Sanding the Body

The guitar body has been rough sanded at the factory, but it is up to you to do the final sanding before the finish is applied. To get a good finish the body should be sanded with a series of sand- paper grits up to #320 grit.

Components Needed

Qty

Guitar Body

1

Tools Needed

 

Flexible Sanding Block

1

Aluminum-Oxide Sanding Paper

 

#150, #220, and #320 Grit

Varies

Sanding Sealer

Varies

To sand the guitar body:

 

1.Wear an ANSI-approved respirator and safety glasses when sanding wood!

2.Use a flexible sanding block with #150 grit aluminum-oxide sanding paper to sand the guitar body until there is a consistent scratch pattern on the entire surface. Note—When hand sanding, always sand in the same direction as the wood grain.

3.Resand the entire guitar body with #220 grit sanding paper and lightly round over the out- side edges of the body. DO NOT round over the neck pocket or the body cavities.

4.Wipe the guitar body with a damp cloth to “raise” the wood grain, allowing the “raised” grain to be sanded smooth.

5.Wait until the wood is dry and resand the entire body with #220 grit sandpaper. Dampen again and resand. Note—If you want to add color to a natural wood finish, the stain should be applied before continuing with the next step. Stains cannot be applied to the guitar body after the sanding sealer.

6.Apply a coat of sanding sealer according to the manufacturer's instructions or apply prim- er if you are using a solid color. Note—Make sure the sealer you are using is compatible with the finish that you plan to use.

7.When the sanding sealer or primer is dry, use #320 grit sandpaper for final sanding. DO NOT sand through to bare wood.

Sanding the Neck

Like the guitar body, the guitar neck has been rough sanded at the factory. Final sanding should be done as described in the previous sub-section "Sanding the Body". Consider applying inlays or additional design work on the fretboard and headstock before final sanding. Note—Take your time and test your designs in scrap wood before performing the work on the instrument.

The fretboard requires no sanding. Sanding the fretboard will affect the playability of the guitar and could lead to unrepairable damage.

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Model H6082, H6083, and H6086 Heirloom Electric Guitar Kits

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Grizzly H6086, H6082, H6083 instruction manual Sanding the Body, Sanding the Neck