Hot Knife...

Pete Howlett

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Chuck mentioned a while back Bob Gleason's method for preparing the top after spraying for gluing the bridge... the hot knife method.

Well today I had some pretty brittle lacquer and scraping causes it to fracture. So I sharpened up my palette knife and went to the kitchen and whadya know? This technique is great. Gonna use it as the prefered method in future! It's not as hairy as you'd imagine.
 
I was at the 2008 GAL convention when Bob showed us his method. It is a very clean way to attach the bridge and makes rubbing out the top easy.

Brad
 
When Gleason does it he heats a chisel with a torch and removes the layer of finish by pushing the hot knife through the lacquer. It takes a delicate touch. Personally, I don't trust the method to remove all of the finish. I like to scrape down to bare wood past the grain filler. There are many ways to skin this cat.
 
I really wish I had seen this thread before I made the uke in my avatar...I finished the top, but with a piece of tape covering the bridge area, then glued the bridge on and wetsanded afterwards...doh!

BIG pain in the backside! Will consider this method on the next one!
 
I will do a video when I get my alcohol burner. And yes you do need to finish off scraping back to wood as usual. For this I use a modified scraper I bought at Sears when I was last in Canada.
 
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