Removing poly from a bound guitar

Deadman

I'm convinced I can remove the poly from my Tokai Love Rock without damaging the binding. I'm obviously planning on using a heat gun for most of it then finishing with abranets to take down the lacquer on the binding. The only thing I couldn't remove is the face of the headstock.

Anyone done it or got any links please?

axisus

Lure the bird away with a cracker.

Deadman

Poly not Polly keep up man! 

axisus

I haven't done poly with binding, but having stripped poly 3 times with fairly intense heat (eg I didn't mind the odd scorch marks on the wood). Two times it came off incredibly easy with blowtorch and a scraper, the other time I just couldn't remove the stuff - it would bubble up but also stick even more to the surface. Gave up in the end on that one!

Deadman

I've been there many times too. Easiest was an 80s Tokai so here's hoping. I want a matt nitro and a colour change so have to be prepared to put the effort in.

GoldenEraGuitars

Yip, just refinished a Gretsch top that has binding. 

Heat gun? Be VERY careful. I'll post pics if it helps with more info on it.

Deadman

Great stuff. I do have an insurance policy now in that a guitar building mate of mine will replace the binding if I damage it. He owes me because I'm painting all his guitars for beer money anyway.

Be interested to see your pics though 

lamf68

I’ve always shaved edges with a good blade when doing bound Guitars, melted the binding on an old Les Paul copy years ago and have never used heat near the edges since. While laborious and with its own hazards I’d never use any other method, I’d prefer to take an extra day prepping this way and guaranteeing the integrity of the binding...

GoldenEraGuitars

lamf68 said:

I’ve always shaved edges with a good blade when doing bound Guitars, melted the binding on an old Les Paul copy years ago and have never used heat near the edges since. While laborious and with its own hazards I’d never use any other method, I’d prefer to take an extra day prepping this way and guaranteeing the integrity of the binding...

Exactly how I did this one although I appear to have binned all the prep photos!

The owner sanded the forearm area area for comfort so the binding is missing from there anyway but basically this is the result of a heat gun for the centre of the top and several sharp blades for the perimeter.

Its worth noting that due to the depth of the polyurethane (this is now nitro) there was a discrepancy between the top and the binding. I have to fade the edges in with filler then sand to a smooth transition.

https://i.imgur.com/2rJHjnr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lLZ0NxH.jpg

You can see the previous colour in the pickup cavities.

Deadman

All very handy to know, cheers gents. All I need now is a little time to get stuck in.