Best Lo-Tech Way to Polish Out Fender Matte?

As cheap and unattractive as the Fender matte nitro finishes are, they polish out nicely.

I've got a couple more of these in the pipeline and I'd like some advice on bringing out that vintage nitro gloss look.

Polishing out with a rag and some wax and/or swirl remover works pretty well, but there's a sort of orange peel going on and it really doesn't leave with that method.

I was thinking a very judicious blocking with 2000 grit to smooth it down prior to hand polishing, but I thought I'd ask first. There's not much paint here and I don't want to screw it up.

Thanks for any useful advice!

I love that finish because of the matte.
I'm not sure you could get the orange peel totally flat with out going through in places.
I'd leave it but I realize that doesn't answer your question.

I've had good luck wet sanding with micro-mesh paper like this http://tinyurl.com/2d2bkw7 Be careful on the edges!

Just keep polishing with auto polish and a clean rag .You just dont need to do anything else .Its starts polishing as soon as you start .I have had two HW1's and they polish up great with out any sanding ,sorta subtle at first .The more you polish nitro ,the shinier it gets .full stop .

I've had good luck wet sanding with micro-mesh paper like this http://tinyurl.com/2d2bkw7 Be careful on the edges!

12,000 grit??? :shock:

That's almost inconceivable! Wow...

There appears to be a matte clear coat over the color coat and the orange peel in that looks like a couple of very careful, possibly wet passes with 3000 or so would do a lot to improve the overall shine after polishing out.

But yeah, edges require care.

You can get a 1500 grit paste called Chroma 1500.its not a polish as such as it doesnt contain any actual polish but its so fine as to create the same effect .Its mainly for use on 2 K poly paint like Fender use which doesnt actually polish up as such .It just removes the fine scratches that all sanding however fine produces in poly .I use it on model autos that have to have a perfect finish and guitars.You can also get very finegrit papers for model autos and of course toothpaste works a treat on all paint .

3M makes a Super Duty rubbing compound that is much coarser than most automotive rubbing compounds. Its probably around 1200-1500 grit.

If you want to get rid of the orange peel, Id wet sand it flat, then buff it.

12,000 grit??? :shock:

That's almost inconceivable! Wow...

There appears to be a matte clear coat over the color coat and the orange peel in that looks like a couple of very careful, possibly wet passes with 3000 or so would do a lot to improve the overall shine after polishing out.

But yeah, edges require care.

Micromesh grits are not equivalent to sand paper grits.

If you want to get rid of the orange peel, Id wet sand it flat, then buff it.
That's exactly what I was going to try, with super-fine paper.

Went to two big home-improvement stores today and couldn't find any, though. :neutral:

That's exactly what I was going to try, with super-fine paper.

Went to two big home-improvement stores today and couldn't find any, though. :neutral:

Try the Auto Parts stores.

That's exactly what I was going to try, with super-fine paper.

Went to two big home-improvement stores today and couldn't find any, though. :neutral:

1000 grit is probably what I would start with, then hit it with some 1200/1500 and 2000 grit. Then polish with rubbing compound, and apply a wax/glaze

For nitro and indeed all guitar paint finishes, the auto detailing products are your fiends.

I have a well bashed about 40+yo Yamaha nitro finished, no not reliced but naturally yellowed, chipped and well dinged. A clay bar and auto paint restorer polish (not rubbing/cutting compound) removed the gunge and brought it back to shiny (still dinged), followed by Autoglym SRP, then carnauba wax "high definition" detailing/finishing polish (£25-eek!). The wax is very glossy but feels and smells nice, plus it is impervious to tea & beer etc.

A wet rub of superfine 1200-1500 grit wet'n'dry on the neck will remove the sticky feel associated with poly-wotsit finishes, a rub over with wet 2000 grit "flour" paper will shine it up. When cured carnauba wax does not feel sticky, so can be put on the neck too (not rosewood fretboards). Again, these fine grit papers from good automotive stores. Most towns will have ye shoppe for the auto re-finishing crash repair chaps to buy their paint & stuff.

Just keep polishing with auto polish and a clean rag .You just dont need to do anything else .Its starts polishing as soon as you start .I have had two HW1's and they polish up great with out any sanding ,sorta subtle at first .The more you polish nitro ,the shinier it gets .full stop .

I would tend to disagree...I've done about a dozen HWY 1 Guitars for Customers, and you must block sand at least up to #1200, or you'll just get very shiny Orange peel...unless you have a trick I'm not aware of ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/mellecaster/Red%20Esquire-June/DSCF4567JPG.jpg

I would tend to disagree...I've done about a dozen HWY 1 Guitars for Customers, and you must block sand at least up to #1200, or you'll just get very shiny Orange peel...unless you have a trick I'm not aware of ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/mellecaster/Red%20Esquire-June/DSCF4567JPG.jpg

I concur

Yes on the "shiny orange peel" business...though I find that a merely-polished H1 finish looks remarkably like the very old true nitro, pre-Fullerplast finishes, which weren't all that mirror-shiny and glossy.

The grain texture showing through on most H1s is probably beyond the ability of blocking to remove without penetrating the paint someplace. I'll experiment in non-exposed places.

The trick its getting the paper at this point. Someone claims Walmart, so they're on the way to the auto supply place and cheaper.

On the "to do" list for tomorrow.

I know guys who have sprayed more clear. One spray can of reranch gloss, or minwax or whatever your choice of nitro clear is. Let it dry for 2 weeks, and polish it out as normal. Alot less chance of sanding thru.

Let me confirm that Walmart does indeed stock 1000 and 2000 Wetdry, though it's considerably more expensive than I've seen online.

Be sure to let us know how it works out for you. Before & after photos would be an outstanding addition!

I'd like to rid my Hwy 1 of the orange peel & bring out a slight shine to the finish. Though my guitar is the first gen with the acrylic lacquer, not the nitro lacquer I’d imagine the process is the same…

~G

Mellecaster, what grit have you started with for block-sanding? I was afraid to cut back a finish that I hadn't sprayed myself, not knowing how much is there before you burn through into the color coat (or worse). I agree that if you just buff you get shiny orange peel (it's not so bad, that's what my Highway One looks like).

Let me confirm that Walmart does indeed stock 1000 and 2000 Wetdry, though it's considerably more expensive than I've seen online.

Be sure to let us know how it works out for you. Before & after photos would be an outstanding addition!
That's going to be a long wait. The H1 J & P basses are backordered for two months or so.

I've been experimenting on my H1 Telecaster a little bit at a time.

:!: All I can say for sure is to never, ever, ever use old rags to polish with. :!:

Old rags have so much random grit laundered into them it's amazing. Use new cloth only.

The process is simple -- but slow, boring and tedious and extremely easy to screw up if you're not paying absolutely rapt attention.

I'd like to rid my Hwy 1 of the orange peel & bring out a slight shine to the finish. Though my guitar is the first gen with the acrylic lacquer, not the nitro lacquer I’d imagine the process is the same…

I don't know. The acrylic lacquer was even thinner than the nitrocellulose, if that's even possible, and I don't know if it had a clear topcoat. The topcoat is all you're working with on this method.

Mellecaster, what grit have you started with for block-sanding? I was afraid to cut back a finish that I hadn't sprayed myself, not knowing how much is there before you burn through into the color coat (or worse). I agree that if you just buff you get shiny orange peel (it's not so bad, that's what my Highway One looks like).

I very seldom go any coarser than #800 on the HWY 1 for the exact reason you had stated, work up to #1200 or #1500, and then Hand Buff with Presta.

1000 grit is probably what I would start with, then hit it with some 1200/1500 and 2000 grit. Then polish with rubbing compound, and apply a wax/glaze

I'm in synch with all of Colt's posts on this.

What I've found is, some individual Highways can just be polished with Finesse It II or Meguiar's Scratch X or similar, but others might need 800 grit to really get that particular guitar's finish smooth enough. Otherwise you have a shiny, pebbly finish and little is worse than that.

So unfortunately on the ones needing more, I've worked backwards: Try the Meguiar's in a spot. If result is not adequate, try 1500 or 1200. Still making too little progress? Go to 1000 or 800 and smooth the whole thing and be super careful near the edges. Just avoid them altogether if you like. Don't seek a showpiece result because the FMIC finish is not that good; at some point you'll blow through or illuminate all the latent defects in the FMIC process. This model is cheaper for a valid reason. :wink:

One got 800, etc., the other got 1500 etc., and no coarser. Can I recall which is which right now. No.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t25/Bubbanov/19AUG252009001.jpg

I should have read all the posts to the bottom; I'm just repeating what Tony said. :oops:

Colt and Melcaster advice is really the only way your gonna get ceiling reflectin' results.

Scratch-X ain't gonna do it.