PAINT, OR NOT TO PAINT

[brentrocks]

I decided to take the plunge and finish it myself!! I did the first round of grain filler this morning and have a backplate almost completed for it. I’ll post pics later.



I’m doing the linseed oil and sandpaper method to grain fill. I got the idea from this woodworking magazine.



https://www.woodmagazine.com/materia...fect-finishing

[brentrocks]

IMG_3525 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr


IMG_3529 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr


IMG_3530 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr


IMG_3531 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr


IMG_3532 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr

[ItsaBass]

You should take the truss rod nut and washer off before you proceed with your finishing project. Brush white glue over the exposed threads to mask them. Chip it off when you're done.

[AlexR]

^ Or simply put a bit of tape over the area.

[brentrocks]

I finished my Korina explorer. Will need a lot of grain filler to get it level. That’s not really complicated, just time consuming. I did reranch tinted amber finish and it came out great. You just have to be super patient

The guitar is at our shop, which is 30 miles from my house. I went over and checked on it yesterday. The oil is drying slowly. I'm thinking at this point, i may let it set until Wednesday or Thursday before i do final sanding and apply the first coat of poly.

[Snake Aces]

The guitar is at our shop, which is 30 miles from my house. I went over and checked on it yesterday. The oil is drying slowly. I'm thinking at this point, i may let it set until Wednesday or Thursday before i do final sanding and apply the first coat of poly.

This is actually a nice thing. When I finished my korina body, it was as easy as walking out to the garage. I might have been more patient if it had been 30 minutes away...

[Lewguitar]

The guitar is at our shop, which is 30 miles from my house. I went over and checked on it yesterday. The oil is drying slowly. I'm thinking at this point, i may let it set until Wednesday or Thursday before i do final sanding and apply the first coat of poly.

You decided to finish it in Poly? Not Lacquer?

[brentrocks]

You decided to finish it in Poly? Not Lacquer?

Yeah I’m gonna do poly. I don’t have a spray setup. I feel I can control the poly a lot better with a brush. I’m going to wet sand between coats and should be able to achieve a smooth high gloss finish in the end.

[brentrocks]

You decided to finish it in Poly? Not Lacquer?

Another change. I’m doing lacquer now. Lol. I talked to a guy that used to spray for heritage guitars in Kalamazoo. He convinced me that lacquer was the way to go.

Now that the grain fill was dry, I put coat of shellac on it this morning to seal the oil in. I’m going to wet sand with 800 next and then spray the first coat of lacquer.

[ICTGoober]

What brand of lacquer will you buy? Don't forget you'll need thinner, and retarder. A clean, dry place to spray is nice, but my first lacquer job back in the 70's was in a dirt floor horse barn. It came out great, until a bug flew into my last coat of clear. Had to sand his sorry ass out, and touch up.

[brentrocks]

What brand of lacquer will you buy? Don't forget you'll need thinner, and retarder. A clean, dry place to spray is nice, but my first lacquer job back in the 70's was in a dirt floor horse barn. It came out great, until a bug flew into my last coat of clear. Had to sand his sorry ass out, and touch up.

I’m using aerosol lacquer. Automotive grade. Not Home Depot crap.

[Lewguitar]

Another change. I’m doing lacquer now. Lol. I talked to a guy that used to spray for heritage guitars in Kalamazoo. He convinced me that lacquer was the way to go.

Now that the grain fill was dry, I put coat of shellac on it this morning to seal the oil in. I’m going to wet sand with 800 next and then spray the first coat of lacquer.

Good call. Lacquer dries much quicker so you can apply multiple coats in less time. Poly doesn't do that. It just sits there collecting dust all day while while you're waiting for it to dry. lol!

And when you spray nitro lacquer over nitro lacquer it "melts" into the coat you're spraying over so it all kind of fuses together.

I'm a furniture designer and builder. Sprayed a lot of finishes.

[chrisplaysmusic]

I think you should give it your best shot. Just do your research, plan everything out carefully, take your time, and do it right. I'm sure will be a great experience for you. You can buy a professionally finished guitar any time you want...

[ItsaBass]

I’m using aerosol lacquer. Automotive grade. Not Home Depot crap.

That doesn't really mean anything.

There are not "grades" of lacquer. There are types of binders used, types of solvents used, and various proprietary formulations. Catalyzed, non-catalyzed, nitrocellulose or acrylic, blends, lacquer thinner solvent, naphtha solvent, etc.

What "crap" does Home Depot have? Deft? That's a naphtha-solvent non-yellowing nitrocellulose lacquer that is good if applied with the right process. It dries more slowly than a lacquer-thinner-solvent lacquer, due to the naphtha solvent. But it's probably better for a traditional musical instrument finish than is something from an auto parts store, which will be acrylic lacquer. Fender used tons of acrylic lacquer color coats in the '60s (every metallic color except Sherwood Green were acrylic, and Oly White was too). But they used nitro clear over it. Gibson never used acrylic clear TMK. Acrylic clear has very rarely been used by any large scale musical instrument maker. It will not give your finish a traditional look. It is great for '60s style color coats, especially metallics, but as a clear coat, it doesn't look or behave like nitro. It's more "plasticky" looking, softer looking, doesn't hold shine for as long, doesn't really yellow, doesn't really check. It's a technological advancement over nitro, but won't give you the classic guitar lacquer look or feel.

I would avoid Deft and Color Tone, as they are naphtha-solvent lacquers, but most other rattle cans are pretty traditional nitro lacquer. Mohawk, for example. I'd go with them. Best combination of traditional lacquer and quality spray cans. ReRanch's lacquer is just as good, but their spray cans/nozzles are horrible.

That said, you can make Deft work fine if you apply it in dust coats, and allow it extra time to dry before re-coating. Flood coat at the end to level it. You can go straight to buffing compound without sanding if you have applied the lacquer well. It is readily available, very cheap, won't yellow, and comes in an outstanding can/nozzle.

[brentrocks]

Crap I was referring to was actually the quality of the nozzle. I should have clarified. I’m using Dupli color. The nozzle is awesome.