Questions on finishing

Hey guys, first post here, so feel free to point me in the direction of a master thread or something if I've missed it.
I'm looking to jump into the world of guitar building so I bought the JM-1 kit.
I was just wondering if you guys could help me out with a few questions on finishing and painting.

So I think I have the basics down (I have zero woodworking skills), start by sanding the body down
moving up grades as I go. If I want to have a solid body colour I should do a base coat yes?
What sort of paints should I be using for a solid colour?
then after I've done a few coats I move onto a top coat.
Is spray on enamel ok for that or should I be using something different? Is acrylic better?
Then if I want to stain the neck I use a wood stain/dye then sand and top coat etc?
After that should I buff or wax it? So many questions haha
Any help would be much appreciated guys!

Hi and welcome!

Sanding: yes you have it right. Go to about 400 grit, but with paint you can afford to go a bit finer.
If you want a glassy finish, grain seal it - use watered down Timbermate into a slurry/paste and rub it on, let it dry and sand it smooth.
Then yes, undercoat. I've used high build auto primers to good effect, the work and sand well. Always use several fine layers instead of one thick one - for undercoat and topcoats. I've used premixed spray cans and they are fine. Needless to say, the better the quality, the better the result.
I use acrylic, easy to use and forgiving and you can sand out any imperfection - harder to do that with enamels.
I do a gloss clear over to protect it.
Basically treat it like painting a car.
Superfine wet sand and use auto polish to cut and buff.
See my LP build thread for more.
Disadvantage is tha tyou need to give acrylic plenty of curing time
Suffice to say wear good breathing protection, you only get one set of lungs
Also check out Gav Turners current blue Strat build and see how to buff that glossy top coat - he does a great job.
All the best

Thanks for the help Stan! Great Build threads, those guitars look awesome.
A couple more questions now though haha.
Do I need to let the paint cure before sanding for the coats before the clear?
Or can I do a few a day sort of thing?
Also what clear did you use? I'm having trouble finding a good one where I live.
Thanks!

Thanks for the kind words.
You can sand/recoat after touch dry in about 30 mins.
But I wouldn't do more that a few coats a day. You only need enough colour to get good even coverage - it doesn't have to be thick.
Acrylic dries from the outside to inside. Which means it can feel hard on the outside, but still be soft and uncured in the middle.
Give it at least a couple of weeks to cure when you think it's done.
Alternatively, some guys use a heat lamp/patio heater to speed the curing (check Gav's Strat thread, he shows a pic of his).
Not sure how long that takes, but it is a lot quicker.
I use Upol brand clear from a local auto paint specialist, it's expensive, out of a can, and great quality. Any quality paint from a brand or seller you trust should be fine.
You can go more coats with the clear, because you cut it back with fine sandpaper (I wet sand) and polish.

There are also a great series on spray painting with acrylics by Jarrod. You will find them in the video guides section.
If you look at those and combine Jarrods technique with Stans advice you cant go wrong!

thanks for the reminder DB - Jarrod is an awesome painter and his vids are very helpful

thanks heaps guys!
Yeah i had a watch of all the videos and they are great. unfortunately I'm not too great at understanding this sort of stuff and couldn't seem to find the one for acryllics.
but I did manage to pick up a poly top coat so I reckon I should be all sweet to go now! now just have to wait for it to get here.