Buffing out a satin finished Loar 310

[Blistahz]

I came in possession of a new Loar LM-310 last week. Other than needing the relief set, action adjusted, intonation, nut filed, and frets leveled it's a fair enough instrument for a hack such as myself. Over the last 40+ years I've owned tons of junk guitars so the set-up process is easy although it took a bit of time to figure out preferred actions and other subtleties.

After performing the above mentioned duties and reassembling the mandolin I realized just how much I really didn't like the 'satin' finish on it. Not so much the way it looked, but more the way it felt. Rather than satin, I'd describe it more as 400 grit sandpaper. You could hear scratching as you moved the instrument or slid your hand over it. While I didn't pay much for the instrument, and after the set-up, I was really happy with both the way it played and sounded. That finish though...

So, I took the thing apart again determined that if I couldn't make it better I'd at least wreck it and have a good reason to refinish it.

Polyurethane is a wonder (????) in that it can be used for lots of strange things. It's a paint for your car, the finish on your kitchen table as well as the glue that holds it together. Some of it is oil based, some water based. I'm not even sure if the Loar LM-310 IS finished with polyurethane but whatever it is, it needed some tough love.

I'd read on these pages how others had attacked the same issue both with good and bad results. Going in, I knew I'd never get the factory finish to shine like a National guitar and was fine with that. Better would be great but it's gonna take some kind of abrasive.

I started with a fine mist of water and a clay bar in an inconspicuous spot. This actually removed some of the grit and convinced me that I was at least heading in the right way but needed more abrasion. Mcguires Ultimate Compound was next and while it did remove the grit, it left the test finish hazy and in need of some other step that I couldn't figure out. Time for a beer....

In my spare time, when I'm not ruining new Chinese mandolins, I refinish and restore old bamboo fly rods. Not the 5-10K ones but the pre-1940s "Blue Collar" production rods. SOME of these rods are excellent fishing tools but often in very bad shape. Like old mandolins or anything else for that matter, not everything old is good. While this subject is a matter for another web forum, the solution to both issues is in this case a cross-over.

Years ago I'd been introduced to a 2-step compound/polishing system by a company by the name of Brownells. "Triple F" is a petro based compound while "5F" is a polish. I guess it is sold primarily as a product for old gun stocks. I use it on bamboo rods that Grandpa left sitting for years and the original spar varnish has melted or worse.

The Triple F is crazy messy and and is applied using 0000 steel wool. As long as you don't use too much pressure and keep the wool wet with the product it's amazing. While the process took about 1-1/2 hour (and an entire roll of paper towels) the instrument felt like glass. Another hour with the polish (applied with terry cloth and not as messy) and 2 coats of pure carauba wax and I was looking at a a different mandolin. A very GOOD looking one, and one that I believe even sounds better. I may be wrong, but I swear that it does. If nothing else it certainly feels better to the touch but I'm sticking with sounding better too.

All in all, I'm very, very happy with this instrument. $250.00 out the door and 4-6 hours of free labor. Also, it now feels like MY mandolin and not like the 10,000 exactly like it as it was when it came off the assembly line.

Dave

[Hudmister]

I polished out the satin finish on my Eastman MDO305 octave mandolin. The wood just came alive and looks and feels great. I polished everything, neck and body. Took four days working on it off and on and I am really glad I made the effort. All done by hand, no power buffer and I recommend to anyone planning on doing this that doing it by hand is the only way to go. A power buffer can burn through the relatively thin finish. I have been polishing things since I was a kid (motorcycles, cars, lenses, boats etc.) and so I brought a lot of experience to the job. If you're not handy or have no experience, forget about it.

[mreidsma]

Another hour with the polish (applied with terry cloth and not as messy) and 2 coats of pure carauba wax and I was looking at a a different mandolin. A very GOOD looking one, and one that I believe even sounds better.

Dave, I agree with you about the lousy stock finish on the Loar mandolins. I can't stand it. It feels like a rough version of that plastic they wrap automobiles in when they are advertising Red Bull. Would love to see a photo of the "new" mandolin!

[Svea]

I'd love to see it too! It sounds like you knew what you were doing. It's always a plus when one knows what one knows and doesn't know. I approach crafty projects fearlessly with this in mind. It can be lots of fun.

Svea

[HonketyHank]

I refinished a TheLoar 220 several years ago. I would encourage you, as long as you are in the mood for personalizing your mandolin, to go ahead and remove ALL the finish and just do a light stain and respray job. I think you will be amazed at how much sludge you can scrape off that sunburst finish before you get down to actual wood. YMMV, but I think it actually helped the tone, too. Didn't turn it into a Gibson or Weber, though.

[Blistahz]

Thanks for the feedback!

Considering how much material came off of the instrument to get it to the point of being smooth, and not seeing anyplace that I burned through, you kinda have to wonder how much finish is actually ON this thing.

While I'm in no way against satin finishes, some are much better than others. I've got a Guild 12 string with satin that is awesome. Even a Martin 000-28VS that I have has satin on the headstock, though no idea why.

Hank, your idea of a refinish is going to stay in my head!