subject17 Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 well 68 coats of rattle can poly later and i bearly have any build. very light coats mind you. but still 68 coats. looks like i need another 4 cans. any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubersam Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 (edited) well 68 coats of rattle can poly later and i bearly have any build. very light coats mind you. but still 68 coats. looks like i need another 4 cans. any suggestions? ← Was that 68 coats from 1 can? You might have been doing some very light dusting, too far from the body and you were moving the can too fast, and there was a breeze blowing in your spraying environment. And, if it is from 1 can, I don't think you'll see a very thick build anyway. I used 4 cans of Duplicolor clear for my project. It is a different type of substance, acrylic laquer, so it won't be an accurate comparison to your scenario. Some things you could try: 1. Shake the can for longer than the instructions suggest. Shake it every so often, after every few passes or so, but not while you're spraying of course. 2. Don't pull the can too far away from the surface you are spraying, start at about 12" and move closer as you feel comfortable. I tended to spray from 8"-12" away, starting about 2" off the sides, top or bottom, then passing over the body. Don't bring it too close either, 6" would be about the closest I sprayed. Check the manufacturers recommendation. 3. Find the right passing speed for the can you are spraying. Start a bit fast, slow down and observe how much paint is layed down as you slow down. You want it thick enough but not too thick that it runs. Anyway, there is a sticky'd set of tips on using rattle cans in the tutorial section that covers more. Check it out. Edited August 23, 2005 by ubersam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subject17 Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 actually i used 4 cans and about 15-20 coats a can. guess i need to just keep putting more on lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 actually i used 4 cans and about 15-20 coats a can. guess i need to just keep putting more on lol... ← What you need is to spray heavier coats then you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Guys, You are doing something very wrong. I just finished a couple of fairly open grained walnut telecaster body with spray cans just to see how they worked. I figure I throw my opinions at ya'll often enough I should make sure that things I haven't do for a while are still valid. Two coats of sanding sealer and six maybe seven full wet coats of gloss Minwax polyurethane and it's ready to go. That was one can until it started to sputter and a little from another. Fifteen coats a can means you are probably way too light. I did the one with Deft and it took more coats but just a little over a can of sanding sealer and most of a can of gloss. What brand were you using? The cheap stuff is really low solids and isn't a bargain in the long run. Four cans should do a giant hollow body Chet Atkins Special. You shouldn't have had to shake it up much. Most gloss doesn't even have marbles in it because what you are agitating in the satins and semi-glosses is the flattener which dulls down the gloss. It's a white chalky powder that settles to the bottom of the can and forms a gloppy goo. None of that in gloss. There is actually a little gaget called a finish guage that lets you measure the thickness of your wet finish. Automotive paint suppliers and such give away cheap ones. Your finish should be almost thick enough to sag but not quite. I know "how thick is that?" depends on what you're shooting, how much you've thinned it and what the temp and humidity are. (I know you don't thin cans). If I remember right most stuff should be three to five mils wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subject17 Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 its minwax rattle can polyurethane. maybe i was too light on it. i'll be getting 4 more cans to make sure its done right the next round. lol. it was sanding sealed too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Try pressing the nozzle down while you move the can over the guitar body. When you see a fine mist coming out, you know its working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Even if you used 4 cans some of it must've stuck onto something somewhere! Thats a lot of poly. I use on average 3 cans and thats plenty. You haven't mentioned anything about the nature of the wood you are working on. Are you beginning with a smooth flat , grain filled surface or applying it right into the grain of the wood? That will make a HUGE difference when dealing with open grained woods like ash, mahogany etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subject17 Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 (edited) to let you know i held the nozzle down fully holding the can 12 inches from the body surface doing 3 light coats every 20 minutes with a few breaks in between. =... i spent all day on it and followed the instructions on the can. BTW it IS mahogany. Edited August 24, 2005 by subject17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 What grain filler did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 well, 12" sound too far for me. Try 9", thats what id do with pressure packs. The coat needs to look wet, but without runs. If it goes dull when it dries, you havent put enough on. If it runs, well... you know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 well, 12" sound too far for me. Try 9", thats what id do with pressure packs. The coat needs to look wet, but without runs. If it goes dull when it dries, you havent put enough on. If it runs, well... you know.... ← I agree, 12" seems a tad excessive. It's amazing what getting the distance, pressure and movement rate will do for your finish. I have a spray gun, but I shoot at about 20cm/9"/distance from thumb to pinky when doin' the 'Hang loose' and/or 'telephone hand' thang. If it goes dull immediately/feels dry to the touch, chances are it's dried on the way to the body, istead of hitting the body and then drying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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