Dazzle Camo

[Aceman]

Re: Dazzle Camo

That image hurts my head.

The answer is keep the strips the same size and really carefully tape the intersection.

NOW DON'T DO IT.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I forgot about this thread. A few days ago I finished the test run on a cheap plywood body I had laying around:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]104917[/ATTACH]

The "proof of concept" definitely shows that it works, but now is the question of what guitar to put it on. I've mostly been keeping my paint work to cheaper sub-$100 guitars, but I might try to do it next on a mid-tier guitar. I think a Firebird with dazzle camo and a trans pickguard would be cool.

I think the concept is cool, but if it were me I'd go with even more busier stripes by making them slightly smaller -you want to Dazzle right?

[ICTGoober]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I thought I had pix of a Vee I painted back in the 80's.... Black and white chevron stripes, white base - black stripes. It was a ***** to keep the lacquer from bleeding under the edges. I finally got it right, and buried it in clear.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I thought I had pix of a Vee I painted back in the 80's.... Black and white chevron stripes, white base - black stripes. It was a ***** to keep the lacquer from bleeding under the edges. I finally got it right, and buried it in clear.

Do you remember the trick or technique that ultimately helped you pull it off? I'm trying my best to envision keeping something porous like this from bleeding -painting an illustration on grainless bristol board it's hard enough to do, but on wood it seems daunting to do cleanly. It's it very aggressive pre sealing of the wood surface that is the key?

[ehdwuld]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I believe the technique is
base color
mask
clear
then top color

I believe this is the trick

the clear acts as a sealer

[NegativeEase]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I believe the technique is
base color
mask
clear
then top color

I believe this is the trick

the clear acts as a sealer

makes sense, i've never painted a guitar from scratch -only touch up.

[ICTGoober]

Re: Dazzle Camo

Do you remember the trick or technique that ultimately helped you pull it off? I'm trying my best to envision keeping something porous like this from bleeding -painting an illustration on grainless bristol board it's hard enough to do, but on wood it seems daunting to do cleanly. It's it very aggressive pre sealing of the wood surface that is the key?

Patience is always the key on finishes. They just can't be rushed, or it will be obvious.

This was a maple V, as I remember.... I sealed with DuPont 1980S sealer (shrink-wrap in a can - water thin, goes on clear) 3 good coats of white, another coat of sealer. Masked it, shot the black.... and then cursed. I think I stripped it twice before I got it on with no glitches. Scuffed with scotchbrite, and shot about 10 coats of clear over 5 days. Let it gas off a week, color sanded off the shine, shot 5 more coats of clear, last coat was a wash with lots of thinner and a bit of retarder to get it to flow out nicely. Let it gas off for 2 weeks, color sanded very lightly, and began buffing with Meguiars red, then white. Finally glazed it with something I can't buy anymore. It was tan colored, and felt waxy to the touch. Took 8 hours to get it nice, my arms fell off when it was completed. I was shooting DuPont acrylic lacquer. I wasn't using foam buffing pads or lambswool back then - I did it all with felt pads made from an old Stetson Beaver 5X.

I will never forget this guitar - it was an all maple V with an ebony fingerboard, single humbucker, and a flatmount Kahler. It was a neck through made by WARMOTH, and they told the client they'd never do another one.

[Dave Locher]

Re: Dazzle Camo

Those are much bigger stripes than your original post!

The trick to stopping color bleed under the masking tape: a thin coat of clear over the tape, let it flash dry, THEN your contrasting color.

The clear seals off the tape edges. But it has to be thin or it will all pull up when you remove the masking tape. Pros very carefully run a razor blade along the edges of the tape before they pull it, which is a skill all in itself. (Gotta be precise, push hard enough to cut the paint skin but not hard enough to go through the layers, etc.)

After all that, bury under several layers of clear until the surface can be buffed flat.

[Chistopher]

Re: Dazzle Camo

I think the concept is cool, but if it were me I'd go with even more busier stripes by making them slightly smaller -you want to Dazzle right?

Those are much bigger stripes than your original post!

I was going to go for smaller stripes, but that's the smallest tape they had and I didn't quite feel like cutting them all perfect like.

As for running under the tape, I just put on really thin coats of the black paint and gave it 10-15 minutes to dry inbetween. It's not perfect, but if you want to see the difference you have to be really close and looking for it. In the above picture for example, there's only really 3 places where I can see any sort of running.