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i'm new at this so bare with me. What kind of glue should i use for putting the 2 pieces of wood for the body together. also I have seen those books were thet show you how to paint a guitar with car touch up spray paint. I was wondering if this works well, it seems the paint in the cans are the same as the paint on guitars and cars.

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The preferred method is HVLP spraying in a spray booth. But since you dont have that you can use spray bombs (spray paint cans) and a fan you dont mind messing up. I work in the furniture refinishing industry and i heard about a guy here running his whole refinishing business out of his garage using nothing but spray bomb finishes. The only problem with paint and lacquer in a spray can is that you cannot thin the material or retard (or accelerate) the lacquer. Also you should buy cheap stuff first and practice spraying onto scrap wood so you can develop your technique. However I thought I saw some disposable spray guns that run off of charges somewhere. If that's the case and you had the money, i'd go to NAPA or someplace similar and pick out a car color and have them mix it for you right there with the reducers and everything in a kit for about $65. I'm sure theres some articles about finishing in the finishing section that could help you more. As for glue, I'd look at Titebond or Titebond II. Glues usualy describe what they're for and what the glue will do (bond harder than wood, resist shrinking, etc.) From my experience with furniture, if you make a good glue joint and clamp it well, it's not coming appart.

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Tite bond works great, any of them.

Spray cans work great for a new comer as well. They're great to learn on, not too expensive. Just expect to do lots of sanding to get the paint level. It took me nearly 10 coats of spraying to get a flawless coat on my fretless. Of course, not being a perfectionist may lower the amount of coats you'll do. :D

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Expect lots of failed spray jobs, they NEVER come out perfect unless you spend an extreme amount of time on them and yu will need to practice a lot.

That said, you can get quite creative with spray cans. The first guitar I sprayed was Red and Black stripes on a cheap gibson SG copy. It came out quite well but I learned a lot from doing it, like how not to spray too much. Ive since had successes with Flock spray and laquer, hammerite and all sorts of spray can colours. Gold looks nice on a strat body!

Titebond glue is pretty much THE DADDY of glues for guitar bodies. Everyone on this forum uses it.

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Tite bond does seem to be the glue of choice and for my next bulid I will use it.

But for my first build ( a strat ) I used Evo-Stik wood adhesive extra fast the one in the green tube, on every part that needed gluing.

I.E. 2 pieces of ash for the neck, 4 pieces of pine for the body, and gluing the fret board to the neck, every thing has held together fine.

From what I remember the titebond is very simallar but it has a more tacky consistency so you don't have to much movement when you clamp pieces together that you can get with evo stik.

If someone could confirm the differences between the two glues I wouls appreciate it

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Most white wood glues are a mix of pva (polyvinyl acetate -water based polymer) and PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol) and some also have filler in them to cheapen them. PVA gives strength and PVOH gives some tackiness but remains a bit water-sensitive so can reduce water resistance if too much is put in. School glue uses loads of PHOV and only a tiny bit of PVA so mums can wash the spills out of the kids clothes :D.

PVA can also have cross-linking agent in so when it sets (by evaporation of the water from it and absorption of the water into the wood) it also chemically cures giving a really streong glue that is resistant to temperature-creep. These are specified in Europe as D3 and D4 wood glues for furniture - I think some of the tite bond glues fall into this camp. Cheaper all-purpose wood glues may not have the cross-linker, thus are not entirely creep-resistant. Cheap guitars left in your trunk on a hot day can be susceptible to creep damage.

Any white wood glue that does not dry to a clear film but has a white pastey consistency will be filled - it may be cheap but it won't be so strong. I would avoid this type. trouble is, you'll never know from reading the label, so go with the experience of forum user's recommendations.

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I have seen a few posts lately about Titebond 2 and 3. I stick with :D the Original Titebond as it cures hard. Weather proof versions do not. I may have missed something if they have changed the way they make these glues, You can also take a look at the MIMF mini FAQ (bottom of the page) for a comparison of commonly used glues pros and cons.Click

This is the info from that FAQ.

-Hide glue Traditional instrument builders' choice. Very strong, can be disassembled for repair. Invisible joints with good woodworking technique. Dry granules must be mixed with water, heated, then kept at a steady temperature. There is a learning curve.

-Premixed liquid hide glue Convenient Weaker than fresh-mixed hide glue. Not recommended for lutherie.

-Titebond Original

Elmer's Probond Yellow Glue

(PVA, Aliphatic Resin glue) Convenient, strong, easy to use over a wide range of temperatures More difficult to disassemble/repair than hide glue. Oily/resinous woods (most tropicals) may require special preparation. Some joints, such as neck scarf joints, may creep over time, one year shelf life.

-Titebond II, Titebond III Waterproof (II), longer open time (III) Not recommended for lutherie, doesn't dry hard.

-Elmer's Yellow Carpenter's Glue Low chilling temperature Not recommended for lutherie, doesn't dry hard.

Plastic Resin/Urea Formaldehyde/UF

-Cascamite seems to be the most popular brand Strong bond, unlimited shelf life of powder, dries hard. Excellent for lamination. Light tan color may show line when joining light woods. Powder is an irritant/sensitizer. Difficult to disassemble.

-Epoxy Strong bonds, can be used clear or with fillers/wood flour. Best for joining dissimilar materials such as wood and metal, works well on oily tropical woods. May break down under heat. Some epoxies are waxy, potentially deadening instrument resonance.

-Polyurethane glue ("Gorilla" is the most readily available brand but our members don't like it, they prefer "Probond.") Convenient, strong. Gap-filling properties. Stains skin, gap-filling foam is weak. Disassembly is difficult. Limited shelf life.

-Cyanoacrylate/CA/Krazy/Super glue Very fast bonding, dries hard and clear. Available in various consistencies. Good for strengthening porous woods. Good for repairing some clear finishes. Low shear strength. Becomes brittle and releases under heat. May destroy some finishes. Reacts with some metals. Easily attaches fingers to objects under construction and to one another. Fumes are an eye irritant.

Peace,Rich

Edited by fryovanni
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