Printable View
Hi all,
Just ordered a TL-1 kit.
This will be my first build.
Question regarding finishing, my plan is to spray the body white and then get my daughter to do some artwork over the body (haven't told her this yet). If she uses acrylic paints, will this be fine to go over the white coat, then I can clear coat over the art for protection? Will I be able to get a gloss finish or will the different levels of finish where it's painted prevent this?
There are much more experienced people here but my (limited) understanding is to use the same types of paint for the different coats, or check they are compatible. It sounds like a great idea for a build so find a way to make it work is my philosophy.
Hi Macktown,Quote:
Originally Posted by MackTown
I do not have much experience with this either. You should be fine to add a clear coat - just make sure the paint has completely cured (but I would also test for compatibility on some scrap timber). As far as the gloss finish goes - it will depend on how flat the painted surface is, and how many coats are needed to bury the art.
Hi Macktown,
Best approach might be to do a test run on a piece of timber. You should be able to get a piece of pine at your local hardware store.
I've used acrylic paints over nitro (with more clear nitro over the top), and that was fine. As it's water based, there shouldn't be anything in there to react with a polyurethane finish, and a lot of car spray paints are acrylic based (so should be 100% compatible) so there's a 99% chance you won't have any problem. But as has already been said, for 100% peace of mind, spray a test piece of wood first and try the acrylic on that, and then spray the clear coat over that. I'd give each stage a couple of days to dry thoroughly before putting the next type of finish on.
You're probably best sanding down the original white paint to maybe P600 rather than leave the spray finish as-is before the acrylic paint goes on, so it's got something to key into and not just sit on top of a shiny surface.
Make sure the clear coat is the same type of paint type as the base coat, preferably from the same range by the same manufacturer.
The amount of clear you'll need to spray for a flat gloss finish depends on how thick the acrylic paint is applied. If it's thin and smooth, you'll need to apply enough of it to match the level of the acrylic, and then probably 6 coats more to give enough depth to sand flat and polish without risk of sanding through to the acrylic.
Thanks all,
I'll make sure I run a test on a spare piece of timber first. Appreciate all the assistance.
Kit arrived last night!
Did a quick unboxing and everything appears to be included. I will do a dry fit when I have some more time to check everything before I get started in earnest.
Couple of items I noted:
- Minor blemish on the body, looks like there was a small crack that has been glued? I'm not that concerned as I am spraying this so should be covered up. Do I need to fill this before I start?
- The neck fits really firmly into the neck pocket (so much that it's difficult to get in/out without some force). It's been raining here in Mackay so I assume the humidity has swelled the neck/body a little. Will check the neck alignment when I do the dry fit. Is this something that needs a fix or am I fine with it being really tight?
Attachment 43484Attachment 43485Attachment 43486
I'd fill the crack before you start any sanding of bare wood. I'd use something like CA/superglue that won't shrink.
The neck pockets on the kits can often be on the tight side when they first arrive, especially after any air travel. I'd certainly give it a couple of days to see if it improves. If it does, it may take a week or so to get back to its 'normal' condition. Whilst you normally leave the inside of the pocket unfinished, you'll put finish on the neck so that will make it an even tighter fit, so you won't want it too tight before any finish goes on. But you don't want to start sanding now and then have it too loose. So I'd just wait for a bit.
So I finally got some time over the weekend and did a dry fit.
Checked the scale length and nut to 12th fret is ~324
Nut to bridge saddle on the high 'e' is ~645
So I can move the saddle backward to get the intonation.
Another issue I've come across on the dry fit is that the pick guard cut out for the volume/tone/pickup selector isn't correct and it doesn't slide in nicely. Can I sand back the plastic, or is there another way to modify this to fit?
Attachment 43568Attachment 43569Attachment 43570Attachment 43571
I guess now it is time to get sanding.
Yes, I’d sand the pickguard cut-out. If you can find something tubular with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the cut-out to wrap sandpaper around, that will make it easier.
What type of paint is your daughter going to use, the acrylic paint your going to use is it Acrylic lacquer or water-based Acrylic artist paint they are not the same and they are not really compatible, the reducer in lacquer is pretty serious stuff I don't fancy your chances going over it with lacquer you will have issues of the water-based paint will only sit on top of your colour and not bite in which means you will get either the reducer in the lacquer lift it or react with the water paints, or both, lacquer is good stuff but in someways not very forgiving, I would suggest you try it 1st before you mess up your hard work or look into airbrush paint set may be better but their not cheap, i would go 1st a couple of coats of binder then prime then top colour then your artwork, I think i know what your trying to achieve may be a 2k clear may not react as bad as lacquer would and can be sourced easy enough in a rattle can but would need to let the lacquer dry for a week before you put a 2k over it or it will simply peel off in a sheetQuote:
Originally Posted by MackTown
Thanks for the response phrozin.Quote:
Originally Posted by phrozin
For the base coat I am going to use SCA rattle cans, Primer filler and then a white coat.
Attachment 43602
I haven't purchased anything to for the artwork side of things, but was looking at a paint pen style like this
Will I be able to scuff the surface with 240 or something like that to help the paint grip?
Final coat I was just looking at SCA rattle can clear version of the ones in the photo to provide a glossier finish and protection to the art.
Headstock is shaped.
Plan is tru-oil finish for the headstock and neck. Are there any guides on here for the preparation work and applying (other than "apply it with a t-shirt" which is all I can find on youtube)?
Also what kind of treatment do I need to do to the fret board?
Attachment 43667
As long as the neck is smooth and scratch-free, you just rub it on with a lint-free cloth. You don’t want cloth fibres sticking to the finish, so do make sure the cloth doesn’t shed. I’ve bought lint-free rags from Amazion for this purpose, though I have also used good quality old t-shirt rags. I cut a small square to use about 10-12 cm sides, as you’ll want to throw the rag away after a single use. But let it dry in the open air before putting it in a bin.
TruOil gives off heat as it dries, and if you have say a complete T-shirt soaked in it, and crumple it up and put it in a bin, it is possible for the heat to build up in the middle and set the TruOil on fire. Almost certainly not going to happen with a single small piece of cloth, but still best to let it dry spread-out before binning, just in case.
The standard option for the fretboard would be to cover that in TruOil as well. This can be anywhere from a couple of thin layers for minimal protection, to a thick coating if you want a Fender-style finish. You’ll apply it over the frets, which will then have to be cleaned off them later. If you plan to level the frets, then that process will remove the TO. I’ve also seen scrapers made using a 6” round-headed nail with a small notch filed in the head with a round needle file.
The smoother the TruOil goes on, the less sanding you’ll need to do. I found that the TruOil in the bottle thickened with age and exposure to air when left open, so you can thin it with turpentine if you feel that will help. Just add a small amount at a time until you feel it’s runny enough, but I wouldn’t go above 50:50. The thinner it is, the thinner the layer it leaves will be, so you’ll probably want to apply more layers.
As always, don’t sand the edges directly, as it’s very easy to sand through on the fingerboard edges. If you want to ‘roll’ the fingerboard edges so they are rounder and feel more like a played-in guitar, then do that before applying any finish (if you don’t want a relic look).
You can just sand the finish with up to P1200 or P2000 paper (or grey and white Scotchbrite pads) and forego the polishing if you want a less glossy-finish that doesn’t feel sticky to the fingers.
My limited experience of TruOil shows that it takes a considerable time to cure really hard, at least a month, so if you want a really glossy finish, you need to wait before final sanding and polishing.
Some people have just waxed the fingerboard as they aren’t keen on the feel of glossy boards. This provides reasonable protection against dirt and sweat, but you’ll need to re-apply occasionally.
You could go all EVH and leave the fingerboard unfinished, but you do leave the board more open to drying out and getting very dirty. Also remember that he didn’t use the cheapest of Chinese necks, but good quality Schecter ones, so were less likely to warp or twist with temp and humidity changes. I don’t know if he ever replaced the necks at all, but I do know he was forever swapping parts in and out, so I suspect the necks may have been changed over the years as they wore.
So I've had my first attempt at the colour coat. The results weren't great. Presumably from poor technique and or setup. The finish has a lot of imperfections which you can see in the photos below. If I can sand this flat without going through to the primer layer can I avoid doing another colour coat, or will I need to respray regardless?
Attachment 43845Attachment 43846
That does not look too bad!
Depending on the number of coats of the white, you may be able to sand back a bit without going through the primer. The edges are the easiest to go through.
Hopefully other painters will offer some good advice.