anyone ever stripped the paint off a guitar?

[Virgil.]

Awesome, thanks Clockwork!

Should I apply the miniwax poly by brush or i've also read that I could find clear laquer avail as a aerosol? It seems like all of the tutorials I read/watch always differ a bit, probably based on the knowledge and experience of whoever is doing it.

Would you mind looking over these steps and seeing if I have it right?

Removing paint:
I'm probably going to use a paint stripper and a plastic scraper to remove the old paint, and then sand the other parts away with different guages of sandpaper until things are smooth and ready.

Primer:
I'll probably use a white primer since I'm probably going to paint the guitar a brighter color and want it to 'pop'.

Painting:
I will take your advice and stick with Krylon -- I've heard good things about this kind as well for painting guitars.

After all the painting is done...

Sealing:
All of the tutorials I've read refer to the polyurethane as "clear" and have it available as an aerosol or having to apply it by brush (although this can come out looking grainy with the unexperienced person doing it). Does that sound about right?

Obviously there are more mini steps involved, but that seems to be the big bullet points.

And since I want to paint the body (which is mahogany), now all I need to do is find some test strips of mahogany that I can mess around with before actually painting the guitar.

 

[Clockwork]

Sounds like a good plan. I haven't used paint stripper before so I can't offer any advice about that. In terms of the Minwax I usually do a mix of the aerosols and the brush on. The problem with the aerosols is that as you use them they can get clogged, even if it's just a tiny bit it may cause it to spurt a bit and the inconsistencies in the coat will be apparent. So I usually use the aerosols to build up lots and lots of thin layers and then do the level sanding to bring it all down to even height and then after that I will do one final coat of the brush on polyurethane to restore the shinyness. But I don't recommend paintbrushes for that, I think a lint free piece of cloth is best for applying it since brushes tend to leave tiny ridges in between the bristles. Also after the final coat has had plenty of time to dry you should buff it all. I use the stewmac polishing compounds and then follow it up with the swirl remover to get away any streaks from the compounds.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishi...s,_buffers/ColorTone_Polishing_Compounds.html

Just make sure when you apply the gloss coats that you make sure to build up a good amount of height, otherwise when you level sand you will sand through to the color coats. And for all the sanding steps, the finer the grit you go to, the more uniform the finish will be and the glossier it will appear. So even if it's boring and takes a lot of time going to the finer grits will pay off.
Also the minwax comes in different shades (thats not the right word but I can't think of what to call it) lie they have satin and semi-gloss and clear gloss, so make sure you know which one you want. Hope that helps!

 

[Lowberg]

Blow torch!

But seriously, don't use a blow torch, follow advice given above

 

[SimonSez]

I would recommend against wet-sanding the paint off. Wet-sanding is for when you are finishing the guitar with a new paint job but not when you are removing the paint. Wet sanding to bare wood could cause problems with raising the grain of the wood or causing warping of the wood from excess moisture.

I like using something like the Black & Decker Mouse to remove paint from a guitar. The sharp point lets you get in the corners. If the clear coat is poly and it's being a pain then you could use a belt sander just until you get through the clear coat. Usually the base coat sands easily.

 

[Virgil.]

Cool, thanks for all the tips everyone. And thanks again Clockwork for the added detailed explanation.

 

[Clockwork]

I would recommend against wet-sanding the paint off. Wet-sanding is for when you are finishing the guitar with a new paint job but not when you are removing the paint. Wet sanding to bare wood could cause problems with raising the grain of the wood or causing warping of the wood from excess moisture.

I like using something like the Black & Decker Mouse to remove paint from a guitar. The sharp point lets you get in the corners. If the clear coat is poly and it's being a pain then you could use a belt sander just until you get through the clear coat. Usually the base coat sands easily.

Sometimes wet sanding can be beneficial during removing the finish though. Like after you have removed the finish some people like the wet the bare wood slightly to raise the grain and then sand down the raised grain. I don't do that personally, but it's not all that uncommon. I say dry sanding all the way though. And remember to switch to new paper if the piece you are using starts corning (when the finish builds up in little kernel like chunks on the paper) because that can cause larger scratches that will set you back. Anyways, good luck!