Fix Those Ugly Runs In Your Guitar's Finish

[@Rockingoodman]

Thank you for another great tip. My condolences to you and your city for your recent tragedy. Your city is in our thoughts. Thanks again for all of your inspiration.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Thanks. I live a mile and a half from the school and a mile from one of the shooters. I am also a graduate of Columbine High School (1981).

[@Rockingoodman]

Clearly your community has been through enough.

[@gerggbergr8976]

As soon as you said water soluble fill I knew where this was going. 40 years of woodworking and never thought of that. Brilliant! Thankyou

[@jamesappel5947]

This trick can be used for all types of projects not only guitars. I've been combing the internet trying to find a way to fix the botch job I've done on the kitchen table I'm refinishing, without having to strip it and start over. You my man are a lifesaver!!!!

[@tommasopoggi7223]

Man this is just brilliant. One of the best tricks i learned online so far

[@lesblack413]

That is a very good tip Chris. Never seen it done before. Cheers!

[@davidconboy5822]

This is great. I'm doing my first Strat guitar kit, and of course, yup, I've got a run or 2 lol, or 3. I'm definitely trying this. Thank you. 😊

[@OnRadioAir7]

Best tip ever, always a pain to get these runs out without damaging the finish. Thx man!

[@DoctorSess]

Thank you for this short and to the point video, you most likely just saved me from making a mess of my very first strat build... I was a little heavy handed in a couple spots!

[@antilitarded4142]

That's a great tip......What I normally do is wait for the lacquer to fully cure, then take a new razor blade and put a nice burr on it, then cut the corners off.....then I slowly, and lightly start scraping the run until I get about 3/4 of the way down, then get another new blade, but this time, no burr, cut corners off, and finish with that until it is easily sandable and ready for wetsanding......but I've done it your way as well.....great tip, and love yur channel!!

[@kowal767]

AntiLißTard ed I think your way is much better, just try not damage the color.

[@JohnClothier]

Now that is a great tip! Just about the most useful thing I have heard this year! This is something I have suffered with a lot and now I know what to do lol. Thanks for sharing

[@Voartist]

Genius. The simple solutions can be the best. A light bulb went off as you were adding the compound. Thanks, because I just sprayed a run onto my guitar body.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it helped!

[@lobolonewolf8824]

Great to know. I really don't know what it is I'm doing. But it seems that I am the master of the paint and finish runs. I mean no matter how thin of a coat I put on, the next day I will check my project and it's run city ! But thank you for giving me a tool to fight that problem.😁

[@DavidRavenMoon]

Very clever! At first I didn’t know where you were going with this, but the fact that it protects the surrounding finish was worth waiting for!

[@joshhamester]

Whoa I was losing my mind on why all my finish was getting wrecked by drips then destroyed by sanding away…I have grain filler but didn’t think I needed to use it TIL NOW you saved my guitar thank you!!

[@sammyjo8109]

I have some old wood dining room chairs that someone must have slopped the shellac on. I'm going to try this to remove the runs this way as I really do not want to strip and refinish them. Wish me luck! Thanks for sharing this method!!

[@nathankohler7621]

What a great idea!!! I have some runs on some very expensive speakers I managed to stuff up on my fourth coat and this seems to make sense. Thanks heaps.

[@Tzuau78]

I just had that gut sinking feeling, when I saw a decent run and wondered how much work I was in for (shouldn’t rush, should I!). Especially given this is the first guitar I’m doing for someone else. This is a great tip. Thanks again Chris 😅

[@TheRockinDonkey]

Great tip. I am working on my first painting project and sanded out a drip and now I have to respray that area. It's a test project, so no big deal, but I'll know what to do in the future. Thanks!

[@gilsolomon]

Chris you are a savior!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS ONE!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Happy to help!

[@onpsxmember]

Very Helpful. Can't wait to see your whole finishing video for this guitar.

[@johnbhumphrey]

The best tip I've seen in a long while.

[@benniececiliamattox7426]

This tip is genius! I will try to get the drips off my table if the sealer hasn't hardened too much. Thanks!

[@marxvino]

Outstanding technique Chris! Thank you for sharing g it with us! Much appreciated.

[@HarderThanCalculus]

Thank you for this tip!!! I have ended up sanding a finish back to the bare wood on more than one occasion...this will save me time and money! YAYYYYYYYYY

[@SteveSmithIncorp]

I literally just sprayed yesterday and noticed a drip in my clear coat, this is great! I'll be trying this out today!

[@djsalad7891]

Did it work?

[@sungtialinger7704]

Wow this was so helpful..!! I thought i would have to repaint it all over until i watched this. Keep up the good work man.!!

[@ERWebster]

That is brilliant. My technique so far has been to cuss a lot, try to sand it off, re-finish it, see it is obviously mismatched, cuss some more, and sand the whole damn thing down and re-finish it again.

[@noose18]

ER Webster been there

[@RobSmathome]

Good idea. I have taken to filling in 'pits' or 'scratches' with touchup lacquer and cyanoacrylate rather than 'sand them out'. CA dries proud of the surface and lacquer touch up sinks in the middle and leaves a 'rim'. I'll use This method to safely level things up again! Thanks for the tip.

[@TValoy]

Thanks! I'm in the process of finishing my guitar, and this tip is perfect!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Thanks for the tip, Trygve. I hope your project is a success and that my videos help. More to come!

[@Caeniix25]

Chris, you saved my guitar build. thank you!!

[@deanallen927]

That's a great trick. BTW I used Walnut Timbermate on my first experience finishing with grain filling. It was an ash body with satin nitro and it turned out quite well. If I ever do it again I'll surely use Timbermate again.

[@fideauone3416]

Amazing. Never would have thought of that.

[@TheOriginalGregToo]

Fantastic tip. Really appreciate you sharing this and making it so easy to follow!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dpdupuis5]

Great tip! I can't tell you how many times I've done exactly what you said when trying to fix a drip....it is so frustrating! Thank you for this

[@mspguitars6740]

That was awesome! Look at you showing some personality at the end!

[@Craig_Hilbig]

wow thanks! Learning this trick makes the idea of the first few tries at finishing a lot less stressful!

[@mattfischer3853]

Thanks for the tip, you may have just saved my current build.

[@ecaff9515]

Absolutely excellent video and process. Thank you for sharing.

[@stevenleek1254]

another example of auto-related fixes. I really like this vid!

[@Yosemsamite]

MUCH better than the first 45 second video, lol. Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

I edit with iMovie. It used to be great. It isn't anymore.

[@TessierWork]

Thanks for the great tip! Will definitely use this technique on my next runs.

[@MisterMacky]

This was so incredibly helpful, wish I saw this before sanding through my clear into the paint below. Luckily black primer and paint goes on super easy. I’ll have the right trick up my sleeve next time 🙏

[@Spectt84]

OMG! I literally have been struggling with this exact issue for 2 weekends now. I started with 2 small areas with runs. And ended up with 2 big areas that now need serious attention and complete "do over". I should of just left them alone and done some research on how to fix it properly. This is my first ever build so I admit I don't know what I'm doing. I ended up sanding through my lacquer, sealer, and aniline dye trying to fix this. I can't wait to try this technique next time I get "the runs". I turned a 1/2 hour fix into 2 whole weekends of throwing foam brushes around my garage and screaming "4 letter words". 😫😭🤬

[@noose18]

Spectt84 that’s alright man, you learn more from the mistakes on your first build than from the things that go smoothly.

[@dennisnashville7114]

You are not alone, my friend. Been there, done that. The biggest difference between a pro and a beginner is: The pro knows the best ways to fix their mistakes without making things worse. Lol. Even the pros occasionally have over spray, sanding marks, runs, drips, orange peal, swirl marks... you name it. Over time they learn (sometimes the hard way). Good luck with your project. 🎸

[@dennisnashville7114]

Oh, crap. I just noticed this was a year ago... 🤪. Hope your guitar turned out ok.

[@randolphpatterson5061]

I've learned not t+ panic when things go wrong with my finishing work. I can watch a few YT videos and there's usually a few great tips waiting to be found.

[@nickf9392]

Just went thru everything you just said in your opening. Had a great color and finish going on, then when I covered with wipe on Poly....I could tell right away it was too thick and was not going to settle out. And it didn't. My predominant thought was, if I try to "fix" this I will end up screwing the entire job up. I chickened out, and decided to just burnish the entire guitar with a brown paper bag. It brought up the sheen, and somehow made it a bit more homogenous looking. Enough that I think I will just leave it as is. Great tip buy the way, but again I am concerned about making it worse, which I seem to be very good at.

[@tjforgey7854]

Thanks for all your tips and technics

[@cortsway4]

Thanks you have just pulled me out of the brown stuff.

[@mattperkins75]

Super timely viewing this! Thanks!

[@MrJediEd]

That is a great tip. Thank you for sharing. Will definitely help me with my pour clear coating technique.

[@lisasivertsen4669]

This technice is awsome I always wondered how to correct this problem thank you so much for this info.

[@leodanryan966]

Thanks, I am building my first guitar and I hung it from a coat hangar to spray the polyurethane. I ended up with 3 drips at the bottom of the guitar body. This will save my finish.

[@MonsterGuitars]

I wish I had seen this a week ago! Ah well, the spot fix and re-spray is now hanging up to cure.

[@opt123123]

Great tip and beautiful guitar!

[@garagemasterguitars]

Excellent tip, just what I was looking for. Many thanks.

[@alejandrosaquisalces6284]

Awesome tip, thank you very much, and for all the other stuff in your channel.

[@thespidermike]

I love this channel.

[@MadWinter889]

Wonderful idea. I'm building drums, not guitars but this is gonna be very useful! Thanks!

[@gerhardwiesinger]

Thnx, great video. How does it look like afterwards, can you please post it .....

[@gogolfinvic]

Great idea. This really helps. Thank you!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jleacock2]

Just ran into that problem today, perfect timing...!

[@captainfruitbatify]

If you're using Timbermate, keep the dust and clean up whatever's left on the guitar with just a small amount of water. Water reactivates Timbermate and you can use it over and over - saves waste and saves money.

[@YTPartyTonight]

That's flipping brilliant.

[@jamescarter4175]

Nice solution. Simple and effective!

[@amos1678]

Nice tip! Hope I don’t need to try it any time soon

[@foadrightnow5725]

I seen this tip years ago. It does work pretty well. Why no final results, Chris?

[@HighlineGuitars]

It's not done. As I write this, I have only sprayed 2 coats. I have about 10 more to do. Next week I will post a detailed episode on this particular guitar finish. Two weeks after that, I'll post the end result.

[@foadrightnow5725]

@@HighlineGuitars - I knew there was a good reason! Keep up the good work and great content! Cheers!

[@StealthParrot]

Great tip Chris. How long should I wait to try this on my guitar freshly painted with nitro cellulose lacquer? I got a very minor run that is only noticeable when the light hits at a certain angle .. but I know it's there and it will bug me if I leave it.

[@HighlineGuitars]

If you're going to apply more coats, you can sand out the run in a couple of days. If you don't intend on applying more coats and want to proceed with level sanding/buffing, let the nitrocellulose cure for a few weeks.

[@StealthParrot]

@@HighlineGuitars Thanks Chris!

[@C000DY]

Wish you would have shown the final project...

[@HighlineGuitars]

I ran out of film.

[@C000DY]

@@HighlineGuitars that's a good enough reason as any. Thnk ya 😁

[@AedanBlackheart]

Could you use any wood grain Filler that's water based?

[@bassworship50]

What a wonderful tip! Thanks

[@aevoguitars2576]

interesting tip chris, never tried that one, i normally file them down and sand after.

[@ibastratepi]

Excellent! This is exactly what I needed!

[@dalgguitars]

Fantastic! Thanks for the tip.

[@Terry3Gs]

Thanks for the great tip again chris !!

[@bran4588]

Thank you, and thank KZbin 🙏🤯

[@edippoliti4531]

Hi , great tip ! Do you have to let the clear coat cure fully , or is still a bit tacky Ok? I used a brush applied polyester clear surfboard resin that i tested first , and was smooth , but on the guitar gelled up before full coverage , no it looks like clear Rockies!Thank you

[@HighlineGuitars]

It sounds like the polyester started to cure as you were applying it.

[@arnenatvik]

Thats smart, i will try this next time☺

[@RandolphRomo]

how do finish paint sp the electric guitar body wth binding inlay. are covering it or scrape every coat painted. or what ever is the best thing to do.

[@nicolasespinasse]

Yep, another great one. Thanks for sharing.

[@paulwaldrop]

Nice tip. Thanks for sharing.

[@AedanBlackheart]

1. Apply grain filler to affected area and a bit more with a foam brush 2. Wait for it to dry 3. Use 1500-3,000 grit to not scratch your paint. 4. Gently wipe down with a lint free cloth/portable air blower/minivac.

[@kowal767]

You are the man, but can you show how to finish this job? I mean much grains and color.

[@MeowfaceMusic]

Hi Chris, I’m making big bass marimba bars (percussion instrument that will be struck thousands of times with a medium hard mallet and will vibrate like crazy over and over and over). Traditionally they finished with oils and waxs, though I want to experiment with other stuff. For my experiment phase-in order of best to worst-can you please suggest/brainstorm what you think might work out for coating/sealing wooden bars that will be taking a lot of inherent abuse? With all the beating and vibrating, for instance, might shellac or lacquer or polyurethane or wood hardener or an acrylic poor be too brittle, resulting in getting rattled and crushed to death and breaking apart microscopically over time? Also consider which finish would be the most scratch resistant. (Bars will be stored in stacks and slid against each other with the potential of dirt and sand bits in between. Thanks for brainstorming with me 👍🏻 Sam

[@HighlineGuitars]

Sorry, I have no idea. You'll have to experiment or contact some product manufacturers for their recommendations.

[@MeowfaceMusic]

@@HighlineGuitars Thanks for getting back.

[@danielscroggins6806]

What is the best way to remove water-based finish?

[@ashfinlayson]

Great tips as always! Potentially stupid question, but you talk about using water-based Timbermate, is this reliant on the finish you're using being water-based too? What would you use if you're using an oil-based finish?

[@TheGorillafoot]

This is great

[@thebraveone1000]

I didn't see the after effect. MOF where you rubbed at the end I see a slight difference.

[@TKD187]

I sanded my guitar for like 3 hours I have an acoustic and I was trying to get down to as thin as I could without poking a hole the problem is I did good in some parts and then other parts I did not then when I applied my stain it dried and the good parts and the parts that I didn't go deep enough on I still sticky, am I going to have to wipe it all off and start over I knew something was wrong when the paint was still wet the next day cuz this paint I have is supposed to drive within 2 hours. My only worry is that I'm going to dig too deep for the spots that I did good on. I'm sure if I think about it long enough I will figure it out but honestly I don't know anything about painting. I don't have a runs like I said the paint is just still sticky and did not soak into the wood like it should have in about 75% of the guitar

[@jeyrome2438]

Good man, thanks for sharing.

[@HighlineGuitars]

No problem!

[@blackfender100]

That is an awesome tip .thanks so much.

[@mbmedia24]

Genius! Thank you

[@anthonytye2591]

great tip

[@TheBoomtown4]

Thanks

[@Michael-jv2cn]

Why did you stop right at the wipe at the end? We didn't see the final product.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I ran out of film.

[@supsnap]

Can this process be used to fix run offs on woodwork with oil based polyurethane?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@supsnap]

K great! I actually found this video because I've been polyurethaning a countertop and have been noticing some stubborn runs even when I add extra coats.

[@thormelsted]

This is a fantastic tip!

[@SheriffMayorTV]

Really helpful, thanks!

[@dustinkeller29]

Thank you! This will save some time.

[@barchetta3]

Thanks for thus helpful tip! I have a question from an older video you published on using wipe on poly...if you are going for a high gloss finish, do you wipe the excess poly off after a few minutes, or just leave it to dry without wiping off the excess. You seem to imply the latter, but I’m not sure that was what you intended. Clarification would be appreciated!

[@HighlineGuitars]

If I'm going for a high gloss finish, I'll spray water-based poly. It's faster. However, if you must wipe on, I would apply it heavy and let it dry without wiping off the excess. That way you can build it up faster before level sanding.

[@barchetta3]

Ok, thanks! Something like Minwax Polycrylic? How many coats would you recommend? I would probably err a bit on the higher side in terms of number if coats...I find it all to easy to sand through while level sanding.

[@musicformysanity9050]

Magical!!! Wow great tip!

[@supsnap]

I'm looking for this online and there are a bunch of different colors. So I choose the one closest to the color of the finish? I'm doing golden oak but they don't have a golden oak grain filler.

[@awatts5928]

Hi chris, Just been clear coating (water based) a stained body and committed the cardinal sin of going through the coat into the stain and damaging that. I've been searching your library for a "how to fix when you penetrate the top coat" video but can't find anything. Appreciate any tips you can share on what the correct procedure is to rectify my mistake. Its such a tiny mark, but its a blue stain on an ash body, so it stands out really badly. Thanks in advance and luv the channel. The more I watch the more I find.... -Ant

[@HighlineGuitars]

Match the stain and spot apply. Then, respray the clear coats. Since you applied water based, you'll have to respray the whole body to avoid witness lines when you polish.