# best way to crack/check a poly finish?



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

leave the guitar out in -20 overnight and bring it in to a hot room? heat gun to really drive the point home?


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

I don't think that will work with a poly finish. At least it didn't work on my old Ibanez which has been subjected to just about every adverse condition. I


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

From what I have read the best way is to use liquid nitrogen. Or an xacto knife and score the finish and get some dirt/grime in the cracks. Poly doesn't want to craze, it wants to crack


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

^^ what knight said


vadsy said:


> heat gun to really drive the point home?


that'll just peel the poly.


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

The relic guys I know do it with a razor blade.
The poly cracked on my 05 baja tele .... but then it fell off.

Nathan


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## Fred Gifford (Sep 2, 2019)

poly just laughs at liquid nitrogen, so does the "nitro finish" on some of the Gibson lower end models .. don't waste your money


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

cold weather into a hot oven for a sec or two and it'll explode


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## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Hahahaha. I can never tell if Vadsy is serious or not.

My poly finished guitars are solid as rocks, so the ony way to put a dent in them would be with a hammer.

C


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I bought a floral Tele from Alberta one winter, one of the coldest we had for a while.
Not sure if it was in and out of the cold along the way, I did aclimatize it when it arrived, but the finish was shredded.

I think that the floral print is on a fabric (wallpaper, I think), might've been why it shifted that much.



http://imgur.com/JxcEUAZ




http://imgur.com/WHtBENe




http://imgur.com/jQPpR6t


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Bake at 350 for 15 minute per pound from frozen. If you stuff it, it may take longer.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Would this not work on poly?


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## Fred Gifford (Sep 2, 2019)

sulphur said:


> Would this not work on poly?


nothing short of a direct hit from a Scud missile will do this to Poly


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

vadsy said:


> *best way to crack/check a poly finish?*


hit it with a hammer. Several times.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

sulphur said:


> I bought a floral Tele from Alberta one winter, one of the coldest we had for a while.
> Not sure if it was in and out of the cold along the way, I did aclimatize it when it arrived, but the finish was shredded.
> 
> I think that the floral print is on a fabric (wallpaper, I think), might've been why it shifted that much.
> ...






It might just be a photo. Remember the photoflame guitars?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

for the record, and sadly, nothing exploded. the guitar body went from -40C to 400F and it didn't crack. I even threw it in the snowbank after it started to cook. tried to help it along with a couple of light razorblade runs. oh well, off to a planer we go


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Ya it’s pretty bullet proof.

Nathan


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

nnieman said:


> Ya it’s pretty bullet proof.
> 
> Nathan


I can't believe how thick it is, put it through the planer and the guitar is easily 1/8" poly by the time you get the front and back. Cool thing is it finally cracked nice along the sides and contours


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

vadsy said:


> I can't believe how thick it is, put it through the planer and the guitar is easily 1/8" poly by the time you get the front and back. Cool thing is it finally cracked nice along the sides and contours


What are we de-poly-izing? Inquiring minds want to know


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Lincoln said:


> What are we de-poly-izing? Inquiring minds want to know


mostly to screw around, for real. and use the planer and a project. I've always wanted to put a guitar body through my planer and see if it fits. I wanted a black p-bass but for a few bucks got a red one, although it was kinda messy which only encouraged me to screw around with it. I wanted to see if it would crack but it didn't so that moved me to the next step, de-poly. filler and paint and rub down the edges to see what that looks like


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

vadsy said:


> de-poly


heat gun and a scraper will peel that off.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

laristotle said:


> heat gun and a scraper will peel that off.


I’ve heard that and for the experience I gave it a 5 minute effort but it couldn't compete with a machine taking an even layer off in a matter of seconds


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

vadsy said:


> I’ve heard that and for the experience I gave it a 5 minute effort but it couldn't compete with a machine taking an even layer off in a matter of seconds


When I did the heat gun thing to my baja tele it was about that quick.
The front came off in 1 piece.

Nathan


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

My poly Telecasters have gone from very cold to room temperature and back many times this winter with no checking. They've been left in the car all day and night, and then immediately played 2-4 evenings a week


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