Polishing Endplates

Jory Simmons · From: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA

Can Someone suggest a good way to polish the scratches out without having to take the guitar completely apart which I'm not willing to try.

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Jory Simmons

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

If you have a Sho Bud the end plates come off easy. I did mine. Have to use some fine sand paper. Wet sand. Then polishing compound. Done right they will look like a mirror.

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Their is no easy way. You can do it but if you are not a handyman so to speak I would suggest you send the parts to a pro. In the end it will be the best way. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Sho-Bud endplates come off easy.
And if it's scratched, the rub-on polishes won't do it.
Have a metal polishing firm do it.
Blue Mountain Metal Finishing in Bethel PA is quite reasonable
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Per Berner · From: SkÃ¶vde, Sweden

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Norman Watson · From: Broken Arrow,Ok.

You nailed it Erv: " A picture is worth a thousand words."

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

4 or 5 minutes later. No worke, Wipe it on, wipe it off

If it does have deeper scratches, wet sand it to 600 and send it to a pro shop. Not expensive,
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Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Bryan Staddon · From: Buffalo,New York,

I want to get a buffer like that to do my endplates and I've seen guys polish guitars real well also. Any recommendations on motor speeds and buffer pads ? Or anybody else can chime in. ,
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You are me as I am you

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I got my buffer at a Sears closeout a few years ago, Up until then I had been using my Gad's old grinder motor. Haveing the endplates and prdal rack buffed at the pro shop was about 50 bucks. Half the cost of the buffer,
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

Bryan, a buffer for aluminum should run around 3400 RPM, a guitar body buffer should run around 1000-1200 RPM.

Here's the polisher I use for aluminum, it started out as a Harbor Freight unit, but the motor only lasted about 6 months. I took the motor out of the case and made a mandrel out of it using the existing bearings and made a new shaft. It is driven by a 3/4HP motor with a belt. I had just made and installed the dust hoods on it when I took these picture, they connect to my shop dust collector. Buffing aluminum is a messy job, and my least favorite part of restoring a steel guitar. Hopefully these hoods will make it a little cleaner, I'll know in the next few days.

BTW, I restored that Sho Bud in the first picture, but those end plates sure didn't look like that when I sold it 5 or 6 years ago.

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

If the scratches are not to deep and you want to remove them with polish and hand buffing. Use and old Army Engineer trick. To start the scratch removal use a piece of brown shopping bag paper, Put the polish liquid on the metal then use the bag paper to take out the bad places before using cloth to polish with.

If you want to use a power buffer, Check out Harbor Freight they have a 6" 1/2 HP. 3450 RPM buffer for about 50 bucks, Plus postage. If you use a power buffer be safe, wear eye protection and heavy gloves to handle items to be polished. Good Luck in this project.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The buffer I have pictured is an Eastwood.
They have a huge selection of buffing and polishing compounds.
The buffer I have has two different speeds to handle various projects.

Bob Muller · From: Oregon, USA

Here is an old machine that still gets the job done.

Remember to hold on tight!

Bryan Staddon · From: Buffalo,New York,

Great stuff everybody,thanks,My 1976 Sho Bud Pro II is looking real bad,I'll probably be asking a lot of questions soon. I think the time has come for me to take the full plunge and tear it apart. I was playing in the sunlight today and realize my steel looks like heck.probably plays that way too, but I've never played another steel guitar so I don't know? It stays in tune and sounds great so I just let it slide. If only I was rich and could just ship it off and have it come back perfect.
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You are me as I am you

Steve Sycamore · From: Sweden

I would like to sand and polish the aluminum necks on a Pro III. Are the fret boards attached only using the screws or are they glued on too? Can you take the necks off the guitar without removing a lot of other parts?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

If I'm not mistaken, the necks on a Pro III are fastened on with screws from the bottom, either 4 or 6.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

My Pro 2 has some screws from the top and some from the bottom.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

That's a wood neck, we're talking about an aluminum neck.

Steve Sycamore · From: Sweden

That's good news. When I unscrew the bolts, I'll use a torque wrench to measure the tension. I've heard that it is important for tone not to overtighten the retaining bolts.

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

To be fair, I have some other Harbor Freight stuff that has lasted a lot longer than I expected. You just never know.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, as well as some older MSAs, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Recently added a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored blue Rose, named the "Blue Bird" to the herd. Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic again that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also added a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Steve,
That's only on Emmons p/p's and I really think it's an old wives tale.

Bryan Staddon · From: Buffalo,New York,

Thanks for the RPM recommendations, I'm going shopping this weekend, Harbor Freight is hit and miss for me too, some good some bad, we have a Graingers warehouse in Wny, they usually have some good stuff.
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You are me as I am you

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I don't get it. Guitar players spend extra money & time buying or trying to make their guitars look old & beat up, and you're worried about some scratches on an endplate.

I'd leave 'em. Battle scars. Gives the guitar its mojo. My old Tele looks like it was dragged burning behind a NASCAR racer for a few laps, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

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