daveq Posted August 13, 2003 Report Share Posted August 13, 2003 How in the hell do you mix pigment with spray lacquer? I was looking at stewmac's site and they have clear and black nitro lacquer. They also have pigments that they say you can mix with lacquer to obtain colors. If the lacquer comes in a spray can, how in the hell can you mix it with a pigment? Basically what I want to do is paint my guitar with red, white and blue (similar to my avatar if you can make it out). At this point I really don't care what type of paint I end up using but I am sooo confused by the terminology. I always thought lacquer was a clear finish? I have read LGM's tutorials and I can follow some of what is written there. I just have a hard time understanding what the different products really are. If anyone can help me understand what my choices are for red/white/blue, I would really appreciate it. Specifically - can I get red/white/blue from the nitro on stewmac's site? Do I need an additional clear of some sort or is that built into the nitro? Thanks, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 13, 2003 Report Share Posted August 13, 2003 Those pigments are for people that have their own spray guns and mix the colors on a custom basis. You really don't need to clear over your body completely with a seperate clear coat it's something most people will do though for a little added extra protection Hope this helps you figure things out a little more clearly.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Thanks Brian. I don't mind investing a little money in some equipment. I do mind buying things when I don't really know if it is the right thing to do. If I owned (or had access to) an airbrush, would I use those pigments with the clear nitro lacquer and spray it that way? I have read that nitrocellulose takes weeks to cure. I have also read that it is one of the quickest ways to finish a guitar. What is the deal with nitrocellulose? Is it or is it not a quick method compared to something like polyurethane or automotive paints? I'm going to read LGM's tutorial for the tenth time (maybe it will sink in this time). If anyone can try to help me understand the differences between the types of products, I would really appreciate it. I also would need to know if the methods you describe can be used for a solid color scheme (not transparent). Thanks, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfixer Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Dave if you are going to do color than just get that color.No mixing with clear.Think of pigment as color only.Color -stains,dyes,and tints that are added to clear.Finishs such as lacquer and poly are available in clear or colors.Clear is put over color to give that deep look. lacquer is fast drying to work with and the best results are the solvent(lacquer thinner) based which require spraying.Danger explosives!Flashing is moisture traped in finish appearing whiteish.Retarder is added to resolve. Poly-more durable and is also available water base.Safer. Sounds like you might just wanna try the spray cans in color and then coat with clear.Hope this helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Thanks woodfixer! You mentioned that I might want to try the spray lacquer right? Stewmac only sells clear or black in a spray can. Did you mean spray using a spray gun or air brush? Are there other places that sell the spray can lacquer in colors other than black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 14, 2003 Report Share Posted August 14, 2003 Welcome to the world of aerosol cans.. lol.. It can be challenging but done right it can result in a very good finish, just takes more effort. Here is some paints I've used with success from Plasti-Kote.. First off you'll need a good primer to help cover all the imperfections in the wood.. You'll need to apply about 3 to 4 coats for good measure. http://www.plastikote.com/plastikote/auto/...=SandablePrimer Then the colors.. apply 4 to 6 coats simply because it's from a aerosol can and they don't spray as thick... they are 6oz cans that spray really good, for some reason they spray better than the 12oz cans.. these are acrylic lacquer based.. look for CarColor on the label when you go to buy!! http://www.plastikote.com/plastikote/auto/...ct=carcolor&t=1 Then the clear coat to get the ultra glossy look.. 10 coats should be enough. maybe more remember your working with thin coats here.. instead of a hvlp gun.. or conventional gun.. in this case you'll get the same CarColor with ClearCoat.... If I remember right it's #629.. Then you must wait at least a week for it to cure some before reading LGM's post on polishing!!! Good Luck Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2003 Thanks. The link to the plastikote page demonstrated some of my frustration with the finishing stage. I could not find anything on that site that said if the plastikote was a lacquer or an enamel. The page mentions both but does not say which one is the plastikote. I think you said it was lacquer, right? How does this stuff compare to nitrocellulose lacquer? Any difference in the finished look? Is it quicker or easier to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted August 16, 2003 Report Share Posted August 16, 2003 Go to Reranch.com They are the masters of guitar-oriented color-tinted aerosol cans. I've never used their stuff (I have my own rig) but I always hear great things from their customers, and you will learn a lot at their website. Hope that helps a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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