TJD #2 scratch Axe bass

[Rabbit]

I'm not sure if I like spray painting. Very smelly even with a mask.
I think it all went OK though.

All depends on which paint you use, and which mask .Next is the silver, and maybe the bevel shadow. Not all the axe bases have the shadow on the bevel of the blade, nor the outline of the body.

[Simon Barden]

If it's smelly with a mask, you've definitely got the wrong mask!

You need one suitable for organic solvent spraying. I use one of these, though there are plenty of other makes.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/produc...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I get a new one every year. I know they are rated for 1 month, but that is for near-continuous use and my actual spraying is very occasional and also I'm standing outside, so vapour concentrations are relatively low. If you can't smell anything then the carbon filter is still working. If you can smell solvent/paint, then either the mask isn't on tight enough/badly fitting and needs adjusting or else the carbon filter is all used up and you need a new mask.

[Trevor Davies]

I got a proper mask for spray painting now - but it has been too windy, too cold and too wet for spray painting.
I have given the axe body a good sand down with 400 g to get it as smooth and flat as possible.

[Simon Barden]

Flat and smooth is good.

[Trevor Davies]

Finally getting some warmer and drier weather in Perth. I have now put on 6 coats of clear over the black and silver coats of paint.
The first coats of clear seemed to dissolve the silver - very frustrating!
I have learnt a lot about spray painting - mainly that I do not like doing it!
I did not put the bevel pattern on the back as I was having trouble with masking and damaging the earlier coats.
From a distance I think it looks OK.
I will put on a few more layers of clear (after a trip to the BGS). Then leave it at least a week and then do a wet polish etc.

[dozymuppet]

Definitely looks like an axe from here!

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[McCreed]

What??? No blood????

I have learnt a lot about spray painting - mainly that I do not like doing it!

I get that. Spraying paint takes a lot of practise, but it's one of those things that hard to practise because most of us don't have a dedicated spray room. It takes appropriate conditions, space and time, AND it costs money every time you do it!

It does get better with each job though. I am far far far from an expert, and maybe only marginally competent, but I'm usually reasonably happy with the result. However, I've had things go pear-shaped more than once and that's frustrating.
I do take solace from stories shared by way more experienced people than me have something not go perfectly.

From a distance I think it looks OK.

I use the 2-metre rule...
If it looks good from 2 metres away, it's good!

Like dozy said, "looks like and axe from here!"

[Simon Barden]

Strange that the silver seemed to dissolve. Were the paints the same type?

But you seemed to have overcome those issues, and it's looking good. Keep going, get enough clear coats on there to allow a good flat surface to polish after sanding and it should look great. But I would leave it more than a week to do that. I'd suggest an initial go at sanding back after a week and seeing how that progresses. Then leave that for another week at least. The sanding helps to let any solvent trapped beneath a hard surface layer to escape and also provides a lot more surface area to the finish to let remaining solvent escape through. If you can smell the paint, it really isn't ready to polish and take a good shine.

I know it's tempting to want to just push on, but the longer you wait, the better the end results will be.

[Trevor Davies]

Thanks Dozy, McCreed and Simon.

@McCreed - Hopefully I'm a little spray paint wiser now as my next guitar build will also need to be spray painted At least it is an opportunity for more practice!

@simon - the paints were the same type. Once the first clear coat was on and dried it has not been a problem. Thanks for the heads up about waiting even longer before final polishing - I'll keep my nose tuned in.

[Simon Barden]

A week is the bare minimum, given minimal coats and optimal drying conditions. When I had a guitar resprayed professionally in tge early 90s, long before I started myself, they waited two weeks before polishing. I of course wanted it back sooner, but I didn’t understand at the time.

It’s one reason to have several guitars on the go, so you can put one aside and move on to the next one whilst you’re waiting.