SMellmo Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Maybe it's just me but it seems that most rattle can clear coats are poor quality. I mean i refinished my les paul copy with rattle can paint and the clear doesn't seems to harden very much. It been 2 a half months and i could dig my nail through it pretty easily. The brand was Motomaster (sold at Canadian Tire, here in Canada). I know that is was quite hot during this summer and the humidity was high too, which did not help probably. I want to refinish the Charvel i've just bought 1 week ago, but i'm scared to get the same result. I did a test with Duplicolor rattle can clear coat. After 1 full day of drying, it is still a bit soft. it appears to be a little bit harder than the motomaster but still not satisfying. I have absolutely no ideas of what i did wrong. i mean, i used rattle cans a lot in the past but never used clear coat and i never had some sort of problems. i think i'll try Varathane spray can varnish, i used it over a solid color on my homemade footswitch and it turned out quite well(but is it a good idea to use this on a guitar body?) . Otherwise i guess i'll try to get some REAL automotive clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 (edited) The humidity didnt help at all, and the coats undereanth are probaly still a littel soft. But lacquers will continue hardening over years. Dupli is acrylic lacquer, and im not sure what type of paint came from the can you use with your LP Copy. Give paint time to cure. Ok i just realized 2 months is 60 days I think Madien had a problem with one of his guitars being soft or something when he sprayed in high humidity? Im not sure but im sure that he will correct me if im wrong. Edited October 19, 2004 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 If you put it on too thick it will never dry...I've got a 1mm layer of minwax fast-dry water-based polycrylic that I sprayed a year ago on some scrap maple, I built it up in several coats over ~1 hour. I can still dent it with my fingernail. Best to spray several thin coats, letting them harden completely, and fine-sand in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 If you put it on too thick it will never dry...I've got a 1mm layer of minwax fast-dry water-based polycrylic that I sprayed a year ago on some scrap maple, I built it up in several coats over ~1 hour. I can still dent it with my fingernail. Best to spray several thin coats, letting them harden completely, and fine-sand in between. this is the main reason... I now spray the coats very thin! I don't care if it take days to completely finish, this way they have time to dry propertly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMellmo Posted October 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Best to spray several thin coats, letting them harden completely, and fine-sand in between. i'll try on a piece of scrap wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 If you do thin coats you don't need to colorsand (fine sand) between coats. Especialy with laquer. The reason to color sand is to smooth out the finish, so if you shot thin layers about 3 hours apart, you shouldn't have much orange peel or runs to take care of. If the finish looks smooth just color sand once done with all the coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 (edited) I know a lot of rattle cans don't exactly say what kind of paint, finish or whatever it is on the label. I don't have spray equipment so I have a lot of experience w/ rattlecan clearcoats. If it doesn't specifically say "laquer" or "polyurethane" on the can then I won't buy it...the main reason is that the contents most likely contain enamel. The only good thing about enamel is that it lays down nice 'n thick. But it takes a long time to fully cure and has to be repolished about once a month. I suspect that Motormaster stuff you used is enamel. For rattlecan laquer I've had the best results with "plasti-kote" super laquer that I get from the nearest autobody supply store, NOT Crappy Tire. The guys at the autobody store are a lot more knowledgeable than those poor kids working at Cdn. Tire too, . I've also tried "Homestyles" fast dry laquer, real cheap stuff I bought at Zellers. Won't use it again, If you buy cheap you get cheap. Finish was patchy and I suspect that was why I was getting wrinkling and checking. I used Minwax Fast-drying Polyurethane / Clear Gloss on my first guitar. First rate stuff! as far as rattlecan clears go. If your guitar body is level the poly will settle out like glass. I clearcoated the neck of my EKO archtop with this stuff and didn't even have to finish sand/polish it, . Edited October 20, 2004 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMellmo Posted October 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 i don't know if the Motomaster stuff contains enamel. There is a note on the clearcoat cans mentionning "Not for use over Enamel finishes". any clues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Librero Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 it's most likely lacquer, as it tends to react with enamel. i also learned the lesson of spraying thin coats the hard way. my first attempt at a paintjob took more than 6 months to fully cure, and for some reason, i ended up stripping it and starting over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMellmo Posted October 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 is there anything i could do to improve the drying time when spraying paint to get better results? like putting a heat source near the freshly sprayed body ? (like a halogen light) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Man, the first mistake was using motomaster paint nothing at Canadian tire is worth buying IMO. This is what I hate about rattle cans, half the time the damn propellant they use causes problems with the paint itself. Here are some tips for getting the best results possible with rattle cans..... http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=9800 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMellmo Posted October 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 thanks for the info LGM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibreakemineedtobuildem Posted October 22, 2004 Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 Ever try the Armor Coat Lacquer?It's pretty good and the cans spray the the most even fan outside of a gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan O' Zakk Posted October 22, 2004 Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 Motomaster clear is Enamel, and gets EVERYWHERE and stays super-tacky. At least, the can I was using the other week was... You want to use dupli-color clear...available at the same place, and for aboot the same price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMellmo Posted October 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2004 Ever try the Armor Coat Lacquer?It's pretty good and the cans spray the the most even fan outside of a gun. you mean the "Armor Coat" rust paint type ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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