frenchiw v2 Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 I have a strat copy, sanded down and read for designs to be applied. One thing I didn't think of doing was to check what paints I should use (after all, this is my first time re-finishing a guitar, so please bear with me). I want to achieve some thing like the '50s Stratocaster Relic - http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=9275000329 just click on the image, im sure you guys can figure it out lol. Anyway.. Making the designs is simple, I have much experience in graphics, so that isnt a problem. All i need is adivce on what type paint I should use that is availiable in England. I don't want to have it shipped in from overseas. Also I might use a small hobbie airbrush for some stencil work. Could someone give advice on what paint I should use with this too. Thanks in advance for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 (edited) I use Createx paints (autoair range) a lot and they're water soluble so no nasty smells. They can be airbrushed or hand painted and are shipped from a guy named Pete Millichamp (Top fella!) Check out the UK website createxuk Edited August 23, 2006 by chunkielad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Your best source is behlen.co.uk as most of the products are the same as what Stewmac supply. Oh yes, I got a disciplinary and post deletion just for being humourous about the difference between Finnish and finish. My wife is Finnish and it gets tedious when we see it being mis-spelled. I'm sure you appreciate the idiosynchracies of humour being "UK-ish". I got a b*l****ing. Obviously Yorkshire humour isn't transcontinental. Where in the UK are you from? If you're local, maybe I or some local denizens could help out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Prostheta, I got the joke mate - i even made one back! I am a northerner too though! frenchiw v2, sorry for the minor hijack... one other option you have is to get a signmaker with a printer to print onto vinyl, the image you want (you could make it up in Photoshop etc) then apply this to a sanding sealed body. Clear over it and Bobs your aunt fanny! Wouldn't mind seeing this one when it's FINNISHED! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Heh ;-) Does vinyl accept sanding sealer over it nicely? I would worry about the edges not "building up" and getting knocked off when it's sanded. The graphic looks like the wood underneath is showing through. Perhaps using a similar technique, but using water slide decals? I bought some awesome inkjet printer friendly waterslide transfer paper from a US eBay seller for a couple of quid which you "seal" after printing with lacquer. It might be possible to sanding sealer the body, apply transfers and add further layers of sanding sealer or clearcoats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 The sanding sealer goes under the vinyl pretty much the same as a waterslide not over it.. You will need to build up more clear over the guitar but there's no problem there. I've done it and as long as you do 2 or 3 dust coats first there's not even a problem with shrinkage. You can also get print onto clear so the timber shows through like the pic. I'd personally stencil or free hand paint it with Createx paint but not everyone is artistic enough to do that - make your own decision on whether you are or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 I really do wish I didn't keep giving myself router tearout problems on the guitars I want to finish naturally so I could do that :-( Never seen that Strat design before - looks pretty cool since it's on raw wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchiw v2 Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 You just need to be careful what you put... I didn't find that funny, niether did the admin.. also whoever it was didn't like my previous response aswell. I live in the great expanse of unpopulated horse poo, affectionately know as suffolk. Lol I'm suprised anyone bothers supplying internet here, never mind broadband. By the way, I'm sorry for making that riciulous typo which obviously got us into the mess, I am also aware of the differences between Finnish and finish lol. By the way thanks for the help.. I think I'm going to hand paint and stencil, thats what I do best ! Does acrylic work okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Apologies if the humour went awry there ;-) It's always an irking thing for my wife. Anyway. Hand painting and stencil sounds like a good plan because you're guaranteed to get the real deal as opposed to something that emulates it near as damnit. I'd use acrylics myself as well, especially the non-toxic waterbased ones such as the ones Games Workshop used to sell (I'm not a customer BTW). When I did loads of painting (wow, it's like, 17yrs now....) with those, you'd generally find me sucking the paintbrush in my mouth and excess paint wiped on the back of my left hand. Saliva doesn't affect the paints finish, and the "other stuff" in saliva keeps the brush in a nice tip. Just make sure you choose nice tasting paints. Inks used to suck so badly. You might find you'll need to prepare the surface well otherwise the paint will be "sucked" from the brush by the wood and you'll drag a dry brush a lot more. Either that or you'll end up applying paint thick to get good colouration. Sanding sealer applied to the body should prevent this. I can't vouch for the taste of Chunkielad's Createx paints however - suck em and see!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Man this has gone off on a tangent! Can't say I've eaten the Createx but I know I used to use acrylics on leather jackets years ago when I painted them for my mates. I still have one I did for myself and it's not cracked in 13 years! Acrylics are flexible, water based (not as bad health wise when using them) and totally inert when other finishes are put over them (such as the clear you will lay over them). They are very flexible so they'll 'move' with any eapansion the guiitar experiences. The createx (also water based) are really designed for airbrushing but can be hand painted if you wish. personally, i'd go to the pound shop and buy some cheap acrylics as they're gonna be covered in clear anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchiw v2 Posted September 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Thanks for the help guys.. Im busy still making the designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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