DIY nitro question

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Have been reading on here and on ReRanch pretty much all afternoon, and I want to do a simple 3-color paint scheme with clear shot over top. I can buy all the filler, colors, and clear for well under $100 or pay 5x (or more) to have it done. So for those of you that have done this yourself at home, where the @#$% do you put it between coats and especially to cure for a month or so when the fumes are so scary bad for you? I only rent, and if I leave it outside to dry, it pretty much guarantees I'll get a fly or bug or leaf debris or at the very least dirt blown on it as it dries, but inside is the same thing... how do I keep dust from settling on it with the AC running? Seems like too many things to go wrong.

It is almost seeming to me like it'd be more worth it to have it professionally done, as in by someone with a paint booth, so I don't hose it up, even though it would cost a shload more.

How far off am I?

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

My other thought was to get an el cheap-o hanging garment bag like this...

then build a frame inside of it out of wood so that the painted body wouldn't touch the sides but could hang to dry, and cut some holes in the bottom to cover with screen for fume vents. That way it would keep most of the unwanted shiz and bugs off of it but would still be open to the air to breathe.

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

Depending on the weather, garage or basement. Fumes are the worst when you spray, when it's gassing off it's not really all that bad.

I usually keep a lint free rag handy and wipe it down to get the dust off when I go to do another coat. The laundry bag with a frame is a good idea.

 

[butnut]

Re: DIY nitro question

Lacquer and nitro dry to the touch in minutes....it's poly that ya gotta worry about bugs and **** as it takes about 30 minutes plus to get there. That setup with the big bag looks fine, make sure it has a LOT of vent holes as the fumes need to gas off. I screw a scrap piece off wood, shaped like a neck heel into the neck pocket, it's a great handle and ya drill a hole in the top and you can hang it. I've also put long brad or finish nails into the pickguard holes to act as mini 'legs' so I can shoot the back side laying down on a table..have fun.

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Lacquer and nitro dry to the touch in minutes....it's poly that ya gotta worry about bugs and **** as it takes about 30 minutes plus to get there. That setup with the big bag looks fine, make sure it has a LOT of vent holes as the fumes need to gas off. I screw a scrap piece off wood, shaped like a neck heel into the neck pocket, it's a great handle and ya drill a hole in the top and you can hang it. I've also put long brad or finish nails into the pickguard holes to act as mini 'legs' so I can shoot the back side laying down on a table..have fun.

Yeah, everything that I've seen people have screwed a simple stick into the neck pocket through a couple of the pilot holes and then just put a screw-hook into the end of that. Where I got the idea for the ghetto drying booth. I guess I didn't realize nitro dried so quickly, that's pretty sweet.

That guitar looks amazing, btw. Nice job!

 

[butnut]

Re: DIY nitro question

Thanks, yeah it dries 'to touch' fast, BUT it takes a long time to CURE to a hard finish...I shoot catalyzed poly over my lacquers, I love the deep glossy shine...and I can't wait! Good luck.

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Thanks, yeah it dries 'to touch' fast, BUT it takes a long time to CURE to a hard finish...I shoot catalyzed poly over my lacquers, I love the deep glossy shine...and I can't wait! Good luck.

I don't even have the body yet, but am anal in my preparations, don't want to do this twice... so the way I understand it is after sealing and priming, I can shoot a layer of paint, wait a day or so, do another, wait, then another, etc until it's time to clear. Then I do a bunch of light coats and wait a couple of days then carefully sand, a bunch of light coats, sand, a bunch of light coats, then let it sit for three weeks to a month, and then do a final wet sand with grit finer than Jessica Alba's tush.

Sound about right? And all with ReRanch rattle cans?

 

[butnut]

Re: DIY nitro question

I would read the reranch 101 paint thing...I used to be on that forum but it's been a while, they won't ship to Hawaii. A lot of misinformation about drying and sanding, Seal, sand, and if all smooth and filled, primer. I let my primer dry at least a day. I find that using ScotchBrite pads (different grits based on steel wool cut like 00 and 000) works tons better for inter coat 'sanding' as it's much smoother and will less likely 'cut' through a hard edge like sandpaper will...go easy on any edge, you just wanna 'scuff'...mmmk? So you scuff the primer all nice even and dull. Use a tack cloth and air pressure to dust out the holes if ya have one. Go easy on the tack as it needs to be light, yer just removing surface dust, rub it hard and the gummy cloth will leave some goo that will haunt yer color coat. OK spray a light misting coat all over, let flash dry a few minutes...repeat 4-6 times or more until you're happy with the coverage, i usually go a bit heavy on my final spray, but don't run it! You don't need hours or days between coats, it's lacquer and they 'melt' into eachother...NOW if reranch 101 recommends this waiting and intercoat sanding, well, it may be because it's old skool nitro and that's how it has to be....I got out of the dark ages and use the 'modern' acrylic lacquers...I usually wait 30 minutes after my last color and go into the clear...but again, that's with acrylic lacquer. If you do wait for the color to cure, you'll have to scuff it (with ScotchBrite...make sure it's not too rough) and then shoot yer clear. Again, I'd flash dry and repeat, but check with reranch 101...final sanding buffing is a whole nutther thing. I'll tell ya more when yer ready....
kandy green lacquer with poly clear...check the knobs reflection...

 

[wjombat]

Re: DIY nitro question

I don't know about the garment bag. If it contains vinyl then you may have some problems. Vinyl and nitro are not good playmates. It might be OK because they are not touching but I think I would be more comfortable making a tent out of a trash bag.

 

[butnut]

Re: DIY nitro question

ya know, as it will be dry to touch in minutes, I'm sure lint or dust falling on it won't be an issue, especially if yer planning to wetsand and buff. Just make a wooden 'cage' so nothing bumps or falls on it...no need da baggie brah.

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

Yeah, seriously, skip the reranch stuff. If you're planning on doing a 3 tone sunburst, I'd look into tinting lacquer and preval sprayers.

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Yeah, seriously, skip the reranch stuff. If you're planning on doing a 3 tone sunburst, I'd look into tinting lacquer and preval sprayers.

No, may try the sunburst if the first one works out, am actually wanting to do the cliche and quasi-overdone EVH tape-job, but with a different variation on the colors. Solid, opaque colors. Have read where the Krylon and hardware store spray paints deaden the tone of the wood and dry gummy, would like to do it the right way, if I can myself.

If poly is the better way to go still, where from?

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

Most hardware store paints are enamel these days. Rustoleum makes Red, White, and Black in lacquer, but you said you want a variation on colors.

Krylon Fusion for Plastic is a lacquer, as are Duplicolor and Plasti-Kote auto paints. I'd stick with one single brand for cohesion. You can always finish it with a lacquer clear coat, Plasti-Kote's lacquer clear coat still dries quick enough to have a guitar done in a week.

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Most hardware store paints are enamel these days. Rustoleum makes Red, White, and Black in lacquer, but you said you want a variation on colors.

Krylon Fusion for Plastic is a lacquer, as are Duplicolor and Plasti-Kote auto paints. I'd stick with one single brand for cohesion. You can always finish it with a lacquer clear coat, Plasti-Kote's lacquer clear coat still dries quick enough to have a guitar done in a week.

Would that be as durable as nitro? Meaning, would it look like a$$ in ten years time? Am planning on keeping this thing forever, so if there's extra work involved I'm cool with it.

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

These are car paints, meaning they take a lot more abuse from the sun and weather than guitars would. All of the old metallic Strats were Acrylic lacquers.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/finely-finished/185055-acrylic-lacquer-vs-nitrocellulose-lacquer.html

Here's Ron Kirn's take:


"Now here’s a generalized condensed version of the finishing process for the Fender’s of the Golden years… You know, the REAL Fenders. There were variations between ’50 and the early 70’s, but the body was usually dipped in yellow dye, then sprayed with a catalyzed primer/sealer such as Fullerplast, then an acrylic lacquer color coat was applied, then finished with a Nitrocellulose clear coat that’s about it."


So, if you wanted to be exact.. Duplicolor or Plastikote auto paint (NOT Enamel, they do sell those too, read the can), covered with Deft clearcoat.

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Most hardware store paints are enamel these days. Rustoleum makes Red, White, and Black in lacquer, but you said you want a variation on colors.

Well, originally I wanted to do a Daphne Blue with Olympic White and Inca Silver taping, but I just did it up on MS paint (ancient, I know - is what I got) and the silver didn't look as good as black, so looks like my grand idea has boiled down to changing ONE color.

These are car paints, meaning they take a lot more abuse from the sun and weather than guitars would. All of the old metallic Strats were Acrylic lacquers.

So, if you wanted to be exact.. Duplicolor or Plastikote auto paint (NOT Enamel, they do sell those too, read the can), covered with Deft clearcoat.

Just downloaded the Duplicolor pdf Color Chart, looks like I get to look around parking lots until I find a blue I like, eh? Time for a little recon.

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

Well, originally I wanted to do a Daphne Blue with Olympic White and Inca Silver taping, but I just did it up on MS paint (ancient, I know - is what I got) and the silver didn't look as good as black, so looks like my grand idea has boiled down to changing ONE color.



Just downloaded the Duplicolor pdf Color Chart, looks like I get to look around parking lots until I find a blue I like, eh? Time for a little recon.

Easier to do a Google Image Search for them.

Duplicolor Intense Blue Pearl -

 

[dominus]

Re: DIY nitro question

Daphne Blue is going to be tough.. cars haven't been painted that color in years, they typically have these paints for a 5 year window.

 

[butnut]

Re: DIY nitro question

Only gonna find Daphne at reranch, that is a very old auto color from the 50s-60s, Duplicolor makes only current paint codes....not many folks drive a Daphne blue car nowadays...

 

[breakdanceattiffanys]

Re: DIY nitro question

Only gonna find Daphne at reranch, that is a very old auto color from the 50s-60s, Duplicolor makes only current paint codes....not many folks drive a Daphne blue car nowadays...

Yeah, am not big on metallics, and closest one I've found is an Acura color that's kinda-sorta-not-really close, plus it's a metallic. I think the nitro will be OK, I've reread the ReRanch (say that 5x fast without laughing!) and the part where they were talking about waiting and sanding between color coats was for in case of imperfections. I think after sealing and priming if I plan well enough ahead I can shoot it all in one day, then clear it and let it cure. I think am still going with the nitro, all things considered... this whole thing started because I've always wanted a Daphne strat, and I've always wanted an EVH strat. Figure two birds with one stone, and come out with something that you don't see all the time in the process.