Finishing With Spraypaint

[Daz]

I'm going to try painting a ghetto guitar with spray paint

I got primer with black car paint and polyurethane semi gloss.

Can I just spray over the finish thats already on? do i need to use the primer?

How many coats of color should I put on?

how long should I let dry before I spray on the gloss and buff?

I tried the spray on a scrap piece of wood and I'm liking the color. And I tried sanding it with some 320 grit a day later and it made the color dull, was this too rough? i have 600 grit but i can get finer if i need to from a hardware store. and would it still come out a nice and glossy?

[syxxstring]

As far as the primer.

It is your base for a paint job, typically the chemicals in primer are designed to provide better adhesion to whatevers underneath and a surface for the other components solvents to bite into. So yes I would use a primer.

I would sand to whatever the primer tells you to use over the existing finish. Then sand the primer with whatever the primer or next stage of your paint plan tells you.

I know there's a bunch of people the like to make up stuff about how paints work because they think they know more than the chemists that really test this stuff. But it really is as simple as following the directions that the manufacturers directions.

I recently spent a week learning from a House of Kolor trainer/product tester. He has a lab with things like an electron microscope and uv baths. This way they can really watch whats happening with paint. Just watching paint dry with simple tools and our eyes was quite revealing.

As far as coats, here's the best thing you can do spray in light coats following the directions for recoat times. The first thing we were told in the HOK paint class is you put paint on too heavy. Then we painted something and saw it. Light coats allow the solvents to do their job of reordering the molecules of finish as they escape. Light coats will accomidate letting the paint work with minimal hastle from blotching, running and orange peel.

[Mickguard]

First thing you should do is read through the tutorials (in the forum, on the main project guitar page). You'll find links to other sites, like Re-ranch and Stewmac, follow them and read them. Of course, all of these will only tell you the process, not the reasoning behind the process.

And I think it's really helpful to gain an understanding of the painting process, before you go ahead with this project.

But basically, the gloss happens when the (sanding) scratches are no longer visible. So since you're calling this a 'ghetto' guitar (whatever the hell that means), your choice would be: spray it and leave it --just let it cure and don't sand and accept the gloss that comes out of the can. It won't be perfect, but there you go.

Or, learn the sanding/buffing/polishing process , buy the materials you need and put in the time and effort it takes. Sounds like you're willing to do that though.

[Daz]

K i think i know what to do. I just have to get grain filler or something to protect the wood on the neck before i apply a clear coat.

As for the body, after applying the color after it dries do i have to sand the whole body or just where any bubbles might have formed?

[syxxstring]

You shouldn't have any bubbles. Bubbles usually indicate contamination.

Runs are avoidable, thin light coats keep the can moving.

[bluesman94]

Try to use short, quick strokes. That way you can avoid runs and bubbles.