JGZinv Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Hello... I'm working on a guitar project right now, this being my first attempt at refinishing any guitar and I've come up with a logistical problem on how I'm going to complete one part of my design. So far I've stripped the guitar down to wood, sanded smooth, and will be working on the next phases over a couple weeks. The guitar itself is a 1962 Orpheus, evidently made in Japan at a factory likely shared between Ibanez and Teisco. I got it off eBay as a starter guitar, but as can be expected it had a lot of damage, it was painted sometime in it's life over the original finish and had a lot of other minor problems. For those interested: Original - http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/Guard...eus-WK1-006.jpg Mine (when received) - http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/Guard...cs/IMG_0521.jpg Shooting for - http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/Guard...Version-1pF.jpg My issue is the hexagon pattern there in the last image, as I don't know what would be a good way of creating it. It starts at the top of the image as a light/medium gold flake pattern and changes to a silver or perhaps white pattern that will be slightly more visible at the bottom. I've read very little on masking, but that seems to be the closest solution. The only other thing I can think of, might be transparency pages, run through a laser printer, colored in, and then sandwiched in between layers of clear coat as I wanted the hexagons to have a slightly raised appearance above the red/sun burst. Figured I'd ask for some opinions before taking a leap of faith. Appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Cool guitar. Ry Cooder plays something like this doesn't he? For a raised effect just slap on some chicken wire! rather than transparencies what about printable transfer paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 chicken wire might not be a bad idea, just base it yellow. Then shoot your burst layers through the wire or something with a similar hex pattern. A lot of airbrush snake skin is done that way but with fish nets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Wouldn't that leave the inverse effect of what I'm doing? There'd be blank spaces where the wire/mesh/something was over the top of the surface, in this case I just need the wire part colored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 From your picture, Syxx's idea seems like it would work. Your picture shows just the base color in the hex area with the openings colored in a burst. Lay the chicken wire down (find some way to fasten it so it doesn shift and cause problems) after you spray the amber base coat and then spray your burst. You'll be left with a burst that has the amber base showing in a hex pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 (edited) Ok maybe there's a bit of a mix up. Sorry about not being clear. I'm not going for the hex to be part of the amber burst or any of the "body colors". The hex pattern is separate, top of the image the hex should be gold, with the color fading to a white by the time it reaches the opposite side. The hex pattern should be a completely separate layer or paint phase from the rest, as that'll already be done. I'm not looking to integrate the pattern "into" the colors. It is to be on top of those colors. Sorry about the illustration, slapped some things together in Photoshop. I realize I've probably got the paint layers reversed here as I've heard the lightest color goes first, but just another way of indicating where I want the hex to fit in. Plus I'm missing several more clear coat layers and sanding stages... but it's just a quick example. I was asking about how to get the pattern formed and apply it properly. Like whether a grid stencil would work better over chicken wire, or transparency film... etc. Edited July 8, 2008 by JGZinv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaam Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 (edited) What they meant is that when you leave the "hexagon pattern layer" below the burst layer you'll have the pattern when you rip off the masking in the end. Edited July 8, 2008 by Jaam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 It doesn't matter what order the stuff goes on just that it's left. Otherwise you'd be looking at cutting masking vinyl and leaving all the hexes, no one will enjoy that kind of weeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I'm totally confused now! I was partially joking about the chicken wire but it seems like its a tried and tested so the first thing you do is spray the graduation from gold to silver/white then you lay the wire over. then you do what ever burst you want over the top remove the wire and bobs your mothers brother. It won't be ontop but it will look exactly the same. i think that was what syxxstrings meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Well I'll work on it using that idea then... guess I'll be off to find some chicken wire. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 is your local chicken farmer going to come out tomorrow morning and find a strat shaped hole in his fence?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaintIt Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 (edited) If it is supposed to look like the picture then spray the color fades first and then lay down chicken wire, fish net, laundry bag or anything that gives you the desired pattern and spray the black. It will com out excellent. I do it all the time on other types of projects to get patterns. EDIT -- I looked at the guitar pic an it is different than the photoshop. Spray gold and then lay down the pattern material and spray the other colors to make your fades. Not very hard as you will find out. Hope you are using a spray gun and not cans though. Also spray straight down into the pattern. You could get a mask made to do this with relative ease. I cut stuff like this on my plotter all the time also for special effects that require a stuck mask. Edited July 8, 2008 by PaintIt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 (edited) I do have a 52 inch ink jet HP plotter actually.... as well as a couple multifunction HP inkjets for normal printing. Laser printer though is ancient... not even sure if it works. Are you you using transparencies then PaintIt? Edit - Let me add something else in here... Why "wouldn't" using the technique described here: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/logo.htm sandwiched in between layers of clear work just as well as other methods described? My curiosity is getting the better of me. Edited July 9, 2008 by JGZinv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 The OLD SCHOOL Lace effect was made using the same technique, it was laid over and used as a mask. I'm sure the new way is done in a more efficient manor but the chicken wire or LACE effect was used many many years ago. It should work but I would try it on a scrap wood first. Just my .02 cents MK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaintIt Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 I do have a 52 inch ink jet HP plotter actually.... as well as a couple multifunction HP inkjets for normal printing. Laser printer though is ancient... not even sure if it works. Are you you using transparencies then PaintIt? Edit - Let me add something else in here... Why "wouldn't" using the technique described here: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/logo.htm sandwiched in between layers of clear work just as well as other methods described? My curiosity is getting the better of me. I have a sign plotter that cuts vinyl paint masking. The artwork is done in a vector format such as corel or illustrator and then the plotter cuts the mask. I do not like using transparencies or water slide if possible to do my work. Almost all of my work is done with paint. I do lettering and patterns daily with paint and masking. If you want a perfect pattern a paint mask of low tack vinyl is prob best but I like using the mesh material as the design is not perfect and gives character. If you draw the pattern you could get a local sign shop to cut the mask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 I thought about Vinyl too, just can't imagine the fun of weeding it all. If I did it using vinyl I would then burst it and uses the hexes as a mask and airbrush in the lines. The mask would be way to delicate if you tried to manipulate it as just the lines. Are you just trying to do the top or back and sides too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaintIt Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 I thought about Vinyl too, just can't imagine the fun of weeding it all. If I did it using vinyl I would then burst it and uses the hexes as a mask and airbrush in the lines. The mask would be way to delicate if you tried to manipulate it as just the lines. Are you just trying to do the top or back and sides too? Yeah I would probably use the hexes also and airbrush the gold lines on top of the other colors. The only reason that I would do this is because metallic gold covers in very light coats so it would be easier to bury in clear. Either way the pieces are transfered using application tape and would not be much different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) As to the sides and back... I think it would be more professional looking if it were done all the way around... but I'm satisfied if I can just get the top looking decent. Depends on how much effort I've sunk into the design by then really. Edit - As an add on to that thought... can anyone vouch for a good kit or single airbrush that would work for what I'm trying to do? I started looking into airbrushes and the selection is vast. Edited July 10, 2008 by JGZinv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Iwata, the HP-Cs or Kustom Cs if you can swing it. Otherwise the Revolution line is good. I would buy from Coast Airbrush as they will match anyones price and have the best service. I would go with the Iwata, for parts avaialbility and overall build quality. 90% of the airbrush artists I know go with a CS. A big plus is they have solvent proof o-rings (teflon) so they will stand up to thinners and solvent based paints. The Badgers, Pasachee's and most others don't. A Cs will cover a wide variety of applications and in skilled hands can do all your detail work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGZinv Posted July 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Looks like there's several of those on eBay available cheaper. I'm going to check with a couple people that already do automotive painting as I hear they'd offer to do it "stupid cheap" at least as an option to buying the extra equipment. Dropped my broadband in favor of dialup for a little while so updates may take some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 (edited) Watch out for the cheaper Ebay brushes. Many of them have no parts support and don't spray well. If your getting into the airbrush check out KustomKultureLounge.com. Also be cautious of Iwata's on ebay, there is a big counterfit market for Iwata's, Bearair.com lost thier dealership over selling counterfit parts. They still sell them and for instances their nozels have been known to strip out the threads, and then its game over for that airbrush body. Give Coast a call they will price match. Edited July 16, 2008 by syxxstring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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