car paint works.... and i hope this isnt too much to post here. i wrote it for some guys website some time back. *i guess the admin can hack it up if he likes... if thats the case go ahead and email me and i can send a copy.
Mike, *the artist formerly known as The
Tone Zone
Overview
Background:
Essentially what you are going to do is paint your guitar using professional quality automotive finish. *Keep in mind that this is a far cry from the old school lacquer finish jobs of the classic Gibson and fender era. *I chose to submit this knowing that most people willing to make their own guitar as a garage project probably weren’t going to spend a small fortune on having it professionally refinished. *The old school of guitar refinishing with multiple coats of paint and usually multiple days of effort are something of the past (much like that of the automotive industry). *The process presented here is basically the simplest process for refinishing anything from cars to guitars. *Assuming that your body has never been finished with any type of paint I will take you from step one all the way to the final buff as easily as I am able. All products here are attainable from your local automobile refinishing outfitter. While local laws are always changing regarding the usage and sale of particular types of paints I still choose to use Dupont products as I have found them to be of the highest quality (more later). The ultimate cost should be about $150.00 (if you have access to a high quality paint gun and air compressor).
About me:
My name is Mike Reed, as a career college student and in order to make some money on the side I decided to start refinishing cars. While most of what I did I owned I spent quite a bit of time painting a truck bed here and fender or door there for friends. I began years ago using what is known as acrylic enamel, which I thought was fine for car finishes, though with this particular type of paint I found that there was still much room for mistake. My first brush (no pun intended) with two stage paints was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I found them to be very simple to apply and very durable as well. In my opinion this is the best way if you want a finish similar to the newer “no frill” paint jobs. Think basic white or black although any color, even metallics are available.
Warnings:
For anyone having little or no experience with these types of products I should give you fair warning that this is dangerous. While exposed to any of these chemicals you MUST ALWAYS WEAR AN APPROVED CARBON CARTRIDGE RESPIRATOR, as the chemicals are extreme! They will quite simply, knock you out. Don’t just take this as a job with a can of primer and house brand spray paint, you can get very sick by ignoring this warning. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. *Also, if you are going to do this in your own garage, first, know that this WILL make a mess, and second, TURN OFF THE PILOT LIGHT OF YOUR WATER HEATER. In the painting industry there is a phenomenon known as “flash fire”, trust me you don’t want to know. Also, don’t smoke.
With these things set aside you should be able to quickly and successfully complete the project.
Beginning the project
Equipment:
The first thing you are going to need is a high quality SIPHON FEED paint-gun (I personally own a Devilbiss, best to use an 80 EX spray cap or better). It is possible to use what is known as HVLP (high volume low pressure) as well, but I wouldn’t recommend that, they are both more expensive and more difficult to use and I believe the finish would be substandard. *This paint gun should have an adjustable pressure (meter) valve at the base; this is used to regulate air pressure at the gun itself (versus wondering about how much pressure is coming through the miles of hose). *For a point of reference most paints require between 30 and 50 psi constant to spread well, however, considering this is such a small project you can get away with as little as 25 psi and really go no more than 35 at the most.
It goes without saying that you need an air compressor. For a project of this size almost any compressor will do as long as it can deliver a fairly constant 30-psi (considering you will be using short bursts vs. the entire length of a car). Two things you should definitely do BEFORE starting the project is run the compressor and fill it to approx. half its capacity and loosen the valve at the bottom of it to release any moisture that is in the tank itself, as it interferes with the paint. Second is to make sure that you have a moisture trap on the compressor itself (should come out before the hose), if not these items are reasonably inexpensive at the local paint shop. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ELIMINATE ANY MOISTURE FOR A PROPER FINISH.
Other various items that you will need of an assorted nature besides the actual paint products themselves are a number of stir sticks, a “tack rag”, approx. a gallon of acetone or lacquer thinner (acetone is much cheaper), and various sized mixing containers, high quality masking tape (for obvious reasons) and probably something to cover the garage floor with that you simply don’t want anymore. And of course, some type of apparatus to mount the guitar in a fashion that allows you to paint the guitar all in one period of time (it is not feasible to do one side at a time).
The paint products:
This is sort of a touchy gray area as far as the project is concerned, you see, depending on state, county, and even local laws only certain types of products are available to the public (thank the EPA). What is legal in one county may not be legal in another. Fortunately, paint companies have found ways around this by developing paint systems that have varying components, to you I imagine the only crucial factor would be dry time or “tack time”. Keep in mind, the longer the dry time the longer it takes between coats and the longer a period to let dust settle on your work. *Dupont makes the best product I have found; it is their CHROMABASE system. It is a base coat-clear coat finish that requires two steps, namely, apply the base coat, then apply the clear coat. *Dupont is so popular that most automotive paint shops should carry it, if yours doesn’t then consider that most products are similar in their application but you might want to brush up on basic chemistry to learn about the mixing (don’t worry, if you can read well you should be in the clear).
Within the Chromabase system there are several components necessary to complete the job.
1)A non-sanding primer (best to get the color of primer most contrasting to the intended color of the guitar) and since most of the new primers are not lacquer based and thinned you will need a catalyst for it as well. Just as a note, I’ve found that ORCHARD SUPPLY HARDWARE house brand spray primer works just as well, however, it is not recommended for use with these products, but it is cheap and it does come in a spray can . Depending on which type of primer you choose it may or may not require an activator (catalyst, hardener).
2)You will also, of course, need the paint itself (referred to as the base coat). Any paint shop should be able to color match just about anything you bring in as a sample, keep in mind that custom colors cost more money and that above all white is the easiest color to paint, black and red are the hardest. The smallest amount of paint that you will be able to purchase is a pint, which is well more than enough. Consider that it will be mixed on a 1:1 ratio to basemaker, which is a thinner of sorts. I, myself, was able to paint an entire Honda Civic with a total of 2 quarts of material, so throughout the project you will have plenty of material to use, you may want even to practice on something else to get a feel for how to make a good coat.
3)Base maker. This is mixed with the paint on a 1:1 ratio (1pint paint, 1pint base maker). To my knowledge, the least you can purchase of this is a quart so of course you will have MORE than enough. *DUP#7106S-Q
4)Hardener (activator). In many cases a hardener is recommended but not always necessary for the base coat itself. The local paint shop should help you with this decision; a lot of it depends on temperature as well as application. The hardener is added to the total paint-basemaker solution (keep in mind anything that you catalyze or add hardener to has just become a need to use solution, it will not last more than a few hours after mixing). *
5)Clear coat. There are a few different product numbers and some dry faster than others, again, depending on where you live those available may vary. Remember that faster drying is better as it will allow less dust to settle on your work. DUP#3600S-Q
6)Clear coat activator/catalyst, much the same as primer and often paint the clear coat must be catalyzed in order to harden properly. REMEMBER THE MIXING RULE. In fact, it is best to mix only what you need. I would recommend mixing no more than a pint of clear at a time. *DUP#3605S-P
7)Clear coat reducer. *Much the same as the base coat, clear coats are reduced. * The necessary level of reduction is printed on the label and depends on which product you use and the environment in which you intend to use it. *DUP#1075S-Q
NOTE: *again, use as little product at a time as allowed. For something the size of a guitar I would recommend mixing the entire pint of paint with basemaker at one time (1:1 ratio giving you one entire quart of material), mix one pint of primer with catalyst, mix one pint of clear coat with recommended amount of base maker and catalyst. This should be more than enough to complete the job in the period of about an hour or a little more. Remember not to mix all these products at one time. Complete one step then mix for the next, etc. * I.e. * primer>shoot primer>color/base>shoot color>clear>shoot clear. Also remember to mix all components in separate containers and stir them often or shake the paint gun often to avoid settling. ALSO, BETWEEN EACH STEP BE SURE TO COMPLETELY CLEAN YOUR PAINT GUN OUT BY FILLING IT WITH ACETONE OR LACQUER THINNER AND SPRAYING AT FULL BORE UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY EMPTY, NO RESIDUE FROM THE PREVIOUS PRODUCT SHOULD REMAIN IN THE GUN FOR THE NEXT STEP. *This will be my last reference to mixing as the instructions are right on the labels and common sense should prevail. Forgive me if I seem to have left a lot out regarding this but for a time in college I majored in chemistry and may overlook things that someone who isn’t used to mixing and measuring may have trouble with. Remember that it’s ok to break out that calculator (I live with one under my pillow).
The Process:
1)Prep the area in which you are going to work, like I said this will make a mess.
Wear the appropriate safety equipment. Mount the guitar in a fashion that allows you to adequately access all areas and as well will not allow it to sway with the pressure from the paint gun. Also, hose the garage down in a last ditch effort to eliminate dust. Make one very light swipe across the surface with an opened “fluffy” tack rag to pick up any dust on the guitar surface. Be sure not to mash the rag onto the surface, as the tacky material will stick to the guitar.
A word about paint guns if you have not used one: typically a siphon feed gun will have 2 knobs and a trigger, the trigger of course shoots, the top knob adjusts the focus of the spray, the bottom knob adjusts the amount of material that comes through the nozzle (paint cap).
2)Primer. *The primer should go on relatively smooth and applied with approximately 35 psi at the gun. Hold the paint gun tip between 6-12 inches from the surface of the
guitar body. In order to get the best coat it is recommended to apply it relatively thick (focus the spray narrowly) in a smooth slow to moderate pace overlapping each area approx. 50%. *Remember that this is a non-sanding primer, any runs or sags in it will take quite a bit of work to get out with sandpaper. The idea is to spray 2 relatively thick coats that go on smooth and flat. Make sure the entire surface is evenly coated any edges should follow the contour of the guitar. Any mistakes made here and the project should not be continued until they are worked out. Remember, as with all coats applied it is best to lightly spray any areas that might be easily missed first to make sure that the entire surface is covered. It is recommended that about 30 minutes be given to allow the primer to “flash off” (a fancy word for dry) and flatten out before the base coat is applied. *The surface should be flat and relatively smooth after flash off time (about that of the surface of an egg). Most primers do a fair job at filling grooves and setting edges so that you shouldn’t have to worry about doing it with sandpaper. The pre-coat sand and well as any touch up afterwards should be with 400-600-grit sandpaper. *Finish with a light swipe from the tack cloth.
3)Base coat (color coat). *As far as project goes, this is where it gets difficult. *The color coat has to go on thick enough to get even coverage and yet light enough as not to achieve a shine. With 2 stage paints the goal isn’t to achieve a gloss from the base coat, the clear coat does this. *I would say that 3 medium coats would do the job on a guitar, although this is highly subjective. The first coat, however, should be light and sticky enough so that following coats don’t run easily when following coats are applied. *The overall goal is to get the finish about the texture of a eggsh*ll
and if you can do better then great, remember that if you do make any mistakes that they are easily sanded out at this point (400-600 grit) but you will need to wait until it is entirely dry to do so. *Also, in order to spray the clear coat over the base coat you need to have it a little tacky (sticky). Also, be sure to watch for over-spray although it shouldn’t really be a problem on the size of something like a guitar. *Again, finish with the light swipe of a tack cloth, it might be wise to do this between each and every coat, unless you like dust .
4)Clear coat. *This is really what it all comes down to. After the base coat has become almost completely, if not completely dry, the clear coat needs to be applied with the first coat being light and just tacky enough to allow following coats to stick without running. The clear coat is by far the most challenging coat to apply, namely because it is difficult to see going on and it must be applied relatively thick, this is especially true of the last coat. Clear coat is easy to run so be very careful, also remember that if it does run it isn’t the end of the world. If you’ve managed to get enough thick coats on the guitar (which I highly recommend) you can wet sand and buff to perfection after the finish has completely dried. *I would suggest a total of 3 coats. It would be best to let dry to a “tacky” finish and then gently swipe between coats with a tack cloth so that no dust settles between coats, if this happens you are pretty much ****ed. If it comes down to needing to refinish during the clear coat phase you are probably going to need to start over on the clear coat. You’ll need to wait until the finish is completely dry (a day to be safe) and sand it down evenly with at least 600 grit without going down to the color coat. Then start over with the clear again, first coat should be tacky as before.
5)Completion. *After the clear coat has DRIED, it is safe to “de-rig” your guitar. *Wait a day just to be safe, why not? *It does take some time for the clear coat to harden and flatten out. Remember that as clear coat hardens it as well flattens and some of the imperfections along with dust spots may work themselves out. It is best to wait a couple of days to before any fine sanding is done, ideally fine sanding is done with 1500- 2000 grit wet sandpaper (do not compromise). When you fine sand (if necessary) the 2000 grit sandpaper should only slightly mar or dull the finish of the guitar. Keep in mind that it will take awhile to sand the entire guitar and as well that you should really go no deeper than necessary. *When the final wet sanding is complete you will need to take a high speed buffer with a “soft” pad to it in order to melt the clear coat back together and make it nice and shiny again (this will happen!).
6)Buffing. *Buffing takes place for the main reason mentioned above, it melts the finish back together using a very fine compound that is almost like water. The instructions for using this product (of which I forgot the #, but paint shops will have) are on the bottle. It is safe to use a buffing wheel on a standard high-speed drill; nothing with a higher rpm should be used, as it will burn through to the color coat too easily. Just buff until you have a nice smooth, shiny, consistent coat, that’s all. Don’t go nuts when you start to see the first shine come through, be very careful.
At this point you should be done enough to assemble your guitar and maybe slap
A coat of Turtle Wax on it. Hopefully you have had luck and the project has turned out well. GOOD LUCK!
Questions, comments * * Mike *
TheToneZone@hotmail.com
