Best paint for learning to spray?

[smokes]

I want to learn how to lacquer guitars, was thinking to learn on a scrap of wood. Rather than pay for nitro lacquer, is there any other - cheaper - paints I can use to learn to get a feel for it? Any advice would be really appreciated.

[cur]

are you going to use spray paint or shooting it with a gun and air compressor?

[smokes]

Preferably something that would cure quickly, but ideally something that would behave like nitro

[smokes]

are you going to use spray paint or shooting it with a gun and air compressor?

Oh sorry mate, didn't see your reply. I dunno, I'd be up for investing in the proper gear - it doesn't look too expensive - but it might be sensible to see if I actually have a natural flair for it first with cans... What do you reckon?

[NickD]

Paint from Halfords or similar, it will either be acrylic or cellulose.

FWIW quite a few of the old Fender colours were acrylic, and cellulose is otherwise known as nitro cellulose. It is a lot softer than modern car paint, so much easier to work with/sand.

[61fury]

Double, see below

[61fury]

I just painted a head stock black, real quick and nasty with old enamel spray paint, some old model decals and Valspar enamel clear. I know this isn't lacquer or acrylic lacquer. I sprayed the black, sanded it flat,applied the decals and buried them with clear. Very orange peel but I wet sanded after only a couple days. So the wet sand/polish process is the same and I got decent results very quickly. Would have been better if I cared more. It was for a junk neck for a crap guitar, man that takes the pressure off.

[smokes]

Thank you all for your replies!

I do have a few more questions that maybe someone can help me with:

How easy would it be to match the colour of an existing guitar? for example, spraying a headstock to match a guitar that's already done in poly.

Where is a good or cheap place to find the finer grit sandpapers in London? No DIY shops round here have anything finer than 280/300. Or am I better going online somewhere?

I've found something like this (but not a maquita) for £15 2nd hand - would this be good for polishing, and is it a good deal?

I've got car body filler - the type where you mix putty with hardener - this can be used as a sanding sealer, right? would I need to thin it down a bit with acetone or something? I've also got some shellac but it's a couple of years old.

If I spray it indoors in a small room, is paint 'mist' likely to coat the walls? (I know I need a mask) - or is outdoors better?

Anyone know of an online guide or thread that would guide a first timer through the whole shebang in fine detail?

[cur]

Auto parts stores in the US have the finer grits up to 2000.

I have a touch up hvlp and and air compressor to shoot paint now, but I have alway wanted to try these. You can get whatever paint you want and then shoot your own stuff.

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[NickD]

Thank you all for your replies!

I do have a few more questions that maybe someone can help me with:

How easy would it be to match the colour of an existing guitar? for example, spraying a headstock to match a guitar that's already done in poly.

Where is a good or cheap place to find the finer grit sandpapers in London? No DIY shops round here have anything finer than 280/300. Or am I better going online somewhere?

I've found something like this (but not a maquita) for £15 2nd hand - would this be good for polishing, and is it a good deal?

I've got car body filler - the type where you mix putty with hardener - this can be used as a sanding sealer, right? would I need to thin it down a bit with acetone or something? I've also got some shellac but it's a couple of years old.

If I spray it indoors in a small room, is paint 'mist' likely to coat the walls? (I know I need a mask) - or is outdoors better?

Anyone know of an online guide or thread that would guide a first timer through the whole shebang in fine detail?

1. Really difficult. Its not easy even if you know the paint code

2. Halfords should do fine grit - a bit pricey, but easy enough to find

3. I would polish cellulose by hand on a guitar, it's soft as shit.

4. No. Buy sanding sealer, online is pretty much your only choice.

5. Paint it out doors. Yes you probably will get mist on the floor & maybe walls, but its your lungs I would worry about. I've painted in very large spaces with ventilation fans and using a paper mask and the fumes still get to you.

[cur]

Anyone know of an online guide or thread that would guide a first timer through the whole shebang in fine detail?

Reranch

[smokes]

Thanks Cur, that Preval gear looks the perfect middle ground.

I'll definitely start off with a can of cheaper car paint and a scrap of wood before going in too deep, in case I'm shit.

I'm touched at your concern for my lungs Nick If I'm polishing nitro by hand, would I use a chammy and some kind of polishing compound? such as?

Sorry for all the questions, I really appreciate you all helping me

[smokes]

Also I find conflicting opinions as to wether or not poly finishes can be chemically stripped... with a majority of people saying it's not possible, but a few that claim they've had results using Nitromorse (but a stronger version than their regular one), also Zip Strip, and a product worryingly called 'Aircraft Remover'

Has anyone tried any of these products? The Google shopping results I'm getting for Zip Strip say it's a floor polish remover - I don't know if this is the same one people claim works on a poly guitar finish.

I'm planning to strip a fairly new Squier, but maybe I should 'practice' on an old Antoria strat copy I have here first. I know it'd be easier to just sand a little texture into the existing finish, and spray on top of that, but if I'm going nitro would it not be best to go back to wood first?

I have tried searching the forum for info on these, but to no avail. I swear I'm doing something wrong with the search though, I always get random unrelated stuff?

regards, Ben

[timhulio]

Nitromors will strip poly bodies, but you need to scuff the surface up a bit. It's nasty, nasty stuff. Apply it then wrap in a bin bag for a while. Scrape that stuff off, recover then repeat until it's all gone. The fumes are fuck awful and the stripper will eat through marigolds. The Squier body I stripped had some sealer on it that needed sanding after all the paint was gone. It's a shit job and I'd always advocate just buying a new body in a colour you prefer.

Also, has anyone on here refinished a guitar at home and been happy with the results? It's a ballache and never looks half as good as a professionally finished body.

[cur]

Also, has anyone on here refinished a guitar at home and been happy with the results? It's a ballache and never looks half as good as a professionally finished body.

I'm getting pretty good at it.. My main problem is having to do it outdoors. Last time I had 2 stink bugs land on the wet clear and the solvents in the paint melted some of the bugs pigments into the finish. I have been using custom mixed auto paint and clear. It is so much nicer to use than nitro. Nitro is a pain in the ass and takes months to set.

[smokes]

Nitromors will strip poly bodies, but you need to scuff the surface up a bit. It's nasty, nasty stuff. Apply it then wrap in a bin bag for a while. Scrape that stuff off, recover then repeat until it's all gone. The fumes are fuck awful and the stripper will eat through marigolds. The Squier body I stripped had some sealer on it that needed sanding after all the paint was gone. It's a shit job and I'd always advocate just buying a new body in a colour you prefer.

Also, has anyone on here refinished a guitar at home and been happy with the results? It's a ballache and never looks half as good as a professionally finished body.

oops, I misread ballache as some kind of fancy french origin word that I'd not come across before.

Balláché

I used Nitromors in my late teens stripping paint from woodwork and furniture - is this the same grade stuff that'd work for poly? I seem to remember reading they have an extra evil one that perhaps isn't as widely available.

Even though it's a shit job, is it not rewarding?

There is a limited choice of 'off the peg' colours, and while I'm not really one for the whole relic thing, a slightly pony nitro finish might add to that vibe? and still burnish nicely? I wouldn't care too much if it wasn't really gleaming and shiny. I'd hope to have it smooth and without drips though!

I take it those stink bugs didn't do too well after landing in the paint

[NickD]

Thanks Cur, that Preval gear looks the perfect middle ground.

I'll definitely start off with a can of cheaper car paint and a scrap of wood before going in too deep, in case I'm shit.

I'm touched at your concern for my lungs Nick If I'm polishing nitro by hand, would I use a chammy and some kind of polishing compound? such as?

Sorry for all the questions, I really appreciate you all helping me

Don't use a chamois, I use an old t shirt or similar, you need some kind of cutting polish, G3 or sililar, I've used T cut at a push, but it needs more elbow grease.

Modern Nitromors is shit, it hardly strips anything, the old stuff was ok, but couldn't strip poly completely in my experience. It was fucking evil stuff too. If you do find a decent paint stripper let me know - the aircraft one is American IIRC and not available over here. If you have a poly guitar to repaint, I would key the poly, prime, put on colour, then clear if you want. Saves having to sand & seal it too.

Tim - I've painted guitars and car panels with pretty decent results, but it is a lot of work, probably made easier by the fact that I have a compressor and gun.

[61fury]

Also I find conflicting opinions as to wether or not poly finishes can be chemically stripped... with a majority of people saying it's not possible, but a few that claim they've had results using Nitromorse (but a stronger version than their regular one), also Zip Strip, and a product worryingly called 'Aircraft Remover'

Has anyone tried any of these products? The Google shopping results I'm getting for Zip Strip say it's a floor polish remover - I don't know if this is the same one people claim works on a poly guitar finish.

I'm planning to strip a fairly new Squier, but maybe I should 'practice' on an old Antoria strat copy I have here first. I know it'd be easier to just sand a little texture into the existing finish, and spray on top of that, but if I'm going nitro would it not be best to go back to wood first?

I have tried searching the forum for info on these, but to no avail. I swear I'm doing something wrong with the search though, I always get random unrelated stuff?

regards, Ben

If it's a solid color I don't think you need to go back to the wood for nitro, just sand the poly and spray pigmented shellac over the poly and nitro over that. I'm new at this, that's the advice I used and it turned out well. Shellac gets along with everything I'm told. Sanded the body to 320 or something, sprayed shellac ( I used Zinsers BINS per ReRanch instructions) sand that to 400? ( It's been a little while) It sprays thick but sands out well . Then the nitro coats. I got most of my advice from ReRanch and TDPRI, their Google search function works really well. That TDPRI Google search is just the cure for random unrelated stuff .

[smokes]

Thanks everyone. I dulled the finish with something between 200 and 400, can't remember exactly. I then wiped Nitromors in with some steel wool, put the body outside in an old wooden drawer with a refuse sack pinned over the top. An hour later, literally nothing had happened to the finish! the black sheilding paint in the cavities came off where it touched the Nitromors.

So they've changed the Nitromors formulation? I don't remember it being green - 10-15 years ago it was clear, I'm sure. Still smells the same though!

If I wanna do a headstock, but keep the clearcoat on the rest of the neck, is that doable? If I just 'key' the headstock face, fill the tuner holes, mask the edges very carefully, then spray?

[NickD]

Headstock - yes. Take your time with the masking, preparation is key.