Citri Strip Lessons in Use

[mindwave]

No this is NOT a step by step how to, it is instead a REQUEST for same.....

I have about 5 guitars that I want to rebuild and sell and 4 of them have a finish on them.

Some as "simple" as krylon and some an UNKNOWN finish thats been there a while.

I have tried Citri Strip on 4 of them, all to almost the same results:

1) Unknown old finish - layed on a thick layer on the headstock, let it sit 5 - 6 hours - almost NO affect

2) Epi GOTH LP with "satin" black finish - again placed it on headstock, left over night (probably 12 - 14 hours) almost no affect

3) Parts Caster with Poly finish - placed on back and headstosk left 12 - 14 hours, slight 'rippling' and did take a small section (2" square) off the back, didnt touch the headstock

4) Parts Caster #2 -Krylon paint can finish, covered the back and the headstock, left 14 - 16 hours, LARGER bubble on back, but nowhere else and THATS the only place I tried scraping.

As for scrapers, Ive tried, wppd, plastic and metal, all the same affect

Anyone have any ideas?

I REALLY wasnt wanting to have to hand sand all these, so I thought I'd try the citristrip as everyone else seems to spray,scrape and GO

any and all ideas appareciated

Thanks

J

 

[DrASATele]

Are all of them to be painted an opaque finish?

If so, Sand all of them to 320 but not to remove the previous finish just so you have something for the new finish to cling to. Then hit them with a dewaxed shellac like Zinsser Sealcoat and then go for it.

The old finish works as a sealer / primer. The shellac is your barrier coat in case the new finish doesn't like the old finish.

 

[Vizcaster]

There are lots of threads here about stripping finishes, and I don't believe anyone has ever recommended sanding as a way to remove an entire finish. Sandpaper is expensive; the heat will soften the finish but only enough for it to gum up the paper; when you burn through you'll damage the wood underneath; and it takes an awfully long time.

Removing a finish requires some method of softening it, breaking it's bond from what's underneath, and then lifting it off mechanically. if you think of it that way, the use of chemicals or heat to soften the finish really isn't much different except that chemicals usually dont' work on modern factory finishes, and if they do they're a mess. Honestly Citristrip is a 'friendly' finish that doesn't have the nasty chemicals that are actually needed to get into many paints and varnishes. Sure it would work on nitro or shellac but you don't need a stripper for those. So anything that Citristrip would work on you could probably just remove with a rag dampened with lacquer thinner and/or denatured alcohol. Obviously it doesn't work on the poly-whatever finishes on your guitars.

Search here for "heat gun."

 

[mindwave]

Ok thanks guys. I've just heard so many great stories about how citri strip seems to be the do all be all.

Actually all of them but one are solid opaque finishes, so yuore right I'll probably just rough them up and paint over them.

As for heat guns, Ive had som nasty issues w/ those in the ast so I do my best to stary awy from them but I do know that a lot of guys have good luck with them

J

 

[DrASATele]

Ok thanks guys. I've just heard so many great stories about how citri strip seems to be the do all be all.

Actually all of them but one are solid opaque finishes, so yuore right I'll probably just rough them up and paint over them.

As for heat guns, Ive had som nasty issues w/ those in the ast so I do my best to stary awy from them but I do know that a lot of guys have good luck with them

J

Just and after thought . . .
I totally forgot that Zinsser has a shellac based white primer that would probably work way better for this, as it will give you that bright white backing for your colors.

 

[DuncanAngus]

I can't speak to stripping a guitar with Citri Strip, but I use it to take varnish off of old bamboo fly rods.

It's not as strong as some other commercial strippers and that's why I use it. Doesn't raise the grain, doesn't destroy the glue joints. Avtually, you can time it pretty good and remove one layer at a time and not have to go to bare wood.

I don't think I'd use it on a guitar. Modern finishes are a far cry from spar varnish and old tung oil. You'd need something stronger like a belt sander w/80 grit... Kidding, DON"T try that.

Give Zip Strip or Strip-Eez a shot.

 

[schoolie]

I've had good luck with Citristrip on guitars. I apply a thick coat, and seal the body in a trash bag for 24 hours. Then I use a metal scraper to remove the softened finish. I've never used it on Krylon, but it's worth a shot.

 

[mindwave]

youre the second person Ive seen lately mention the trash bag idea. maybe its worth a shot

 

[Rano Bass]

I have used citristrip and it works but its very messy IMO. Once i decided to buy a heat gun I'm not going back to finish strippers, it's faster and not as messy, just be careful not to leave the heat gun on the same spot for a long time.

 

[Buckocaster51]

Heat gun.

Putty knife.

Patience.

Grasshopper, you can do it.

 

[mindwave]

OK, broke down and bought a heat gun

(gotta make sure the wife doesnt see it, some crazy fear about burning down the whole house.....)

Interesting!

1) On the home made parts caster with the krylon finish worked VERY well, 30 minutes almost the whole guitar done, boy is this some weird looking wood.

2) Old Timer - nope didnt do a thing......sigh

3) Epiphone Goth LP - now thats interesting. Started to bubble up HUGE! But didnt 'burst. SO I thought I;d help it a little, turned the csraper around to the 'scythe end popped into it and pulled. Nice 1/2" wide 3" Piece of wood came up with it! That paint is bonded at the MOLECULAR level! Didnt pay anything for it, and wasnt going to do any major mods, so maybe THIS will be a great test of my repair abilities! Some glue some fine sanding, some roghage and a 3rd hummer hole .... black beuty not so black maybe.



So in all the heat gun works well, should have started with that, and on different finishes should start with smaller areas (headstock? - actually I DID start there and got zero results , that should have been a hint)

j

 

[Buckocaster51]

OK, broke down and bought a heat gun

(gotta make sure the wife doesnt see it, some crazy fear about burning down the whole house.....)

Interesting!

1) On the home made parts caster with the krylon finish worked VERY well, 30 minutes almost the whole guitar done, boy is this some weird looking wood.

2) Old Timer - nope didnt do a thing......sigh

3) Epiphone Goth LP - now thats interesting. Started to bubble up HUGE! But didnt 'burst. SO I thought I;d help it a little, turned the csraper around to the 'scythe end popped into it and pulled. Nice 1/2" wide 3" Piece of wood came up with it! That paint is bonded at the MOLECULAR level! Didnt pay anything for it, and wasnt going to do any major mods, so maybe THIS will be a great test of my repair abilities! Some glue some fine sanding, some roghage and a 3rd hummer hole .... black beuty not so black maybe.



So in all the heat gun works well, should have started with that, and on different finishes should start with smaller areas (headstock? - actually I DID start there and got zero results , that should have been a hint)

j

More heat.

Move slowly.

Heat a larger area.

Do not set the wood on fire.

Have fun.

 

[mindwave]

Buck

you know thats interesting, because what seems to be happening is that if I try and get to too large an area the initial area goes back to the condition it was, and its harder to get off.

it seems that w/ the gun i got (1600degrees is what HF claims) its their mid range model, that I do a small area (2 - 3 inches square) set the gun down scrape it, repeat

it seems to work better. I too thought that I might be able to go over the whole back (foir example) and then scrape, no go.

on my 'old timer' just to test I went back and did the base of the neck (where it slides into the pocket) looked like someone white washed it, came right up, but the actual finish on the back of the headstock for example? changed color a bit, but no go. guess a few decades will do that!

thanks for the suggestions it seems to be going well. my home made psemi hollow parts caster is about 90% done , total time less thna an hour!

j

 

[Vizcaster]

I too thought that I might be able to go over the whole back (foir example) and then scrape, no go.

The finish is only going to lift when it's soft, and it's only soft when it's hot, so you need to work a small area at a time. Then chase the heat with the scraper as you move along in long stripes.

 

[SixShooter]

If the finishes are lacquer you can use acetone.

Another option for just about any finish I think is the methylene chloride based paint stripper. Nasty stuff and carcinogenic but it works.