pour bleeding me Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 i have a neck which is maple with an ebony fretboard...im going to paint it black shortly and im wondering...do u just spray clear coats on the side of the fretboard? or do i leave this natural? because if you dont spray anything then u would feel a difference from the neck to the fretboard. So just a clear coat on the side of the fretboard or what? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted November 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 another question...i just put the first coat of black on..and i noticed some runs...should i sand these off now? or do another coat then sand? and also what sand paper should i use? do i hand sand it? or what? thanks very much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 well, if it were me, i would mask the fingerboard side, and paint the neck black as planned, then at the lip you described, the wee bump i would use very fine sandpaper, and smothen the bump down to a minimum without exposing the maple. then if you wanted more id clear coat the whole neck, sanding where the bump occurs, until its level then final coat it and finish. hope this helps mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 forgot to adress the sandpaper. for finishing see the pinned up tutorial. but ill help here. personally id use 600 grade silicon carbide wet and dry with water to get imperfections inbetween coats. as this paper gets blunt it will act more like a higher grade paper. after your happy with the finish move onto 1000 grade for a coat then 1200 then 2000 and then polish up. remember that all of the imperfections must be taken out with the 600 or 1000 grade paper, as the higher grades only polish really, and clog up really quickly. its quicker using the lower grade paper first. hope this helps mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 i also forgot.. yes, hand sand it, as electric sanders are brutal machines!!! they are good for wood finishing at rough stages but not paint!!! spend about 15-30 mins per coat sanding. patience will pay off! dont use sanding blocks, as these will leave a streak where they meet the surface. i havent tried this, just thought of it, perhaps if the paper was wrappedd in a soft sponge it would sand okay... remember thin coats, patience, and clean the surface before you spray again, with meths (check it doesnt dissolve the paint first!!!) cya mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 dont use sanding blocks, as these will leave a streak where they meet the surface. i havent tried this, just thought of it, perhaps if the paper was wrappedd in a soft sponge it would sand okay... remember thin coats, patience, and clean the surface before you spray again, with meths (check it doesnt dissolve the paint first!!!) Do use sanding block. Do. If you don't, you will leave dimples in your finish because you fingers will press harder at the tips. Never, never, never, never, (never) sand a finished guitar without a block of some kind, it's asking for trouble. Sometimes you need a hard block, sometimes a semi-hard, sometimes quite a flexible one, but you always need a block. Did I mention.... use a block? Also, I'd keep meths away from the finish. If you need to clean use naptha (lighter fluid). This doesn't eat finishes, and evaporates leaving zero residue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 on the guitar i finished i didnt once use a sanding block, and the finish was perfact, no dimples, it aint to perfect now since i have bumped it a bit! it really depends on how much time you spend on it. i took ages per coat, almost an hour, with 14+ coats of paint. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 i suppose its personal preference what you use. btw i dont hold the paper with the tips of my fingers, as this would leave ripples, i hold it in my palm, which acts like a soft block. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 i would use a block.there is no reason it would leave a streak unless your guitar top is not flat.and on a carved top the eraser sounds just right. i finished my first customizing job without a block..and while it looks just fine,it is not flat as it should be and it is not worth bragging about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 a block would be better for the body, ill admit, but i think he was referring to the neck, which is pretty rounded! i did the lp paint job by hand as it was a carved top kit, however my next guitar will be oiled! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 i agree about the meths thing, its quite tough on a semi hard finish! but its good when the finish has hardened, but ALWAYS check on a dummy bit of wood thats been painted with your paint to see if it dissolves!! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 oiling is great.i like tung oil.you are right i thought we were talking about bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 thanks, im now split between a strat and a ibanez super-strat style to make!! i think strat, i have 2 humbuckers spare however!! ach well, ill make 2, problem solved!! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted November 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 thanks for all your help guys...i sprayed the first coat and sanded the imperfections with my hand at 600 grit..so its pretty smooth now...and im about to put on the second coat...then hopefully ill be ready to clear coat..thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 glad to be of help, mike ps good luck with the neck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 thanks for all your help guys...i sprayed the first coat and sanded the imperfections with my hand at 600 grit..so its pretty smooth now...and im about to put on the second coat...then hopefully ill be ready to clear coat..thanks i still think you would be better off using a block.i would also listen and try to learn from setch...he seems to have a lot of knowledge about guitar building and he only comments if he knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted November 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 i sprayed it and all went pretty well...except when i sprayed the heastock area the new paint peeled up the old paint..so it looks all clumpy and messed up...i dunno what went wrong but i hope i didnt just mess up this neck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 the old paint must have been incompatible with the new one.now you need to strip all the paint down to bare wood and start over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pour bleeding me Posted November 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 but it was the same paint...the first coat peeled off the second coat? what went wrong and how should i fix this? maybe i can just sand it down? im feeling really discouraged about finishing at this point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 sounds like you didn't clean the wood properly before you sprayed the first coat,so it didn't stick properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 What kind of paint did you use? Lacquer? Polyurethane? Aerosol can, etc? What were the instructions that came with it. Give as much details as you can. Some paints require that you apply the following coats either while the paint is still tacky or only after it has completely cured. Any time in between and the previous coats will wrinkle, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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