Can no longer put this off...

[fender3x]

This paint is "low velocity" so I am actually never more than 3-4 inches away. There's definitely some splatter...but it flattens a bit as it dries and seems to sand out easily. Maybe I need to get even closer?

Patience seems to be a major issue here. I re-read the directions. It says it is quick drying. I think I am still figuring out what that means.

The can says it's dry enough after 10-15 min to lay down another thin coat, and that lots of thin coats are better than a thick one...so trying to do that....

The fine print says that it's not completely dry for 24 hours. I am now reading this as "do not sand for at least 24 hours." This is an acrylic spray paint and I have noticed that I can feel a small difference when it is ready to sand. It feels dry but slightly cool from about 30 min after spraying--for hours thereafter. At some point at least 20 hours later it feels room temp. Not a big difference but perceptible. Guessing the difference is either evaporation or paranoia about sanding too soon.

It sands flat pretty easily but is very easy to sand off around edges or places where I missed s little high spot in prep (read that "a small hole filled with a toothpick and sanded".

Put 3-4 thin coats on last night. Waiting another 10 hours until I sand a little again....

Thanks for the advice. Patience is hard.

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[fender3x]

Made some progress... I think I now have the color on the headstock and it is looking reasonably good. Put on the decal as well so that it would be ready for the top coat.

Next project is the body...once I get the color on top and the back and sides ready, I'll order the top coat.

One semi related question...I sort of built the area up around where the neck bolts on with binding material... But there is one place where it got a little discolored. I am thinking that maybe I can find a shade of nail polish that's close... Any other ideas?

I think what happened is that I sanded the binding a little too deep. I tried to fill with cream colored binding dust (from sanding) and some acetone to make a paste. I think the acetone mixed with a bit of the black binding material that is sandwiched on in with the cream colored binding that goes around the top of the body. All attempts to fix it have failed so far... So now I am looking for a way to hide it rather than fix it.

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[FrankenWashie]

Made some progress... I think I now have the color on the headstock and it is looking reasonably good. Put on the decal as well so that it would be ready for the top coat.

Next project is the body...once I get the color on top and the back and sides ready, I'll order the top coat.

One semi related question...I sort of built the area up around where the neck bolts on with binding material... But there is one place where it got a little discolored. I am thinking that maybe I can find a shade of nail polish that's close... Any other ideas?

I think what happened is that I sanded the binding a little too deep. I tried to fill with cream colored binding dust (from sanding) and some acetone to make a paste. I think the acetone mixed with a bit of the black binding material that is sandwiched on in with the cream colored binding that goes around the top of the body. All attempts to fix it have failed so far... So now I am looking for a way to hide it rather than fix it.

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Oh i'm loving the look of that!

[McCreed]

Looking good!
I like the two-tone headstock! Not what I was expecting, and the logo decal also looks great too.

As for the binding, whilst it's not perfect, it's not that bad. If it's set up solid and not gooey, I'd just leave it.
Given where it is, I'm sure you are the 1% that would even notice it and that's mainly because you know it's there!

I think any kind of cosmetic cover up, could make it more noticeable. Maybe someone else has a sure-fire method to hide it but IDK.

[fender3x]

I painted the top. Still planning to do the back and sides natural if I can "Si dios quiere" as we say here in Miami. I know the pic is blurry, but that's how everything looks in my garage ;-) It at least gives an idea what I am going after if you imagine the back and sides done in natural.

This has been an exercise in patience...something I don't have a great deal of. I am discovering that being impatient leads to a need for more patience, however.

I put on six coats. I am hoping this paint works well with my topcoat. This is a water based rattle can paint called MTN 94. I do my painting outdoors, and it is hot and humid here. I have found it to be very difficult to get a good smooth paint cover with any kind of spray paint. This is no exception. I get that sort of "sandpaper" finish or orange peal at least somewhat with every coat. There is also some splatter. I have seen other complaints on the internet about the splatter with this paint, however it turns out not to be much of a problem, as I will note below. Also, the coats seem to melt into each other like a lacquer which is good.

My difficulties in gauging necessary drying time and a few other questions caused me to write to the company. They told me that (a) the paint dries enough to put on another coat in 10-15 minutes. HOWEVER the paint will not be completely dry for about 7 days. On my tests I discovered that I could put on 3-4 coats, but it was a bad idea to sand for at least 24 hours. I put 5 or 6 coats on the body and that (I learned the hard way) slows dry time. Humidity could be a factor as well. It's super humid here right now. So even waiting two days to sand was not completely satisfactory, and in one place, trying to get the finish completely flat, I sanded all the way through.

So those spots got another 4 coats today, and the whole body got at least one more.

Now the good part. The company says sanding with 320 grit is perfect, but I have now dropped to 400. Once the finish is completely dry I can get the finish VERY flat with 400 even in spots where there is splatter or sandpaper feel. If it is not completely dry it tends to ball up and create lumps, but that is my fault for not waiting, not the paint's... If I wait long enough it sands very flat and very easily--better than any paint I have used thus far.

There are at least two other cool things about this paint. I tried it on bare, sanded pine. I used some filler but no sealer or primer. After a week the paint is super hard, and sands beautifully. I asked the company if this was OK. They said it works fine without sealer or primer, but may take more coats to cover. In reality it covers completely in two. I have added the additional coats to have a good amount for sanding. On my test blocks of pine the finish seems darn near bulletproof.

This paint is "low velocity" so you have to hold it close to the work...but I have yet to make it run. Making spray paint run has never been hard for me. I have a great talent for it. This is the first time I have ever used a rattle can to paint without getting a single run. I don't think I have gotten much better at painting so it must be the paint.

The other thing I discovered by accident. The guy I bought the paint from told me to shake long and hard because this paint has a lot of solids. I had to sand back my first coat in places because I found some flaws that needed to be filled. I filled them with acrylic wood filler, and then put on 5 coats. After the first two I could see that the flaws, while better, were still visible. However, after 4 coats they were gone. I put on 5 or 6 altogether. Even when I sanded flat there is no sign of the flaws. In other words, there are enough solids in this stuff to actually do some filling. I have had primer that *said* it could do this...but didn't. This is the first paint I have ever used that could actually fill.

Top coat arrived in the mail today. Hope to experiment a little tomorrow. Both the top coat mfg and the paint mfg told me the same thing... It should work, but I need to make sure that anything I put the top coat on is COMPLETELY dry. We shall see how my patience fares...

[McCreed]

Perseverance is the key!
And patience is not a virtue that was bestowed upon me when I was created. Since taking on guitar building, I have had to learn it... and let's say it's still a "work in progress"! However, proof that an old dog can learn new tricks...

How'd you go with melty binding? Were you able to fix it up better, or did you leave it as it was?

[fender3x]

...However, proof that an old dog can learn new tricks...

How'd you go with melty binding? Were you able to fix it up better, or did you leave it as it was?

Nice to know I am not the only old dog learning here...

My daughter had some nail polish that was very close to the right color. Not perfect, but better. Another of my daughters likes to remind me little flaws are a reminder that its not a factory produced clone.

Will send a pic when I can. Right now it is covered up with blue masking tape and paper while I put color on the top.

[fender3x]

I just finished putting top coat on my test pieces. The mfg says to use 3-4 coats applied with a foam brush. I used 6. The mfg says that recoat time is about 2 hours with the top coat. Light sanding with 220 grit between coats. I used 320 grit to make sure not to cut through the paint. May use 220 when I final finish to get the last of the brush strokes off. It says it's self leveling, which seems to mean that the brush strokes even out *some*.

Here's my question: How should I final sand, and when. The mfg says dry (for re-coating) time is 2 hours, light use after 7 days, and 21 days for full curing. Should I wait the full 21 before final sanding?

This is a satin finish...any special recommendations for final finishing? Do I just use progressively fine sand paper like with any other finish?

Will do my test on the neck pronto and report... It's a little different since it's poly over the light poly that's already there....

[fender3x]

I "finished" putting clear coat over the entire body and selected sites on the neck. Three or four coats where the neck and body meet. At least 10-12 everywhere else applied with a foam brush, and a quick sand with 400 or 320 between coats. Mfg says 3-4 coats is sufficient, but I wanted a good buildup for sanding flat. There are transitions between painted and non-painted spots....and places where I was afraid to sand any more

Now at least 21days to cure... Tom Petty had it right. "The waiting is the hardest part."

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[McCreed]

"The waiting is the hardest part."

Yep! fo sho...