Preping Guitar For Automotive Clear

[guitar101]

I am finishing a guitar body with a Mango wood cap on Alder. I tried nitro but I got poor results. I first used brush on Deft and then I used Watco spray (rattle can). I ended up sanding throug the finish and I had to chemically strip and sand the whole body. I am going to get it finished with Automotive clear after I restain the body with analine dye. Can I have the clear sprayed right over the dye or do I have to put some kind of sealer over it first? Any help is appreciated. How many coats of clear shoud I have applied to the body. I was thinking of two.

Tony..

[MzI]

Two coats of clear is far from enough, especially if you have no grain filler. I personally use two part epoxy as a grain filler which gives me a very good class like base in which to clear over. I generally spray atleast 10 coats so that I dont sand through the finish or buff through it. Id recommend experimenting on scrap wood before you even think about finishing your guitar that way you can save material along with time trying to fix and screw ups.

Gluck

MzI

[guitarchump]

I used Watco spray (rattle can) and man it never built up. I went thru 10 cans and i still rubbed thru! NEVER EVER USE WATCO! Its the devil i tell you! Use Minwax poly it works fine over auto paint and I found it easy to work with.

Edited July 4, 2006 by guitarchump

[MzI]

Id recommend that you dont use the minwax poly, the gloss atleast. I used it on my last build as I didnt have my spray equipment at school and I wanted the guitar done. The problem with the poly is that it is extremely soft, it scratches really easy, and on top of that it shrinks really badly. That doesnt include all the buff thrus that I had. With that being said, the satin poly works wonders on necks where your only putting one or two coats on.

MzI

Edited July 4, 2006 by MzI

[guitarchump]

Wow the stuff I use is really hard and doesnt shrink at all. Way stronger then any nitro laquer ive tried. Are you sure you used the stuff in the black can?? I dunno id recomend trying it on a scrap and trying it out. The minwax poly that I got built up fast was rock hard clear and actaully took more work to buff. There was no way in hell I was going to buff thru it. Its interesting the different experiences people have with the same finnish. My position is buy some cans of different finnishes and try them all on scraps first.

Jeff

Edited July 4, 2006 by guitarchump

[guitar101]

Id recommend that you dont use the minwax poly, the gloss atleast. I used it on my last build as I didnt have my spray equipment at school and I wanted the guitar done. The problem with the poly is that it is extremely soft, it scratches really easy, and on top of that it shrinks really badly. That doesnt include all the buff thrus that I had. With that being said, the satin poly works wonders on necks where your only putting one or two coats on.

MzI

Thanks a lot for your help. I will do a search for the two part epoxy and be sure to make the base nice and smooth.

[Dino]

I use a roller.