Are you a risk-taker? Have I gone nuts?

Tweet

Well, I didn't go bungee jumping, or anything like that, but here's what I did do. On my way home from my kid client yesterday, I spied an Ace Hardware, just to my right. My kid client thinks I'm a hero because I had WD-40 in the back of my truck (SUV, actually), and we were able to oil his bicycle chain the last time I saw him. But we had run out before we got the whole chain done. I decided to score some more WD-40, so I could maintain my hero status. While inside the store, I spied some auto scratch remover, which is actually what my friend Mike uses to remove surface scratches on his guitars. I've used some on my Collings OM-1, while at his house, and it does work. My thought process went like this: If I buy this stuff, I can further reduce that scratch near where I put gas into my SUV. But I'm also going to want to try it on my on the back on my $2500 1914 Gibson A-4 mandolin, which I think a previous owner tried to shine up (unsuccessfully) with shellac. It left the back kind of hazy looking. If I screw up the back of my 1914 Gibson, I could reduce its value drastically, plus I'd look at my failed effort and weep every time I played the thing. If I can eliminate that blotchy haze, I'm going to move one step further in my learning about working with things made of wood. I stood there for literally about 10 minutes, reading the ingredients of the various scratch removers, almost walking away when I read the word "kerosene," then visualizing the beautiful stained maple on the back of my mandolin looking shiny and wonderful. Finally, I bit the bullet and bought what seemed like the least "invasive" scratch remover. It's called Formula 1 Scratch Out. It cost all of $5.00. Of course, I also bought the WD-40, along with a piece of balsa wood for another project with another kid. So now I'm applying it to the back of my $2500 1914 Gibson A-4 mandolin, using a swirling circular motion, as I'm supposed to. Will I lower the value of my Gibson by $1000? Will I make it more beautiful and possibly raise the value by $250 or so? Would you take a risk like that? No pain, no gain. Sometimes you gotta stand in the fire. Or not.