Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 24 May 2020 3:10 am |
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I've had a couple of people as me for the restoration tips I got from James Morehead a number of years ago, and realized I should just create a post with the info in it. I was initially concerned that the info might infringe on Ricky Davis' business, as I think he taught James some of this. But I figure the people who would tackle such a project would do so with or without advice and tips, and besides, Ricky tells me he has more work than he can handle!
My first bit of advice - don't do it! If you can swing it, send it to Ricky. None of it is complicated. But all of it combined is pretty complicated. Or, as Ricky recently said, he can take one apart in a few hours. It takes a few weeks to put it back together. But for most of us, it's a few months. I'm special - it took me several years.
In addition to the info from James, I also was, back when I was playing around with Sho-Buds, trying to create a "compendium" - a list of threads of relevance to Sho-Bud repair and restoration. I never finished getting through all the chaff to search out the nuggets of wheat, but will post the ones I had when I ran out of time in the first comment to this thread.
I will post the info two ways - first will be a link to the files as PDF's in my Google Drive. That should stay active as long as I am on this side of the grass, plus however long it takes for Google to delete it. Second, I will cut and paste all the info here as well.
Here is the link to "James' Refurb Advice" PDF:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WPZibWugbwenwR48Al-YKx6VjyShBN9g
JAMES' REFURB ADVICE
note: comments in brackets are mine
Doug, To disassemble your changer: Pull all of your pullrods, then disconnect all of your springs. Then use a 1/4" wooden dowel and gently tap out your axle [a pencil works good]. Before your axle is completely removed, take a sharpie and mark the topside of the axle, to determine where the wear occurs. You can take a punch and then make a tiny divet (that will be out of sight when re-installed, of course). Upon re-installation, rotate your axle 180 degrees to put your fingers on fresh side of your axle.
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It is unimportant which finger goes back into which slot, so don't worry about numbering them. What IS important, is putting the fingers that show the most wear and tear into a slot that gets the least plating traffic. So finger 4 might go back and become finger nine, and finger nine becomes the new finger 4. You get the idea. You will be good for the next 40 years. LOL!!
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To clean your fingers: I put them all in a pan of gasoline [some use break cleaner - some use naptha], as if you would do engine parts, and scrub them working the joints, until you are certain all the grunge is broken down and out of them. Then put them into the hottest water you can stand and re-scrub them with a degreasing dish soap(Dawn dish soap). Then rinse them in the hottest water you can stand. DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT, but lay them out on a bath towel and dry them with a hot hairdryer(not a heat-gun, which is too hot), driving out any moisture before corrosion can set up, and while hot, put a drop of sewing machine oil or gun oil at each joint--the heat will draw the oil right in.
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The next step is to get a dremel with a felt pad and use Mother's Aluminum polish [I prefer California Kustom] and polish the tops of the fingers to a mirror finish. I also polish the sides of the fingers to just below the axle hole, too. The Mother's over the radius will remove 99% of the old string grooves. For the big stubborn grooves, I use a piece of 400 grit wet papaer wrapped around a flat file(the file is only a handle at this point) The file helps you stay square on the finger radius to prevent rounding over the edges.
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Next, with a worn down dremel pad-- and Mother's, polish the axle holes to a mirror finish. Clean off all the Mother's and then with Maguires Cleaner Wax(car wax in the maroon bottle), coat the surfaces of the fingers that you polished. The auto wax will preserve your work.
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The changer housing---where your axle holds the fingers in, do the gasoline /then dish-soap treatment. Cut then strips of rags and "floss" the slots and clean the axle hole. Wash and dry just like the fingers proccess. Hand rub the whole changer with mother's, then Maguires car wax.
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You can do your endplates(take them off the guitar) and keyhead(remove the tuners and work them over with Mothers and an old toothbrush). DO NOT USE A MACHINE BUFFER--on end plates, changer housing and keyhead!! These parts are castings, and a machine buffer will open up a thousand pinholes!!!! There is no repair for this, just expensive replacement. Use the Mothers and do it by hand, then car wax it to preserve your work. [I used a machine buffer and had good results].
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Ok, we are this far--so next is the CABINET. With all the metal removed, now take a barely damp washcloth with some Dawn degreasing dishsoap, wipe the cabinet down from center to the ends, (so you do not snag the inlay). This will lift the old tobacco/grunge. Follow up with a clean barely damp terry-cloth to lift up the soap. Next, liberally apply OLD ENGLISH LEMON OIL, designed for the fine finishes of furniture. Use your fingers and cover all the laquer with lemon oil. Pour it on and work it in with your fingers. Let the oil sit over night and soak in, then do it again. You have now just rejuvenated and moisturized your guitar's original laquer. And yes, do the underside of your cabinet, too. Finish cracks happen because laquer dries out over time. This proccess will stop that, but it will not remove existing cracks.
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Your undercarriage---Mother's will cleanup your pullrods. You guessed it--and Maguires will preserve your work. The metal cross shafts can be stripped on a wire wheel and primered and repaintedgrey. I like Rustoleum "Hammerd Metal Grey" for color. But your choice on that. The brass will clean up with Mother's. A small electric drill chuck will hold your brass rollers and spin them as you hold a rag with Mother's. They will shine like new gold. The brass barrels--mount them on one of your short of 1/8" pullrods, put in the drill chuck and spin in the mothers on a rag for that new gold shine. Maguires wax the shined stuff to preserve your work. You can also mirror polish your wood screws this way, too. When your guitar goes back together, you will expereince HUGE accomplishment and pride of ownership. Then you will swear to never ever do it again!! LOL!! Â
On Pot-metal finger polishing:
Yes, but they are plated, so go very lightly if you need to try to remove string grooves with sand paper. If they are bad string grooves, get a little out of them and just move them to a less "traffic area".  Â
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Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
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