weigh in. Lol.

I want to knock all the paint back to the last layer but that would take FOREVER, unless I use sandpaper on the sander.
The problem with that is the dust that gets everywhere and that I would have a high chance of going too far into the finish (again).
So basically I think I'm going to go for a strip.
I might ask my boss if I can borrow one of the heat guns at my job. He's a self-proclaimed sound engineer in his spare time. Music is his night job, so maybe he'll understand.

Can we see where you're at now? Maybe you won't need to completely strip it to repaint.

 

[5StringThunder]

SolarMan's bass looks great an has inspired me to try this. Quick question though: somebody earlier said something about "the wrong sander" I have a palm sander (forget what make/model, it's at my shop and I'm not) that is not the mouse or cat mentioned earlier. Will any palm sander work? Is there a certain benefit to the specific sander mentioned by SolarMan?

I also gotta find a bass to do this to.......

 

[RyanJD]

@SolarMan, @JIO, @Rip Topaz and anyone else who offered me helpful advice 3 years ago, I want you guys to know that I really appreciated it. Unfortunately, I ended up giving up on the mysterious 6-layers of pain (err, um... paint) Squier body. I may revisit it some day, but it's in storage for now. (I was able to make good use of the neck and hardware, at least.)

That said, there's a reason I'm resurrecting this thread.
I'm going to try this again, and I have a new candidate without a weird metallic finish this time:

A Squier VM Fretless Jazz

It's on its way to me now. This time I'm going to go slowly and carefully remove the gloss, nothing more.
I'll be back with some updates when it comes in.
Thanks.

 

[godofthunder59]

I would try a medium cut compound, Maguires or 3M.

Thus should work quiet well, I would avoid Scotch Brite pads and steel wool.

 

[RyanJD]

I started a new thread on the project, if anyone is interested:
Deglossing a Squier VM Fretless Jazz