turtle wax in the grains

hi, im new to finishing and would love some help here!

i built this guitar bod out of butternut. i sanded the hell out of it before staining, stopping at 320g. i didnt grain fill.:cool: i stained it. did a can and a half of minwax polyurethane semi gloss in 30 min increments and let dry for 4 days. then wet sanded with 800g then 1000g. then buffed with turtle wax and 0000 steel wool. and then wiped hard with a cotton shirt. and now i have this.

i probably did a bunch wrong, not grain filling being the hugest! BUT is there a way to at least get the white, out! without completely sanding everything off and starting over. i like a thin clear coat, i like the deep grain, the wood is smooth and sexy... i just want to get rid of the white streaks in the grain.

Turtle Wax and steel wool is an interesting combination....

ya, i got the idea from this book on finishing.

btw, the body looks great wet, ya think i can hit it with another can o poly do a mellow buff to fix it?

You mean that when it's wet those white spots disappear?

FWIW, reading that blurb, I think you were supposed to use the steel wool first, and wax afterwards....

FWIW, reading that blurb, I think you were supposed to use the steel wool first, and wax afterwards....

ya, i had read it a while back and had it in my head all twisted up into my own method which i was convinced made sense haha.

i actually have it all worked out to my satisfaction now after doing some reading and contemplating.

i went back over with my ebony stain and worked it into the grain with a soft strong paper towel until all the white was gone.

it looks and feels good to me.

this has been work on my 2nd custom designed body.

You have stained the wax.

Lots of finish info available here. A general rule is that woods with open grain need filled before final finish.

You have stained the wax.

Lots of finish info available here. A general rule is that woods with open grain need filled before final finish.

wax - the new grain filler haha

ya, i know i should have grain filled but i went for it anyway.

i got a nice satin rustic look doing it this way

Looks cool, but does the stain come off on your hands or clothes now?

Looks cool, but does the stain come off on your hands or clothes now?

thank you very much!

no stain coming off at all, i just rubbed it in sternly and wiped it of sternly. the wood has a million sound-holes,the white wax is black and i have a mellow gloss. seems golden. it has a finished feel.

with this guitar, if i ever notice stain getting on things, i'll give it another can of clear and take it easy on the sanding, rubbing and buffing.

OK, don't laugh yet. Grandmas age old guitar wax cure....brown paper bag or old rag on the wood, heat gently with old iron to melt the wax and it is sucked up into that old bag. (the actual bag, not the grandma) You'll stop laughin' when it works.

OK, don't laugh yet. Grandmas age old guitar wax cure....brown paper bag or old rag on the wood, heat gently with old iron to melt the wax and it is sucked up into that old bag. (the actual bag, not the grandma) You'll stop laughin' when it works.

I can vouch. It works.

Wash it with a strong solution of soap or car wash. Wax dissolves in soapy water, it's how we get it off the car. The wood has been sealed? - ok to use water then. White spirits may work too unless it also dissolves the seal.

Try using a car finishing polish (abrasive) on a foam pad instead of that wire wool, then dress it with carnauba wax and buff with a polyester polishing towel cloth. Car "detailing" products ...

Naptha and a rag takes turtlewax right off.

By the way, I use steel wool and turtle wax to buff finishes on jewelry boxes and such, works great.

Very cool, great info guys, thank you!

Assuming the carnauba wax is clear, ya think I can go right on top as I have it now or should I wash out the miniscule amounts of stained turtle wax, then stain again if needed and then wax?

Colt, that makes me feel better!(Turtle wax and swool) I will grain fill before I try it on this type of wood again for sure!

Very cool, great info guys, thank you!

Assuming the carnauba wax is clear, ya think I can go right on top as I have it now or should I wash out the miniscule amounts of stained turtle wax, then stain again if needed and then wax?

Colt, that makes me feel better!(Turtle wax and swool) I will grain fill before I try it on this type of wood again for sure!

Most wax is colored, that way you can see where you missed polishing when detailing cars. If you get another type of wax in the pores of the grain, it will turn white looking as well.

But dipping steel wool in wax and buffing is a very common procedure. You don't see it a lot on guitars because it will leave tiny swirl marks. However, it can yield a very nice results.

I helped my buddy Grant build this guitar, and he wasn't sure about the wet sanding process. I suggested the turtlewax and steel wool method, and this is what he got.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Grants%20Guitar/102_4262.jpg

Very cool, great info guys, thank you!

Assuming the carnauba wax is clear, ya think I can go right on top as I have it now or should I wash out the miniscule amounts of stained turtle wax, then stain again if needed and then wax?

Colt, that makes me feel better!(Turtle wax and swool) I will grain fill before I try it on this type of wood again for sure!

Carnauba wax is car finishing wax. It costs a small fortune but you don't use much. You can also use it on your car, but you knew that. It is much easier to work than Turtle Wax. I still have a tin of Turtle Wax from the 70s, it's too much like hard work. Carnauba will probably remove the last vestiges of the Turtle Wax. Rub it in, let it set, buff it off.

There's modern stuff out there in the car paint world that does the job so much better, easier, quicker, than T-Cut and wire wool.

right on, thanks!

with this guitar, if i ever notice stain getting on things, i'll give it another can of clear and take it easy on the sanding, rubbing and buffing.

in which case, you will need to remove ALL the wax for the clear to stick.... otherwise, you are just making a clear cocoon that will flake and peel right off

in which case, you will need to remove ALL the wax for the clear to stick.... otherwise, you are just making a clear cocoon that will flake and peel right off

ok so the plan of attack that should make sense would be to give the guitar a good spanking with naptha, then shower it in clear right?

naptha or mineral spirits...the latter will evaporate slower.... you will want to repeat this process a few times since either one will wind up "melting" the wax and it will get rubbed around.... not to mention you worked it in with steel wool, so it's worked well into the wood.....

Take your time, and it will all be fine