# Sanding my guitar's neck [need some advice]



## turmoil (Feb 28, 2008)

i just recently did a search on this site, and some other websites, for articles and tips about stripping and refinishing a guitar. there have been LOTS of helpful information that i've found but i have a slightly different question for all you experts out there.

I have this old, old yamaha 6 string that i love. the guitar itself is pretty beat up cosmetically but it feels great to play! right now, the back of the neck is finished with a black paint to match the body and i'm assuming a clear coating on top of that. 

What i want to do is strip the paint and clear coat on the back of the neck down to the wood and tung-oil that baby up! it's a bolt on neck so that will make this a lot easier to do. it's also a beater guitar and i figured this would make for a good test subject for sanding and finishing.

i just want to know how (relatively) easy this would be to do? What tools would i need for this job? any other helpful information?
thanks!!


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## Psychoface (Feb 28, 2008)

most paint removing chemicals get messy and gloopy, keep that in mind


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## turmoil (Feb 28, 2008)

yeah, i was thinking about maybe sanding it by hand or using one of those palm sanders.


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## Psychoface (Feb 28, 2008)

yeah but be sure not to sand to much or youll change the shape of the neck, palm sanders are pretty good for taking off paint but im not sure how well they work on necks, i know they do wonders on bodys


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## turmoil (Feb 28, 2008)

yeah, that's why i was a little unsure of as to what to use/what would be best for the neck so i don't mess up the shape of it. i just want to strip it and refinish it is all.


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## technomancer (Feb 28, 2008)

Unless you're really good with a palm sander I wouldn't recommend using it on a neck as it would be very easy to alter the shape with it.


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## turmoil (Feb 28, 2008)

ok cool, so sand paper it is.

what would you guys recommend me using as far as sand paper is concerned? like start with something pretty rough then move up and up till it's nice and smooth.

what numbers for sandpaper would you recommend i use?


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## maliciousteve (Feb 29, 2008)

Hey mate. I recently sanded the varnish off the back of my stratocasters neck. I used quite a course sandpaper to start and then finished it off with a very fine steel wool to smoothen it all out. Then I used Boiled Linseed Oil but I hear Tung oil is better so go with that.

I suggest going to a DIY store and feeling the sandpapers. But for the steel wool, go for a 0000 grade.


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## turmoil (Feb 29, 2008)

cool!! thanks for the tip man. 
when i head home in a week i'm going to hit up some local stores and find some nice sand paper/steel wool.

now, where would be a good place to go get this stuff (in the US)?? there's a lowes and home depot not too far from my house but i'm not sure if we have any tiny mom and pop stores around


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## noodles (Feb 29, 2008)

Start with 200 grit, and drop back to 400 when you start seeing wood peak through, because it means you're hitting the sealer. You can tell the difference between the sealer and raw wood, because the sealed wood will be shiney and feel like plastic. Finish off with 00000 steel wool.

You don't need to sand through the sealer to oil the neck. Simply oil over top of it, since it will still penetrate through. Sand between every three coats with 00000 steel wool. You're going to need about twenty coats.


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## djpharoah (Feb 29, 2008)

I started at 400 to get the clear off. Just follow the contours of the neck and you should be fine. I went 400-800-1200-1500 and it was perfect!


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## Randy (Feb 29, 2008)

noodles said:


> Start with 200 grit, and drop back to 400 when you start seeing wood peak through, because it means you're hitting the sealer. You can tell the difference between the sealer and raw wood, because the sealed wood will be shiney and feel like plastic. Finish off with 00000 steel wool.
> 
> You don't need to sand through the sealer to oil the neck. Simply oil over top of it, since it will still penetrate through.



+1 

I did pretty much the exact same thing, with great results.


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## turmoil (Feb 29, 2008)

awesome!! thanks for the tips guys.

so i can get these different grit sand papers and steel wool at like, Lowes for example or online? what about the tung-oil as well? any good brands to look out for?

sorry for these n00b questions but when applying tung-oil should i just use an old cloth shirt to apply a thin coat of it and then let it sit for how long? and then do that like 20 times?


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## Hcash (Feb 29, 2008)

This is the guitar I'm working on: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/47349-50-dollar-guitar.html


The neck had some nasty clear coat on it which I sand off with 320. Then I went over good with 600 a little before using the Formby's Tung oil. After that I went up to 12000 grit sandpaper... I bought the Tung Oil at Lowes. It was 7 dollars I think. You need to buy steelwool to aply the Furniture refinisher, but the tung oil just needs a lint free rag. Old sock... make sure to read the direction 3-4 times. I taped up the fretboard and undid a coathanger to hang the neck up while it dried. Put it through the last tuner hole...


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## turmoil (Feb 29, 2008)

cool man! i saw that project and mine is a lot similar. my guitar is a yamaha but look pretty similar lol

i just need to strip off that clear coat and the paint on the back of my neck and i'll be in action!

did you sand more later AFTER applying some tung-oil??


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## Randy (Feb 29, 2008)

turmoil said:


> awesome!! thanks for the tips guys.
> 
> so i can get these different grit sand papers and steel wool at like, Lowes for example or online? what about the tung-oil as well? any good brands to look out for?
> 
> sorry for these n00b questions but when applying tung-oil should i just use an old cloth shirt to apply a thin coat of it and then let it sit for how long? and then do that like 20 times?



I bought all my stuff at Lowes. Tung Oil included, which was the Formby (sp?)

There's directions on the oil, but the basic is that you let it sit overnight, and you don't really need to apply very many layers. I did 3, and it's pretty freakin' glossy. If I'm not mistaken, if you put on too much it'll kinda cake on and not really dry.



turmoil said:


> did you sand more later AFTER applying some tung-oil??



That's when you use the steel wool. Lightly, really. You don't really want to remove any material.



Hcash said:


> This is the guitar I'm working on: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/47349-50-dollar-guitar.htmlAfter that I went up to *12000 grit sandpaper... *



Im guessing you have 1 too many zeros on the end of that number...?


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## turmoil (Feb 29, 2008)

levelhead86 said:


> I bought all my stuff at Lowes. Tung Oil included, which was the Formby (sp?)
> 
> There's directions on the oil, but the basic is that you let it sit overnight, and you don't really need to apply very many layers. I did 3, and it's pretty freakin' glossy. If I'm not mistaken, if you put on too much it'll kinda cake on and not really dry.
> 
> That's when you use the steel wool. Lightly, really. You don't really want to remove any material.



awesome man! thanks for all the help guys


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## Hcash (Feb 29, 2008)

levelhead86 said:


> Im guessing you have 1 too many zeros on the end of that number...?





Fuck you! 



Hahahaha... I thought you meant the price. No, Twelve Thousand...


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