Thanks! I am thinking about using General Finishes High Performance Water Based Topcoat, and could use it on the whole guitar. It is supposed to dry with virtually no yellowing, so maybe a little color would be nice. On the the other hand, the neck is natural, so maybe I want them to match. As Chuck Berry said "Meanwhile, I was still thinking..."
"I am thinking about using General Finishes High Performance Water Based Topcoat"
If you're using acrylic lacquer for your base coat on the front, you may need to re-think that water based top coat.
Mixing solvent based and water based products can end badly.
That said, I know nothing about that brand (never seen it here in AUS). I would recommend talking to someone from General Finishes support and explain what you're doing; and will there be compatibility issues.
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
I think the mfg says the paint needs to be absolutely dry. It's highly recommended by a number of places including Stew Mac...
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I am thinking I will test on a chunk of pine before doing anything else....
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Took another look at the neck. It's really just the front of the headstock where I have damaged the finish. Maybe I'll just paint it the same color as the body. I was going to do some stripes, but it's not a big change to just paint it solid like the top.
The only other place where the finish is damaged is on the where the neck goes into the pocket. I may do a little experimenting so see if I can cover this with something that won't change the appearance much and *will* dry hard. can experiment with the undamaged parts of the headstock... The rest of the neck, actually looks pretty good.
" It's really just the front of the headstock where I have damaged the finish. Maybe I'll just paint it the same color as the body."
Ok, yeah that's less than I imagined. Your plan is totally doable.
"The only other place where the finish is damaged is on the where the neck goes into the pocket."
Is it "inside" the pocket where it is not visible? If so, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just seal it with shellac.
If it's an exposed area, and not too big, you could probably get away with a spot finish with some wipe-on poly. You should be able to blend it into the existing finish and it's not an area that will subject to friction like the fretboard or carve of the neck so wear is less likely to be an issue.
Keep posting your progress. I feel invested in this project now
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
On the area around the neck pocket there is a bit of visible area around the top of the pocket. I will try first on a non-visible area. The mfg of the topcoat says it should be fine as long as the existing finish is totally dry...which it is. I don't want to use the shellac on the neck if I don't have to because it's finished super clear.
For sure I will continue posting. I can certainly use the advice!
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I started to put some paint on the headstock today... Starting small.
I got the paint to work OK on a piece of pine through trial and error. Isanded flat with 220. Then sprayed. I sprayed one or two coats then sand.
I hate spray paint. It is summer in Miami which means hot and humid. The paint has a tendency to be a tad gravelly feeling when dry. Also has a tendency to have what looks like a bit of a splatter. The combination of heat and humidity also seem to contribute to another problem. I can't really calibrate the dry time. Sometimes I get a good result sanding after an hour. Other times it beads up like it's not quite ready after two hours.
I am thinking that with the body I may do two coats, wait overnight, sand and repeat. It's opaque after 3 coats. The fourth is just really to have enough buildup not sand through it when flattening with 320
Would welcome advice! Clearly out of my depth.
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"The paint has a tendency to be a tad gravelly feeling when dry. Also has a tendency to have what looks like a bit of a splatter."
As for "gravelly feeling"; I would hazard a guess that you may be holding the spray can too far away from your work surface.
If you're spraying from too far away the paint mist will partially dry before hitting and adhering to the surface and will result in the paint feeling rough or "dusty" (gravelly???)
re: splatter, It could be what's called "orange peel" which will also result from spraying distance, OR, it could actually be "spatter" from a crappy spray can/nozzle. Hard to say without seeing what you're describing. Rattle cans are well known for these kinds of problems.
You want to be spraying from between 6-8 inches (8 max!). The trick is getting a wet coat* that will level but not run. So it's about a balance between spray distance and speed of your passes. It takes time and practice and it's good you doing some on scrap pieces. (I'm still learning and I'm not really a newbie)
*Your first 1 or 2 coats want to be a bit "drier" and *lightly* sanded (just enough to get the nibs down and not sand through) then you want to lay down the wetter coats.
Drying time - Just let it sit until you know it's dry ie: not tacky at all. One of the key things in doing the finish work is knowing when NOT to sand or re-coat. It's not a job for the impatient. Don't ask me how I know this...
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
This is so true, something I learned along the way. Or should I say failed, I was so impatient.Originally Posted by McCreed
"The paint has a tendency to be a tad gravelly feeling when dry. Also has a tendency to have what looks like a bit of a splatter."
As for "gravelly feeling"; I would hazard a guess that you may be holding the spray can too far away from your work surface.
If you're spraying from too far away the paint mist will partially dry before hitting and adhering to the surface and will result in the paint feeling rough or "dusty" (gravelly???)
re: splatter, It could be what's called "orange peel" which will also result from spraying distance, OR, it could actually be "spatter" from a crappy spray can/nozzle. Hard to say without seeing what you're describing. Rattle cans are well known for these kinds of problems.
You want to be spraying from between 6-8 inches (8 max!). The trick is getting a wet coat* that will level but not run. So it's about a balance between spray distance and speed of your passes. It takes time and practice and it's good you doing some on scrap pieces. (I'm still learning and I'm not really a newbie)
*Your first 1 or 2 coats want to be a bit "drier" and *lightly* sanded (just enough to get the nibs down and not sand through) then you want to lay down the wetter coats.
Drying time - Just let it sit until you know it's dry ie: not tacky at all. One of the key things in doing the finish work is knowing when NOT to sand or re-coat. It's not a job for the impatient. Don't ask me how I know this...
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