Stripping/Sanding/Prep/Finishing

Hi,

I'm a long time reader, first time poster, so great to finally post.

I've spent the last week or so gathering as much info as I can using the search function for my current project, though have come up short on a couple of questions-

-After stripping the orignal finish what is the next best step regarding preparing the wood for the best possible adision of the finish? (Wire-wool/Sanding/Sugar Water/Etc)

-With regards to the actual finish itself, what are the best steps?

-I'm looking to Stain the wood a dark walnut, will the wood stain itself be enough to accentuate the grain itself, or will I need to apply anything else previous or post staining?
Therefore is it best to darken the wood a little before to aid this process? i.e.-
http://www.xrestore.com/Pages/Aging.htm

-Is it best to apply a thin finish after staining, does this yield better results?

Any help anyone can give me with the above questions will be greatly appreciated.

As I say, I have extensively trawled the board previous to this post but haven't been able to find any clarity on these issues.

All the best,

Ross

Hi, Ross. Guitar finishing is just like any other wood finishing. If you've already picked out a stain product you want to use, the best thing to do is follow the directions on the package as far as prep and compatible top coats.

Some stain products don't require a clear coat, some do. In general, the clear coat protects the stain and gives it more depth and richness.

As for prep... once you have all the old finish off, sand to 220 with the grain and clean the surface with a tack cloth. Be sure that you go with the grain, even when the grain gets a little wavy.

One of the disadvantages of applying stain directly to the wood is that it will darken any scratches or sanding marks you leave, so be sure to get all those fine scratches taken care of before staining.

Thanks very much for that Koko, a big help!

Providing the stripper you used has cleanly taken off all the paint or lacquer/ stain then you'd want to use something very fine to clean the surface and ensure its a nice smooth finish, what Koko said it pretty spot on but could I just suggest as well that you might get a smoother finish again with steel wool after using 220 paper as this can be great for removing sanding scratches and scores, tho be sure to find fine grade steel wool for wood, if you ask in a hardware store they should be able to give you what your looking for.

What type of wood is the body made from? Was the original finish painted or stained/ lacquered?