The runouts are really because I apply too much ( going way too slow, hence , buildup in corners ), so now I just use really short strokes, or bursts and just do it multiple times, which gives the same result, but no runouts as a result since I do it that way.
@koendb I still think it’s definitely harder to spray a guitar (or anything) with rattle cans than it is with a spray gun. I know investing in spray equipment isn’t for everyone but it sure is the best way to do it. Maybe sometime in the future I can get a few of you to have a go at least. The best thing to learn on is large panels, spraying paint and getting that muscle memory. Once you get the hang of that, you can try smaller things and objects with tighter areas or odd shapes. This is just learning finer motor control, becoming more accurate and honing your skills.
Like with anything I always like to use the “learning to drive a car” analogy. When you first start to learn to drive, you find it a little daunting because you have to concentrate on all the individual actions you have to perform to control the vehicle. The more you practice, the easier it gets and after some time (it can be different for everyone) there comes a point when you don’t need to think about finding the biting point of the clutch, dipping the clutch when changing gear, accelerating, braking etc etc. It becomes automatic (no, not the transmission 🤣), an unconscious set of actions that is now second nature.
Yes, you still have to learn a bit about paint, preparation techniques and other products and sundries but it’s worth it. Of course it’s impossible to know everything, I still consider myself an intermediate paint sprayer. There are people out there with far greater knowledge, a greater skill set and far more learned than me. I don’t consider that to be my aim though, I don’t need to know everything, I just need to know enough to do the things I want to do. Most of the things I’ve learned about painting can be applied across most painting applications, the skills are transferable. It’s not magic, sorcery, alchemy etc, anyone can do it. (Maybe 🤣)
Its the same with playing guitar, I can’t possibly know everything but I can have fun with what I do know and I can always learn more if I want to, everyone can.
Am I convincing anybody yet?
Rattle cans are ok but the real joy is in a spray gun. 😁
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
That makes perfect sense @mattbeels
@koendb What? Where? @mattbeels made perfect sense? I’m still looking. Where? 🤣
If you have to stop spraying and continue later it’s a good idea before you start again in earnest to first give it a mist coat which is a very light coat. This will “warm up” the previous coats of lacquer (that have been curing) without shocking them due to it being a smaller amount of lacquer. Does that make sense?
Yeah this is a good thing to do when you come back to it to put more paint on. Whatever type of paint you use (with a few exceptions) it’s always advisable to use a grip coat (a fine mist coat) to start with. With 2K paint products we have to key the surface fully before applying the grip coat, it uses a mechanical bond. With nitro, keying the surface isn’t necessary really as it uses a chemical bond, it melts together. Matt did make sense but don’t tell him. 😉
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
What? Where? @mattbeels made perfect sense? I’m still looking. Where? 🤣
Hey @boo 🖕😝
Practice on scrap...
The biggest problem is that I simply don’t have a place to spray...
@mattbeels Yeah I know, that is one of the biggest problems whether you are using a gun or rattle cans. All you need is a shed or garage and you can knock up a spray booth with fan and filters, it doesn’t have to be a pro setup. I only use my garage, that’s all I have right now. I would buy another shed and make a paint booth but there is no point right now, I’ll wait until I’ve moved house.
Do you have a garden that you could put a shed in?
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
Do you have a garden that you could put a shed in?
Unfortunately, no. We do have a garden but it’s rather small and it’s directly next to a dentist’s open windows and on the other side of the hedges is the common garden so that’s a big no fookin way...
No chance at my shop or outdoors there as it’s populated. This is why I’m going for hand applied finishes and if I don’t get the durability that I’m after then I’ll have to out source it. Not a big concern at the moment anyway...
Practice on scrap...
Unfortunately, no. We do have a garden but it’s rather small and it’s directly next to a dentist’s open windows and on the other side of the hedges is the common garden so that’s a big no fookin way...
No chance at my shop or outdoors there as it’s populated. This is why I’m going for hand applied finishes and if I don’t get the durability that I’m after then I’ll have to out source it. Not a big concern at the moment anyway...
@mattbeels Downer. It’s a pity we are not nearer to each other, I could help you out but it’s probably not cost effective to outsource it that far out, especially as the UK is no longer in the frickin EU. 😡
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
@koendb What? Where? @mattbeels made perfect sense? I’m still looking. Where?
LOL ! 🤣
@koendb I still think it’s definitely harder to spray a guitar (or anything) with rattle cans than it is with a spray gun
I think it s something I will probably invest time and money in at a certain moment, but at this stage, though, I have other priorities and the biggest issues I have with regards to painting seem to come from the preparation stage and I am guessing a spray gun will not help fixing those.
The next couple of projects do not require paint, but the preparation stages still apply, so that is where my focus should be, or at least, I think they should be?
Right now, I am getting a bit frustrated, because these tiny bumps and dings keep showing up in various places after fixing dings somewhere else.
Oh well I'll see tomorrow where I am at. I m almost out of primer, so I hope I can wrap that up tomorrow 🙂
Started with the color this morning. 2 layers done, another one in half an hour and then letting it dry until tomorrow.
It is not yet 100% covered.
Not a single runout so far, so I must be doing something better now 🙂
Started with the color this morning. 2 layers done, another one in half an hour and then letting it dry until tomorrow.
It is not yet 100% covered.
@koendb Looking good.
Another tip: Try and not follow the same spraying pattern every time you put on other coat on. Alternate the pattern, so you might spray across horizontally for one coat and on the next coat you could spray up and down vertically. The edges and inside bits are quite tricky so just do your best with them but for the front a nod back, mix it up so you don’t end up with “tiger stripes”. Oh and I know it’s hard to get a decent fan spray out of a rattle can but try on overlap each pass on the next pass to drop tiger striping. 50% overlap on each pass. So, spray across and on the next pass make sure 50% of the paint goes over 50% of the last paint. But keep the paint fairly thin and even, don’t go too heavy. 👍
Does that make sense?
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
Another tip: Try and not follow the same spraying pattern every time you put on other coat on. Alternate the pattern, so you might spray across horizontally for one coat and on the next coat you could spray up and down vertically. The edges and inside bits are quite tricky so just do your best with them but for the front a nod back, mix it up so you don’t end up with “tiger stripes”. Oh and I know it’s hard to get a decent fan spray out of a rattle can but try on overlap each pass on the next pass to drop tiger striping. 50% overlap on each pass. So, spray across and on the next pass make sure 50% of the paint goes over 50% of the last paint. But keep the paint fairly thin and even, don’t go too heavy.
Does that make sense?
That makes total sense @Boo. In the meanwhile I did my final coat for today and indeed I am trying to do it in patterns.This is how it looks like right now:
In the meanwhile I did my final coat for today and indeed I am trying to do it in patterns.This is how it looks like right now:
@koendb Yeah that looks really good, nice and even with no runs. Nice work. 👍 Did you say you are clear coating it too? Shiny shiny?
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
Did you say you are clear coating it too? Shiny shiny?
I have Clear Satin to finish this. So not a high gloss finish. I dont think I would be achieving a good result with high gloss, due to my mediocre prep work ( sanding ).
I have Clear Satin to finish this. So not a high gloss finish. I dont think I would be achieving a good result with high gloss, due to my mediocre prep work ( sanding ).
@koendb Oh yeah, it will look good in satin, nice choice. Don’t forget that spraying high gloss is only the start of getting something shiny. When you have sprayed high gloss and it’s dried, it’s then time to sand it flat and polish it, all of which can be done by hand. You could get it very smooth and shiny indeed, even if you think you can’t spray very well. Maybe on another build I think you should try it and I can show you how. 👍
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
Maybe on another build I think you should try it and I can show you how.
Perfect! that would be for a shell pink nitro finish to complete my vintage color collection ( this guitar and my modded Ibanez RG420 in Surf Green
)