PBA-4 Marcel's PBG build #9

[Marcel]

Spent the past few days sanding and pondering. Added a rather wet mixture of TimberMate to the body and sanded that back once it was fully dry (pictured)... It was only then that I took the plunge and decided on how I would proceed...

It has been something I have wanted to try for a while and this is my first foray into the world of Nitro. To keep it all nice and simple I have ditched the burst idea and gone for a solid single color....Vintage White, with a Amberised clear for the neck... Hopefully it will turn out and I'll have a NOS '60's style P bass similar to the earlier internet photo.... lol

[ozzbike]

Marcel,

Sad that you got that top section on the body. I like the nitro plan....nice choice.

I too have not done one and would love to . Good luck and I hope it goes well.

[Marcel]

Had to wait until the right time to spray, and figured in the evening just after sunset was cool enough under the verandah.

Took the punt with the clear sanding sealer in temps around 27C.... still a bit warmer than ideal but nothing a great deal of experience with rattle cans couldn't handle....

So the first quite light coat is down and the next day sanded lightly with 400 grit. Feels awesome smooth.

[Marcel]

Where I do my spraying under the verandah at the far end of the house is quite breezy, and is why our laundry line is there ... and I thought that the breeze had settled.... Did the neck first with the amberised clear and all went well except for a few drips from the nozzle onto my fingers.... but 10 seconds after I started on the body the gentle loft of air passing by turned into what may as well have been a cyclone.... I tried my best... I got a single thin coat of vintage white down. Some sanding repair work to do More coats to come...

[Marcel]

24hrs later and in failing light I got to examine the damage... lol

There is one run that is by my eyes notably bad. It is on the top edge of the lower bout, right where a player would put their arm, and running the fingers over it you can feel it. And another rub on te inside of the lower horn... so some sanding will be needed there. Interestingly at the same spot on the lower bout but on the rear side there seems to be an area that had reluctance to take the white coat, so I am suspecting contamination of some sort, most likely sweaty palm fluids from handling earlier in the tropical day.

Other than that the first coat seems to have gone down well. Considering that the Nitro was coming out of the can with the ultra thin consistency of hot acetone. Maybe the high 20's Celsius is not the best and the recommended low 20's Celsius is a better Nitro spray environment. An ambient temp of 21C/70F is apparently the ideal Nitro spray condition, and that is not going to happen for many months around here on the Tropic of Capricorn..

Included pix of my inventive use of step ladders in this painting task... You use what you have...

[Simon Barden]

I've sprayed nitro in those conditions from a gun, and it's been OK, but then a gun is adjustable, whereas a can isn't (and you're already at the mercy of the pant/thinner mix in each can, which can be quite variable). But that's mainly because I really wanted to get a move-on and finish bits and pieces. Last summer here in the UK it got well over 30°C, and that was just too hot to spray. But I do prefer to spray at lower temperatures and on still days.

[Marcel]

Another 24hrs and a few touches of 400 grit sandy paperies, and a relocation to a different part of the veranderah saw the 2nd White coat down on the body and a 2nd clear Amber coat on the neck...

Things went much better this time. Less wind let me get a far better and even coverage of the white. Only one tiny run that will get covered by the steel neck plate so I'm not fussed there... Quite happy on how the body is progressing... One more White coat, and a few clear gloss coats and I think it will be done.

The neck is a whole different story. Most of which centers on the can. I get as much paint on my fingers as on the neck. In the photo you can see all the drips that oozed out from under the button nozzle and subsequently fell from my hand. The nozzle sprays fine, it is the leaking and those annoying drips... Quite impressed with the colour, and after a very light sand before spraying the 2nd coat the feel of the first Amber coat was simply awesome. I am of two minds on spraying a 3rd Amber coat as for me it is dark enough, and I'm even unsure on putting a gloss clear coat or two on as I'm reluctant to change how the neck feels in the hand... The headstock will get a few clear gloss coats for sure but the neck itself with the 3 coats (1 sanding sealer + 2 Amber) it currently has I have my doubts....

[Simon Barden]

Personally I'd always spray a couple of clear coats over the amber. If you rub through the amber it's going to look quite patchy.

[Marcel]

You don't know how much I want you to be wrong Simon..... I know you are right, but I want you to be wrong.....

I had forgotten what a nice Nitro neck feels like, and this build has reminded me of what I have been missing out on.... I so want you to be wrong Simon...lol

Maybe I'll just have to put up with a patchy neck...lol

[Simon Barden]

It's your bass. But you should be able to spray clear over the top and have the same feel. Either way, it will then probably go a bit sticky/grabby for a while and then sort itself out again with use.