When I priced up flip paint from a panel factor a few years ago it was £200 per half litre so not for the amateur, but I've always wanted to try it. I've got a green bronze electric fiddle which looks great. People said it gave them a headache, at least I think was was the paint they were talking about.

@rocknroller912 Yeah it doesn’t surprise me, it’s certainly not cheap. It’s the stuff they use on TVRs, which they used to build in Blackpool, just down the road from where I live. I am starting to make contacts in the paint industry again and I will be trying all sorts of new products, I’ll keep you all informed and you will see some wacky paint jobs on guitars in the coming future. 👍

Another shipment of flake and candy this morning. 

I possibly know where to send some of mine ??

So, you’re going for the natural look on your next 20-odd builds @boo?

That looks like a lot of flakes ...

Hey @boo. I'm loving it. I'm very much hoping in the future to develop my painting skills. Although I do love a nice peice of beautifully figured wood in custom guitars I do prefer my guitars coloured. Looking forward to seeing some more of your paint jobs. 

🙂🎸🎶🙏

I possibly know where to send some of mine ??

@eddie6string Yeah, I’ll just find my feet with it all and I’ll take on paint jobs for any of you. 👍

So, you’re going for the natural look on your next 20-odd builds

@tv101 🤣🤣 Well, I’ve got some body blanks that are not particularly attractive, wood like poplar. So, when they are guitar shaped, I can make them look beautiful by adding flake and paint. I do love the natural beauty of wood but not all of it is worth showing off. The fact that I can paint and have all the gear is driving me to try new paints, products, methods and techniques. I’m playing to my strengths at the moment. I will, at some point, return to using beautiful, natural woods at some point but right now I’m having fun. 🤘😝🤘✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

I'm loving it. I'm very much hoping in the future to develop my painting skills.

@russ Thanks man. Like anything, there is a learning curve and there is a lot to learn with painting. The basic principles are easy to get your head around and they are a foundation to build on and hone your skills on. The more you do, the better you get. Mark’s finishing course is a good introduction and will be better when more detail is added. With any paint job, the most important bit is the prep work. If everything is done properly, from one step to the next, it becomes easy. Things don’t always go that smoothly though and when problems occur, knowing how to recover from them is what makes you a good painter and that just comes with a bit more knowledge and more experience. You don’t absolutely need all the gear, you can get great results from using rattle cans, you just have to do it right. 

Anyone can do it, just like building guitars. 

Well, I’ve got some body blanks that are not particularly attractive, wood like poplar. So, when they are guitar shaped, I can make them look beautiful by adding flake and paint.

That is a very good point @boo!

you can get great results from using rattle cans,

Cheers @boo. I think I will start practicing with the rattle cans. 

🙏🎶🎸🙂

QUICK UPDATE!!! 

I sanded the clear coat back (without sanding through) flat with various grades of sand paper, finishing with 600 grade. See how it’s lost all its shine and glitter effect? That will return when it gets more clear coat. 

After the first re-coat of clear coat. The flake reappears! ✨✨✨✨✨✨

This time it’s got a proper reflective gloss finish over the flake as well as showing off the flake effect. 

Look at the shine on that now. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

I’ll be sanding it all flat again once it’s dried and cured. It might seem tedious, repetitive and time consuming but that’s because it is. This is how you get top quality results. The best is yet to come. Kandy paint (candy). Adding colours will really bring things to life. Once I’ve applied the kandy colours, I’ll apply more coats of clear. I’ll then sand it all flat again and then apply more coats of clear and then sand it flat again before assessing whether to polish it or apply more clear and then..... you get the idea. It’s a lot of work isn’t it? 

@boo

I’ll then sand it all flat again and then apply more coats of clear and then sand it flat again before assessing whether to polish it or apply more clear and then..... you get the idea. It’s a lot of work isn’t it? 

That all looks great boo. You've maybe convinced me to do another oiled finish rather than the stained burst and polished lacquer that I've been dreaming about.

So, if it starts out “as glittery as heck”, what’s the equivalent term for when it’s fully glittered??

Lovely work @boo.

I’m going to dig out some ugly wood that needs glittering!

@boo

That’s pretty darn glittery! (it’s a good thing yer name ain’t Gary!)

Thanks for all the vids, very cool stuff!

That all looks great boo. You've maybe convinced me to do another oiled finish rather than the stained burst and polished lacquer that I've been dreaming about.

@robin Don’t let this put you off Robin, this is a heck of a lot of work because of the metal flake and the kandy paint. A normal paint job is not as much work as this. If you are using stains and then clear coat, that’s all it is. Lay down your colour stains, seal them in with sanding sealer and then apply several coats of clear (the amount will depend on the type of clear coat you use). Buff it up with a polisher or by hand, done. Doing a job like this one I’m doing here is an immense amount of work in comparison. I’ll do a simple paint job on something soon to show the difference in workload. Don’t let your dreams be shattered by my showboating. 👍