Refinish Prep?

[Arvin]

Greetings, all --

About 10 years back, I finished an alder body with a couple of very light applications of Minwax Danish Oil, then 3-4 thin coats of Howard's Feed and Wax, which I buffed by hand. There is no visible wax build-up anywhere, but I'm sure there is some there.

Now I want to refinish it. Nothing fancy, just a simple rattle can paint job. This is my first rattle can finish where I didn't start from scratch, though, so I want to make sure I prep it properly.

So, what's going to be my best bet for that? My thoughts are:

- give it a light scuff sanding all over
- wipe it down thoroughly with naphtha (maybe a couple of times?)
- a couple of primer coats

Am I on the right track? Or is there something else I should do to get it ready for paint?

Thanks!

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Yes, that's pretty much it. You've got to get that wax finish off of there. I'd wipe it thoroughly with NAPTHA, lightly sand it, then wipe it again. The primer coats will tell you whether you've got all the wax off. It will peel up and fall off of any missed spots. Keep working it until the primer is good and solid. Then continue on with the new finish.

 

[Arvin]

Great, thank you.