Prep For Finish - StewMac OFFSET TREM Assembly Instructions Manual

Prep for finish

Preparing the neck and body for finish is just as important, if
not more important, than the final spray. The key to a great
looking finish is patience and lots of it. Be thorough with
your sanding and follow the finishing schedule on page 9
for best results.
Inspect the body and neck for any dents, chips, or other
imperfections and repair them. Small dents can be steamed
out by placing a damp cloth over the dent and applying heat
with a soldering iron. To learn more, see our Trade Secrets
video #0317 "Fixing a guitar dent by steaming it out" at
stewmac.com.
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Chips and knotholes will need to be filled. Remove the bridge
if you haven't already and set it aside.
Fill the grain
If your kit has an open grained wood, such as mahogany or
ash, the grain will need to be filled before finishing in order
to achieve a flat surface. As a general rule, if you can see the
pores of the wood with the naked eye, you should use grain
filler before finishing.
We suggest using our Neutral ColorTone Powdered Grain Filler
following the instructions below. Three applications are
recommended to get a nice flat surface to build finish coats
over. Tight grained woods such as alder and poplar do not
need to be filled.
ColorTone Powdered Grain Filler is supplied as a fine powder,
ready to mix with water (a 1:2 ratio of water to filler works
well). Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth consistency,
without any lumps.
Prepare surface by sanding to 220-grit. Remove all dust, oil,
and solvents from the surface.
Apply the filler liberally in the direction of the grain, then
against it. Allow to dry for 5 to 10 minutes depending on
thickness of the filler.
Use a grain filler spreader or plastic card to squeegee off any
excess. Wipe at a 45° angle to the grain.
When dry, wipe off remaining residue with a clean dry cloth.
Sand the surface with 320-grit sandpaper. Clean up with
warm water.
8
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Sand the body and neck
Run your fingers lightly along the edges of the fretboard
and feel for sharp fret ends. If the frets feel sharp where they
meet the edge of the neck, gently sand them back with long
strokes down the length of the neck. Use care not to sand
the top of the frets and fretboard or change the bevel of the
frets in the process.
After a complete sanding, wipe down the body and neck
with a damp cloth to raise the grain to reveal fibers that need
more sanding. Let the wood dry, then sand the raised grain
with 220- grit sandpaper. After sanding, raise the grain again
and sand a third time, using 320-grit sandpaper.
Slightly break and soften any sharp edges on the fretboard,
peghead, and body around the neck pocket. Softening hard
edges promotes even finish coverage. Later, when you're
lightly sanding between coats of finish, these edges are less
likely to sand through to bare finish.
Wipe the neck with a damp cloth to raise the grain. After it's
dry, sand it again with 320-grit.
Degrease with naphtha
When you've finished sanding, wipe the body and neck with
a naphtha-dampened rag to remove any oils or grease. From
this point on, wear clean gloves when handling so you won't
contaminate the wood.
For rosewood or dark wood fretboards, tape off the string
nut and the fretboard face before spraying so it remains
free of finish.
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