1st time bare wood paint job (Mustang) FINISHED

cur · Post by **cur** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:15 pm

Silenus wrote:^ thanks, always nice to receive some words of support : )

1. As I now understand, After the last layer of color, I wetsand 'till 800 grit so the whole body is dull/mat ?
2. What do I do, when I have runs in between the clearcoats ? And do I sand in between the clearcoats?

(It's clear to me that after the last clearcoat I have to wetsand it to very fin grit (1500 or so) before I start to polish it)

(Thanks to all for the good support and advices...couldn't have done it without all the good info on here)

1) Well you want to knock down any high spots/ orange peel you may have. The 800 will dull the luster a little but it will come back after the clear coat and polish.

2) best avoid runs and drips all together. don't get over eager and go with light coats. Don't rush it and get lots of light coats on it and build it up. Always push the button to spray in the air and then cross the body of the guitar. Don't let up off of the button until you are off the body of the guitar. Over lap a little but do not double coat.

if you get a drip, let it dry a day and then you can wet sand it down with 600, or I like to take a single edge razor and shave it down and then level it out with sand paper.

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:43 am

Good advice...
It's how I actually spray(ed)
but didn't know what to do with drips on the clear coats...
Untill now thanks to you : )

cur · Post by **cur** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:02 pm

You can use the razor like a cabinet scraper to shave off the drip.

I like to use this type of razor. I usually have a 100 of these sitting around for all sorts of jobs.

If you want to practice. Make drips out of wood glue and on a scrap piece of wood. Then let it dry for a day and practice shaving them down. Put a little bend in the blade and then shave it down making fine scrapings.

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:57 am

Thanks for the good pics and explanation.
Sure gonna get me one of those razor's in case of drips.

Now in the fase of wetsanding but I can take my time 'cause it's gonna
be to wet and windy oustide to spray the coming week...

re-edit: Already did some clear coats and everything went fine so far...No orange peel or oter worse things
Although some minor faults in the color show but they're hardly noticable since there at the straphold on the bottomside of the body
so I don't care that much..

A few more coats and then the drying out periode...
Does it really has to be about 4 weeks ?

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:04 pm

Ok, due to everyone's advice on this (and other forum's) I managed to get it this far...

And the Lord (in this case me) said:
I smite clear coat upon thee...!!!

Back to reality: clear coats are on...some minor faults...
Don't care about it anyway...

Now comes the Buddha-phase: let the body rest and then come alive again in a whole different shape...

gpselmer · Post by **gpselmer** » Wed May 02, 2012 3:35 pm

Hi all,
Can I ask : how come you can buy reranch from Belgium ?
I thought they can't deliver spray cans over the air ... and I thought they only sell paint in spray cans...
Please let me know (I live in France)
Cool looking guitar trhough

Cheers

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Thu May 03, 2012 7:22 am

Thanks for the nice comment : )

I actually got the paint from a shop in the Netherlands.
I hope it's legit to post this link ('cause it's to help you out)
http://www.guitarsupplies.nl/index.php? ... 14&lang=NL
Good thing is: they ship pretty fast
Bad thing is: they're on holiday 'till the 18th of may, if I remember correctly

Hope that helps you out...
Greets

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Fri May 04, 2012 11:40 pm

First, sorry for replying myself but I really have to share my bad experience...(to other first time painters)
(English isn't my first language so don't know how to explain it better)

Woodsealer, primer and color (few drips but sanded of well), all went good.

First few layers of clear coat also went well but after layer 3 I had a drip and tried to sand it off to soon.
I've waited for day (more then 24hours) to sand of the drip but it seemed to quick and messed it up a bit... : (
Went through the paint layer 'cause it still was to liquid inside the drip.

Good thing is, it's in the area on the bottom side where the strapbutton goes.

I just want to say, as a beginner myself, hold your horses and take it easy, even at the end of the spraying process
especially with the clear coats 'cause it seems harder to fix and heavy mistakes are unreverable (pro's and others might do better....)
So spray light layers at all time...even if your gttinbg tired of it...

I'm gonna sort it out after the drying and polishing (after 30 days) and see how it goes...
Maybe I'l make something original out of it, if it's really too bad...

I just wanted to say this so it might help someone...

More later on my project, after a month...
Pics will certainly follow

P.S.: Again lots of thanks to all the people on this forum for helping and instructing me.
Wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys (and girls)

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Sun May 13, 2012 9:28 pm

Dave wrote:You NEED grain filler and preferably a sanding sealer like Shellac or as the nritro dries the grain WILL stand out.

What grain filler/sealer are you using?

Thanks,

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:59 am

Rustin's.
Only did one layer 'cause the body already was very smooth.

Gonna start this weekend with final wet-sanding and polishin
(ofcourse followed by the assembly)

Just need to find what kind of polish to use...this is pretty URGENT
edit: bought me some polish from Turttle. Is that ok ???

P.S.: thinking about putting the Dragonfire hotrails in the bridge-position and a JBjr. in the neck (will be better balanced I guess).
Will this work or should I stick with the stock neck PU ???

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Thu May 17, 2012 2:58 pm

Ok, she's done : )

Love the color (but maybe going for a mint or parchement pickguard)
She has some flaws and stuff but hey,...it was my first time.

On the other hand, she plays like a dream and looks like I hoped she would...

Have some quick pics, some with the hotrail and some with a JBjr
(had a bad connection on one of the switches so switched 'm up while she was open..)

Thanks again to everyone for the good help and advices : )

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Thu May 17, 2012 3:22 pm

great work!

just beautiful all around

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu May 17, 2012 8:39 pm

good job

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Thu May 17, 2012 8:43 pm

Silenus wrote:Ok, she's done : )

Love the color (but maybe going for a mint or parchement pickguard)
She has some flaws and stuff but hey,...it was my first time.

On the other hand, she plays like a dream and looks like I hoped she would...

Have some quick pics, some with the hotrail and some with a JBjr
(had a bad connection on one of the switches so switched 'm up while she was open..)

Thanks again to everyone for the good help and advices : )

Great job! I really dig it with the current scratch plate, but mint or parchement might be just as cool.

markarkark · Post by **markarkark** » Fri May 18, 2012 9:21 am

nice work - i am hoping to do a similar colour refin myself, i can only hope it comes out half as good as this.

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Fri May 18, 2012 9:27 am

Thanks for the nice comments : )

edit:
Put on some white knobs but took 'm right off again...
didn't like the overall look...or I just had "bad white-knobbies day"...who knows

But here's a pic for whoever might consider the same

In search of perfect sound, I'm gonna put the JBjr in the neck and the Dragonfire rails in the bridge...
Will post the result

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am

Ok, got the Hotrails in the bridge and the JBjr in the neck.
Sounds ok but would like a little more sharpness...

Any advice on changing the pots ?
Should I only change the volume to 500k or do I also need to change the tone-pot ???

(Has a 0.22 Orange drop now)

Thanks

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Thu May 24, 2012 8:11 am

Looks great. I had 500k for both pots in my old Mustang with JB Jrs in it. It certainly helped, but the JB Jr always seemed a bit wooly to me.

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Thu May 24, 2012 8:29 am

Thanks Thom
I've read somewhere to take "log" for volume and "lin" for tone...
Is this correct or do you have another suggestion ??

P.S.: What brand should I take CTS or Alpha ?
(sorry for the dumb questions but I've never considered to change a pot before)

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu May 24, 2012 7:54 pm

Don't get CTS if you've used Japanese parts because their shafts are bigger for US spec, you'd have to drill the control plate. Alphas will fit as-is and are perfectly excellent.

I'd definitely upgrade to at least 500ks. I used the JB Jr on my Jaguar which has a 1meg pot so I've always found it bright enough, though it's not stupidly bright unless using a clean Fender amp sound, So I can see how it would be really muddy with 250ks.