Process for Spray Painting and Clear Coating a Guitar

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Painting guitar question...

• Thread starter chronowarp
• Start date May 3, 2011

• #1

So I just started spraying my color coats on my project guitar today.

I made sure to get it really even and smooth when I was priming/prepping it. IT looks good, but I've noticed little tiny specs on the finish as it dries. I think this is either bits of dust or material getting shot on from the can or just because I didn't wipe it down good enough.

I mean these are TINY specs, you really have to look to find them/see them. Should I take the time to try to sand these down before the clearcoat, or what?

Will the clear build up enough that it won't matter? If I do sand it, what grit? Does it matter if it's not uniformly glossly before I paint the clear on?

• #2

What kind of paint are you using? What kind of clear do you plan on using?

• #3

It's just a glossy paint out of a can - some brand from Home Depot. I'll prob just use "clear" of the same brand

• #4

You're gonna get TONS of responses dissing the rattle-can home depot stuff, but I've had decent luck with it.

That being said - I've done some testing with it. And some of my results definitely go against every "rule" that I've heard here on TGP, and on the internet.

My most recent projects have been painting some maple strat headstocks gloss black. I'll do a 1-2 coats of sandable primer. Then 2 coats of FLAT black plain-old Rustoleum enamel. Then apply my logo. Then do clear coat. I forget where I've read it, but someone said that for the best results, you actually want your color undercoat to be NOT glossy. And it has worked well for me.

I tested both the Rustoleum clear acrylic enamel, as well as Minwax spray gloss poly. The Minwax won HANDS down. Turned out much glassier and clearer. The "Crystal clear" Rustoleum turned out kinda cloudy.

Here's some of the "rules" that I had to break in order to get good results.

1. I mixed types of paints. Everyone here said that I was heading for disaster spraying poly over enamel. but so far, after almost a year, the finish still looks flawless, super black, and super glossy. I had no weird interactions between the paint. But I let them dry properly inbetween coats.

2. I did some heavy, wet coats of clear. Everywhere I read said that you have to apply multiple, thin coats. Well, I tried that. And I got orange peel every time. After almost giving up, I finally said "screw it, I'm trying a heavy coat" and it worked great. Now, by "heavy" I don't mean dripping wet, but wet enough so that it will level itself out.

• #5

In the picture above, the logo is chrome vinyl decal, and it's underneath the gloss.

• #6

Don't you usually get rid of the orange peel in the wetsanding process? Also, where can I buy the minwax lacquer?

• #7

Don't you usually get rid of the orange peel in the wetsanding process? Also, where can I buy the minwax lacquer?

Yes, to a certain degree. I always wetsand in between final coats. But I guess my point is, there's that sweet spot inbetween too light, and too thick, of a coat. Where it's thin, but still wet, and will self level relatively well, but not drip or run. Make sense?

I dunno. Maybe I'm doing it all wrong! But I'm getting really great results.

The Minwax spray poly is in the same isle at home depot as the other minwax stuff.

• #8

I am working on a project right now and I used Rustoleum Gloss enamel & have had really good results, One piece of advice I can give is if you see imperfections (dust buildup or any foreign debris) on the body, when the paint dries, lightly sand over and retouch as needed. Definately pickup a tack cloth (home depot sells them for $3) nothing is more frustrating than painting esp clear coating and finding spots. The clear coating is the most tedious process. I am using Rustoleum Specialty Lacquer which really for the most part works really well. I spray light coats and let sit overnight. Some people will tell you to wet sand between a few coats which you can if there is debris or something under the lacquer. The one thing I can tell you is even though the lacquer appears dry, it takes a longer time to the finish to cure. The cured finish will be hard. You then wetsand with variety of textures (starting with say 400 and working your way up to 2000) be very careful you do not sand down to the paint. if you are painting say a frankenstien EVH style the multiple coats of paint and taping lines will leave the painted surface uneven even after the lacquer. The wetsanding (given enough coats are used) will smooth this out. It takes time, but the end result is well worth it! Best of luck to you!

• #9

What kind of grit would you use to sand down between the paint body coats? I tried smoothing it out with some 320 and that seemed too coarse, even. I almost went through to the bare wood on the edges with a few light strokes. scary!

• #10

What kind of grit would you use to sand down between the paint body coats? I tried smoothing it out with some 320 and that seemed too coarse, even. I almost went through to the bare wood on the edges with a few light strokes. scary!

I would not use anything under 600 grit. Get wetsand paper.

If there are SMALL imperfections(dust) in the color coat, i typically leave them in as the clearcoat stage will cover them, as will the wetsanding of the clear. Try guitar reranch as a good source of info regarding guitar finishes.

• #11

So ... tell me if this matters:

When I wetsand my body coats the paint obviously loses the luster and becomes inconsistently shiny. Now, does this matter? Will I be able to tell it's like this after I spray the clear? Does my last coat before the clear need to be PERFECT and unsanded?

• #12

So ... tell me if this matters:

When I wetsand my body coats the paint obviously loses the luster and becomes inconsistently shiny. Now, does this matter? Will I be able to tell it's like this after I spray the clear? Does my last coat before the clear need to be PERFECT and unsanded?

I'm painting 2 guitars right now using Reranch products - sealer, topcoat, clear. I'm at the polishing phase right now - using an automotive grade (Mother's) compound and polish. The neck turned out great! I'm about to do a final polish on the body - but so far the finish looks better than I expected.

Reranch has great tips on how to rattle-can your guitar. Navigate the site for specific types of paint. I'm using solid and blonde colors.

• #13

You're gonna get TONS of responses dissing the rattle-can home depot stuff, but I've had decent luck with it.

That being said - I've done some testing with it. And some of my results definitely go against every "rule" that I've heard here on TGP, and on the internet.

My most recent projects have been painting some maple strat headstocks gloss black. I'll do a 1-2 coats of sandable primer. Then 2 coats of FLAT black plain-old Rustoleum enamel. Then apply my logo. Then do clear coat. I forget where I've read it, but someone said that for the best results, you actually want your color undercoat to be NOT glossy. And it has worked well for me.

I tested both the Rustoleum clear acrylic enamel, as well as Minwax spray gloss poly. The Minwax won HANDS down. Turned out much glassier and clearer. The "Crystal clear" Rustoleum turned out kinda cloudy.

Here's some of the "rules" that I had to break in order to get good results.

1. I mixed types of paints. Everyone here said that I was heading for disaster spraying poly over enamel. but so far, after almost a year, the finish still looks flawless, super black, and super glossy. I had no weird interactions between the paint. But I let them dry properly inbetween coats.

2. I did some heavy, wet coats of clear. Everywhere I read said that you have to apply multiple, thin coats. Well, I tried that. And I got orange peel every time. After almost giving up, I finally said "screw it, I'm trying a heavy coat" and it worked great. Now, by "heavy" I don't mean dripping wet, but wet enough so that it will level itself out.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=18140

is this what I should be using?

• #14

Guys, can someone help me out?

I just started sanding the clear...I used some minwax poly out of a can. It's been resting for a long while. I've noticed the clear started to yellow a bit over time.

Now that I've started sanding it, as I get through the top layers of clear it seems as though the under layers didn't yellow...so rather than looking clear and even I'm getting like a spotted effect, because some of the clear is yellow, and some is clear...I feel like if I keep going further down I'm going to hit the paint.

Any ideas?

• #15

That's the problem with using poly. Poly builds up layers while lacquer burns into itself making it one layer. You are experiencing sanding through the layers causing witness lines, and it doesn't get any better from here.

• #16

yikes...
it's not even subtle...it looks like leopard print.

Does this mean I'm gonna have to sand it all the way down and start over?

• #17

Yup, one of the advantages of lacquer is its forgiveness...it melts into the previous coat. I've had good luck with the Stew-Mac rattle can nitro lacquer and their Micro-Mesh sanding kit that takes the dried finish down to a mirror finish with no buffing compound. The kit has abrasive sheets from 1500 to 12000 grit. You can use it wet or dry but it will last longer wet. They actually use the Micro-Mesh kit to take the scratches out of jet canopies too.

• #18

Thanks for all the info. This is the conversation I was looking for.

I purchased a loaded Squier Classic Vibe 50's body, a baritone conversion neck from AllParts, and all other parts, and will be turning it over to a really good local guy to assemble and set it up for me, but I need to finish painting it first.

Some people say not to put too much paint on even a solid body electric guitar. Some say not to use enamel paint, but I decided to go with the advice that made the job easiest, since I have gone with a relatively inexpensive project. And I'm ready to add baritone guitar to some of my newest recordings, and play it live, a little bit, I'm the bassist in all my bands.

I have so far sanded the tobacco sunburst finish with a 320 grit pad, which I learn here was probably too heavy. I tried to do it at dusk, outside, and there were a few little runs. I started with one coat of Rustoleum glossy black (since I hadn't found this thread by then, I would've used flat), and noticed a couple of rough spots. So I sanded again, heavily over the spots. I thought the Rustolem paint and primer wasn't a dark enough black, so I switched to Rustolem for the 2nd coat, still glossy, it seems about the same. I'm doing this on the porch outside, and I sprayed at dusk that time, and there's no electric lighting out there, mistake. I didn't notice a couple of small runs... SO I sanded again, but used too heavy a grit, so there are some scratches, but I sanded yet again after that coat, and finally it looks pretty good. I am thinking it will look just fine after several clear coats, especially after a couple of initial clear coats with glitter sprinkles. I was going to sand again, because of a couple of very small spots, but after reading here I have decided he clear coats will level it all out.

My question is, HOW LONG should I wait before I clear coat and glitter. It's been curing outside for about 20 hours now, but it was cold last night, and it's about 50 degrees out now. I saw one video of a guy doing a metal flake job with a rig he made to turn the body as he paints, and he let the color coat dry for a week before he wet sanded lightly with a 1000 grit block, then clear coated, and sprayed dry glitter over the first wet clear coat, then repeated. I will be sprinkling regular silver glitter over the first 2 clear coats, then re-coating it until it's smooth. I'm not sure if I should sand the glitter, but I'm thinking no, just a couple of the later coats. I have decided to take the Krylon clear back and get the Minwax instead.

So, to recap:
1) Given it's chilly outside, how long should I let the color coat cure before sanding with 1000 grit paper and clear coating?
2) Should I sand the first glitter coat before continuing? I think not.

Last edited: Nov 15, 2014

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Process for Spray Painting and Clear Coating a Guitar

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