Question Pressure ding on poly - repair possible?

[Etudica]

I picked up a slight pressure dent on one of my JPs over the weekend. No damage to the top coat whatsoever, but it's buggin the crap out of me since it's on the edge of the top. If it was on the rear it wouldn't be nearly as painful. So... Is it possible to used the steam trick to try to get it closer to normal?

There are a lot of theories and success/failure stories out there on other forums. The general consensus is that the wood doesn't really absorb the moisture from the steam but rather the steam is just used as an effective way to transfer heat to a very specific area without risking burning the top coat.

I've used the steam trick before with success on some other unfinished necks and tons of furniture, but I'm hesitant to even try on this. Unfortunately I do not own any "I don't give a crap if they get damaged" guitars to experiment on.

Curious what the wise members on here have to say. I saw the other recent threads about doing this to unfinished necks but couldn't find anything about a repair to the polyurethane finishes from EBMM.

 

[DrKev]

In wouldn't attempt it on a poly finish. Finish may separate and in my opinion steam needs to get into there. (You can look up the thermal expansion coefficients of wood to understand how heat alone can't do anything useful).

Congratulations on the addition of a new ding to your family!

 

[Etudica]

Yeah, I think you're right Kev. I just ran it by my preferred luthier and he basically it's in there short of a complete refinish. At least it's near the edge of the top and you can't notice it straight on. Oh well, this is my forever guitar, so I'm not exactly concerned about resale value or anything. Time to use the crap out of it now!

 

[beej]

That's the upside ... once it's dinged, you care less about getting another

 

[tbonesullivan]

If there is no break in the finish, steaming it out will not work. You need to have way to get the water into the wood to steam it out. It would most likely be much easier to just do a clear drop fill, and have it leveled. Or, just learn to live with it. It won't be the last, unless you wrap the guitar in bubble wrap from now on.

 

[Etudica]

If there is no break in the finish, steaming it out will not work. You need to have way to get the water into the wood to steam it out. It would most likely be much easier to just do a clear drop fill, and have it leveled. Or, just learn to live with it. It won't be the last, unless you wrap the guitar in bubble wrap from now on.

Yep, no damage to the top clear. It was wood on wood action that caused it I know it can be erased with the drop fill technique by a pro, and the outline of the dent would be completely unnoticeable given the wavy wood grain pattern underneath. You also can't notice it straight on, so there's that. In fact I didn't post a pic to avoid everyone laughing at me it's so small, but it is the first one and is painful. Maybe after another 20 years of dings. I'm not the relic kind of personality!

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

 

[mistercharlie]

Give it a few more whacks, so that first ding doesn’t get lonely.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Yep, no damage to the top clear. It was wood on wood action that caused it I know it can be erased with the drop fill technique by a pro, and the outline of the dent would be completely unnoticeable given the wavy wood grain pattern underneath. You also can't notice it straight on, so there's that. In fact I didn't post a pic to avoid everyone laughing at me it's so small, but it is the first one and is painful. Maybe after another 20 years of dings. I'm not the relic kind of personality!

I am still freaking out about a dent I put on the headstock (unfinished)of my SR5HS that I bought used, so I understand. I didn't use to be like this, but now any type of dent drives me crazy.

 

[Razzle]

It would most likely be much easier to just do a clear drop fill, and have it leveled.

So what's best to use as fill material on the JP poly finishes? (all JP's are poly?)

 

[click track]

Over time, I have come to rather be proud of the scratches and dings in my guitars. I look at it this way, if I am playing something that that has some unwanted scars, and is less than ideal on the outside, and then I have those guitar moments when it all just falls into place, and I can make something beautiful come out of it, that gives me hope that I can somehow do that with my life and all my dings and unwanted scars... just some philipsophiccalism on summer day....

 

[Lax]

I agree with the scratches and dings side, but I HATE stress cracks.
I did nothing for my bought in 2014 JP12 to crack some milimeters near the neck socket and it's killing me more than a self ding...
Especially when you know what 3500€ compares to $

 

[tbonesullivan]

I have heard that nitro is best for drop fills. You could use poly, but it might not bond as well.

 

[Etudica]

Just knowing that it could be repaired back to 100% mint by somebody out there somewhere is enough to get me through my mini depression. And I feel you Lax, cracks and chips are the worst. I just gotta keep reminding myself to be grateful that it's just a small pressure ding. The whole point of this thread was to see if there are any options short of filling and leveling it... something best left to the pros.