How to remove poly splatter from neck

[rmackowsky]

I’m using Minwax wipe on poly to bury a decal on a headstock. Apparently I splattered some of the poly on the fretboard and didn’t notice until it was dry. How do I remove this without scratching the fretboard. Fretboard is a satin finish.

 

[Cheap Trills]

carefully

 

[Boreas]

Assuming the neck is poly, you could try taking a Q-tip with some solvent on it (not soaked) and touch it to the spots. Since they are new, they are more likely to soften than the old finish. But be careful and be ready to polish out the spots.

 

[ChicknPickn]

0000 steel wool with a bit of solvent. Very light strokes.

 

[Sea Devil]

I'd probably just use a razor blade. I bet the drops will just pop off if you hit them at the right angle.

 

[Peegoo]

^^^THIS. Single-edge blade or Stanley blade, held vertically between fingers and thumbs, carefully pulled toward you *with the grain* of the fretboard. Gently scrape the splats off. When done, apply the fretboard conditioner of your choice (I like Howard Feed & Wax) and buff it out.

 

[Sea Devil]

Peegoo, it's a finished neck, so while the technique you describe is good, it may not work quite as easily as it would on an unfinished fretboard. I use Feed'N'Wax myself, btw; great stuff for rosewood boards.

 

[stratisfied]

Check out the Dan Erlewine video on drop filling for the razor blade/taped corners technique to scrape the drips away and lightly sand. Mask the adjacent frets and fretboard edges wipe a very light coat of poly back over the wood to restore the finish.