Large Decal....level finish first ?

[govtmule]

I have a customer who wants a large decal on the top of a guitar body that I'm currently building for him. I have he color shot and am ready to start he clear.

I assume that I want a level surface for the decal right ? So should I:

1. Follow my shooting schedule including leveling first, then apply the decal, then shoot a ton more clear to try and make the decal edges disappear, and then level again

2. Shoot a few coats of clear, apply decal, and then continue with shooting schedule

All of the info that I've been able to find concerning water slide decals has been for headstocks or applying decals to an already finished body.

Thanks

[SwedishLuthier]

I have not done exactly what you describe (large decal on body) but my gut says that I would shoot the base. level, shoot a few layers of clear, apply the decal and then shoot a lot of clear. And you are right in assuming that you need a lot of clear to make the edges of the decal invisible. Before I got mu current headstone logos I used a transparent vinyl sticker and man, did I had to lay down the finish thick.

[govtmule]

Thanks for the reply.

That was my first thought too. I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, using the normal build coats of clear to build enough to hide the decal edges. But I'm afraid of sanding through the color on the initial level to give the decal a level surface to begin with. Plus the color is a metallic, Shoreline Gold, which I'm not sure would respond to leveling too well.

[SwedishLuthier]

Don't sand metallic finishes. Never.