Body repairs to old bass - wood filler?

[barryman]

Hi - I own a really nice Arbiter bass which dates from late sixties. Playing wise it's fine and I'm in the process of giving it a cleanup after all these years as the bodywork is pretty "roadworn" with plenty of knocks and scuffs.

My question is this: if I did decide to restore/respray it, what is the best method of filling the shallow gouges and knocks you come to expect on the body. I have a woodfiller but it seems quite thick. Can anyone recommend a thinner, smoother filler that will adhere to the body well and also can be smoothed down for priming / respraying etc.

Also, there is a hairline surface fracture by the neck join which has been there for years and never got any bigger. Should I leave it or is there a way of reinforcing it just so it stands no chance of ever widening?

Thanks

[Pete1967]

If you;re going to respray, two pack polyester car body filler should do the trick. There's also a very high build poylester primer/filler called Reface made by Upol which I've used with great results - if the dings are quite shallow. It's designed as a spray filler, but I brush it on and you can build up a nuber of coats if necessary. Reface will go over most surfaces and is definitely fine straight on to bare wood, but wise to check compatibility with the existing finish if you're not going to strip it first. If you go this route, heed H&S instructions!

You could flow some superglue (CA) in to the neck crack - carefully and don't overfill it so it runs out. It'll give some extra support to the wood.

[Bloodaxe]

Have a hunt in your local car spares shop for 'Knifing Stopper'. A few thin coats of that followed up by some wet sanding ought to level everything out.

Another good filler is 'Miliput' - either a model/hobby shop or Ebay. I've yet to find something it won't stick to, & it flats out beautifully. It can also be worked & smoothed with a wet spatula/putty knife before it starts curing which saves a bit of sanding. Sets rock hard in about 4 hours.

Pete.

[lettsguitars]

That finish is going to be nitrocellulose. Wash it off with cellulose thinners before you start. If you put any modern paints or fillers over it they will not last. The cellulose is designed to move with the wood and poly isn't. The new paint will crack. Remove the old finish and fill, prime and paint. Car filler would be fine but if the grain needs filling you should use a grain filler first.
My opinion is this. Leave it as it is. The marks are proof that the bass has lived and ost folk would say that it actually looks better that way, because it does.

[EBS_freak]

If you are going to refinish, a complete strip would be best for the reasons mentioned above. Fill with p38, sand through the grades, poly finish. It will look ace. Authentic, no... but ace non the less.

The neck crack - is that a paint crack, or does it go deeper than that? Cracks in neck pockets are quite common where the neck is an overly tight fit or the neck has received a knock at some point.

Edited March 27, 2013 by EBS_freak