Newbie question - Filling old screw holes

chromium · August 21, 2009, 02:23:07 PM

I'm giving the BaCH NR a little makeover, and now I'm planing to strip and refinish it as part of this effort. In the process of filling the grain in prep for the new finish, is it appropriate or advisable to use the grain filler to plug the old pickguard holes? Most of the old pickguard holes will be covered by the new 'guard, but I may also relocate the tailpiece closer to the bridge - and in that case would need to fill those holes too. Should I plug the holes first with a small dowel prior to filling?

The specific wood filler I have is that oil-based Bartley paste wood filler.

Thanks!

Lightyear · August 21, 2009, 05:00:24 PM

For the PG screw holes I would use Famowood or maybe Bondo or the Minwax wood variant. If you move the bridge and plug those holes with dowels they will eventually telegraph through your new finish. I like the Bartleys for grain filler myself.

Dave W · August 21, 2009, 05:55:13 PM

Grain (pore) filler is not wood filler, it's not for filling holes.

I would use Bondo or similar. I've heard good things about the Minwax product but I've never used it.

godofthunder · August 21, 2009, 06:11:59 PM

The above advice is sound.

Lightyear · August 21, 2009, 08:08:48 PM

Quote from: Dave W on August 21, 2009, 05:55:13 PM
Grain (pore) filler is not wood filler, it's not for filling holes.

I would use Bondo or similar. I've heard good things about the Minwax product but I've never used it.

As near as I can tell Bondo and the Minwax variant are the same thing - Minwax dries to white/gray color while standard Bondo dries pink. One difference is that Bondo is a better value - twice as much for less.

One question though - why do you want to strip the existing color? If the finish is nice and flat I would scuff and clean the existing paint, prime and shoot your new color. Even if you made changes to the radius on the body edges and made other repairs this would still work - just seal the pores on the raw wood. Just my $0.02 worth

I just reread your original post - this time for understanding

. On the screw holes from the stop piece I would be tempted just to fill those with Bondo or Minwax - they're probably 8's or 10's so they should fill fairly well - I think the dowels would show worse over time.

SKATE RAT · August 21, 2009, 08:25:10 PM

this thread is dirty with wood filler and screw holes.

chromium · August 22, 2009, 12:19:46 AM

Quote from: SKATE RAT on August 21, 2009, 08:25:10 PM
this thread is dirty with wood filler and screw holes.

Old screw holes, no less

Quote from: Dave W on August 21, 2009, 05:55:13 PM
Grain (pore) filler is not wood filler, it's not for filling holes.
I would use Bondo or similar. I've heard good things about the Minwax product but I've never used it.

Quote from: Lightyear on August 21, 2009, 05:00:24 PM
If you [...] plug those holes with dowels they will eventually telegraph through your new finish.

That all makes sense. The Bartleys can labeled as wood filler threw me for a loop - started to wonder if I shouldn't be using that instead. I'll try out that Minwax if I can find it, and I know I can get Bondo. I'll stay away from the dowels in this case too. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Quote from: Lightyear on August 21, 2009, 08:08:48 PM
One question though - why do you want to strip the existing color? If the finish is nice and flat I would scuff and clean the existing paint, prime and shoot your new color. Even if you made changes to the radius on the body edges and made other repairs this would still work - just seal the pores on the raw wood. Just my $0.02 worth

That's actually what I originally had in mind, but then I started obsessing over minutiae - like if it gets dinged, or as it wears over time will it look or feel funny with the old finish peeking thru(?)... and of course it doesn't help that I'm new at this and haven't had the pleasure of doing one from the wood up yet. I figure I got it mainly as a project bass, so might as well give it a go. The bass was a lot better than I expected, though, so I hope I can pull off a halfway decent job. If not, its nothing that time and money can't fix

Couldn't decide between pelham blue and inverness green, so I'm doing it in ocean turquoise

(just pretend its a Gibson.. er.. I mean a BaCH)

Lightyear · August 22, 2009, 09:56:51 AM

Hey Joe,

(yes, trite and most likely worn out by now but, I just can't help myslef)

You can find the Minwax filler at any Lowes,HD etc - it's with all of the other wood fillers.

As for stripping the finish - depending on just what Bach used for paint stripping might be a hellish nightmare

Modern finishes are made to be durable and therefore can be real bitch to strip. Take a look at the ReRanch site and there will be many threads about stripping poly finishes - aircraft stripper, heat guns etc.

As for the old finish showing through this is a positive for old Fenders. Back in the day Fender was real quick to grab a burst body and shoot a custom color over it. Years later the colors wear to reveal what's under the new finish. Me, myself, I'd prep the old and shoot the new color

chromium · August 22, 2009, 11:31:22 AM

I hear ya! I've been lurking over there, looking at some of the trials and tribulations. This is an inspiring thread:

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=25031&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=strip+poly&start=0

I never tried this heat gun approach, but in my misguided youth I (now regrettably) stripped my pearl white Aria SB Elite with aircraft stripper because I didn't like the plastic-y feel of the finish. It was a messy PITA, but I got thru it - and proceeded to give it a thin satin tung oil finish. Looked nice for about a month!

Highlander · August 22, 2009, 02:22:44 PM

My Peter Cook Thunderbird took a long time to get "tired", Joe... considering the original finish was cherry and I refin'd white and then the front the multi-colour, it lasted 25 years, just with auto-colours... just about to start the rebuild thread for mine, so gotta do your "Mud-mod"...

Good luck on the work...

drbassman · August 24, 2009, 12:44:34 PM

Wood filler of just about any type will be fine. I happen to like epoxy wood filler that hardens like a rock and doesn't shrink much, if ever.

shadowcastaz · September 03, 2009, 04:49:00 AM

Be careful with endgrain plugs. They will move and show on the surface. I have even done face grain to match the top grain and that too is trickie. same species wood is different from tree to tree. bondo if you are going to paint natural you have to disguise the glue lines

Barklessdog · September 03, 2009, 05:15:12 AM

I know what ever works, but I was was taught that wood products should only use wood fillers not bondo.

I dont think it really matters though technically, just seen as half assed by some?

drbassman · September 03, 2009, 06:57:02 AM

I don't like bondo on wood. There are a raft of good wood fillers out there, no need to use bondo, which some folks have had problems with.

Dave W · September 03, 2009, 09:03:57 AM

I don't think Bondo products are significantly different than similar repair products labeled for wood, such as the Minwax filler. But to each his own.