Jupiter Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Hey guys! After several days of sealing and priming, i sprayed my first coat of paint { Krylon brand bright white} today. I sprayed two pretty light coats. I brought it inside to dry, and now it's looking like it has some definate orange-peel to it... I tried going over it with a 320 grit sanding sponge in a few places, but it didn't seem to help much. Have i done something wrong? Here's some variables to consider.... I shot the paint in a fairly cold environment, but brought it inside a few minutes after i shot it. I also shot the headstock. I did it with a far more wet coat than i did on the body. I brought it inside promptly, too. It looks great! Nice smooth texture. I used the exact same sealing and priming process as i did with the body, but it looks a lot better. My coat on the body wasn't very wet... but this is really my first coat. Please help soon! I'd like to continue painting tonight if possible. Thanks!!! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Best I could say is take the finest grit you have and knock it down till it's smooth again and keep adding layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Best I could say is take the finest grit you have and knock it down till it's smooth again and keep adding layers. Just like Brian said, You have to BUILD a finish, a couple of coats are always gonna look orange peely. the more coats and sanding you do the smoother it will get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 your very first coat can be light, after that, you want wet coats, not to the point of running, but the paint needs to flow. So you need to spray wet. Also, Aerosol cans are fussy about temp, spraying outside where it's cold is a bad option, even find a warm garage to spray in and don't move the body out of it until it's flashed (dry to touch) Also, with Krylon, you need to wait a few days before it will sand very good at all. My advice at this point would be, let it cure, sand it out, and then spray at least 5 wet coats (not runny wet, just wet). You should see an even gloss while you spray, the trick is, spray all your edges first, then the front and back, that will help avoid buildup on the front and back, I also spray all my bodies flat and rotate them, that way the paint on the front and back will flow out nice and smooth. If you are using aerosol, warm a dish of water about 1.5" deep to about 75 degrees F, set the bottom of the can of paint into the warm water for about 5 minutes to let the paint get to room temp. Then spray, the paint will flow much nicer for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Thanks for the quick help, guys ! Alright, i did some sanding earlier, and i've just sprayed several wet coats... we'll see how it turns out... as i was spraying it, it still looked like it was going orange-peel, though. After this coat dries, should i sand it, or just spray more on it? This is normal, right? About how many coats will it take before the peel goes away? Thanks guys, this is my first time doing this! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 it really shouldn't be that bad, my guess is you're still spraying in the cold? that will affect your paint bigtime. Also, did you try warming the paint with the water? that will help alot too. Try to find a place to spray that is about 71F (around 20C) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Well, today's coat has dried, and there is still a little orange peel. It's actually not as bad as my first coat, though, so i'm happy i'm making progress ! The weather today was still a little bit cool, so i suppose that has something to do with it. Oh well, i'll crank up the kerosene heaters if i paint tomorrow. That'll be okay, right? If i can find a thermometer, i'll try the water trick, too, but i don't think i have one... Thanks again, any more tips are welcome! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitDean Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Ben: FWIW, I do my finishing in a (now cold) workshop behind my garage and here is what works for me. I run the cans under warm water for just less than a minute. Than I push the can thru two soft foam beercan coolies with the bottoms punched out. As goofy as this sounds, it keeps the can warm and I have not had problems with spitting or runs (unless the can is almost empty). If I am out there for any length of time, I plug in a hotpot and set it to "warm", seal the can(s) in freezer bags, fill the hot pot with warm water, and let the bagged can float in the lukewarm water between uses. It sounds involved but it is simple. Whatever you do, try to avoid spraying around kerosene heaters -- it goes without saying that this is a highly explosive scenario.... Best, KitDean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 So, do you mean that you spray your paint in a cold environment? When do you bring it back inside? Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitDean Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Ben: Although I try not to spray in February (the coldest month here), lately I have been running a ceramic space heater for an hour before working in the room (about 8ft x 12ft), shutting it off, sliding it out of my spray area, spraying (with the water heated cans), letting it dry for an hour (flash drying) on the jig and then taking it in the house for further drying in the basement. I have not had any problems so far. This winter, I have happily finished one "superstrat" body in dark metallic blue and am in the middle of a strat. My room hovers around 63 degrees fahrenheit after heating with the space heater. Previously, I would never have attempted guitar work in such cold -- I did two previous guitar bodies in the spring and summer of this year. I find working with the painting jig and using warm cans, however, enables me to get a consistent spray with no runs. As with anything, your mileage may vary. Best, KitDean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Excellent, thanks for the tips ! Alrighty, well, i guess i'll try heating the garage up with the heaters for a while before turning them off so i can spray { with warm cans! }. What do you reccomend i do with my semi-orange-peeled paint? Keep spraying over it, or try to knock it down as much as possible? Thanks a bunch!!! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 knock it down first, more paint will just build with the orange peel, it won't fill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Definately knock it down like Jeremy said......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1sh Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 I've been using spray can laquer, and it's very sensitive to temp. it spits and spits when it's cold. my guitar would be done if it wasn't for the damn cold basement (only place i can spray). Got a heater, gonna let it warm up a bit and try to finish my tele this week, i'll post some pics when it's done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted February 24, 2003 Report Share Posted February 24, 2003 Move to the desert! In vegas its never to cold to spray and the paint seems to almost bake on naturally for some reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Update time! After waiting a couple of days for the rain to clear off, i sprayed some more paint today...i used the rainy days as an oppurtunity to knock the orange peel down completely. This time, i heated up the garage and warmed the paint can first! I put a coat on the back and sides, first... and it STiLL has some texture to it !!! I don't have a clue what could be going wrong here... i then sprayed a really wet coat on the top of the guitar, and it turned out PERFECT! Yay! I just can't figure out whats going on with the sides and back of the guitar... the texture isn't as bad as it was before, but it's definately still there! Oh well, at least the top looks good ! Any ideas as for what i could be doing wrong? Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitDean Posted February 25, 2003 Report Share Posted February 25, 2003 Ben: How many coats of primer do you have on the body? I always make sure that I have two very smooth coats of Bins underneath. Plus, I make sure the first coat goes on pretty dry, allow it to cure for a day in a warm area and come back to shoot wet coats. As with all advice, your mileage will vary, however After your first orange peel, it is often effective to wetsand with #800 or higher. Sand until the surface is glassy smooth (if sanding down orange peel, sand throughs will be a factor & will need spot respraying). After that, wipe the guitar with damp towel or tack cloth to remove any dust or finger oil. Check the body closely. Check for thin spots where the white can be seen and spots where paint is drying in the grain. When checking for thin spots, get in the brightest light you can find. If the undercoat is glassy, your paint is warm, the gtr body is not cold and your ambient temperature is not extreme, the only other place I could point the finger is at your paint. I have had success with Reranch and Krylon, but have not used anything else. Best, KitDean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbsharp Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Maybe a contaminate in grain keeps repelling areas -causeing orange peel.I would sand down with a couser #220 white carbide to save time,wash off, tack And start over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremywills Posted February 26, 2003 Report Share Posted February 26, 2003 Move to the desert! In vegas its never to cold to spray and the paint seems to almost bake on naturally for some reason? hmm, im sure thats one good thing fender has about setting up shop in mexico, i was there once, hot as .... well I was in the same town just outside the factory, and i live in tx just north so its usually hot hot hot, but the last few days have been brrrr!!!! and yea, what ever you do, never ever ever spray any paint around a heater while its on, or your orange peels gonna turn into bubbling paint right off the wood, and god knows what else, maybe you should wait it out for warm weather, good luck j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted February 27, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 Well, it rained again today.... grr, i hate Tennessee weather, it sucks very badly. Anyway, i sanded down the back and sides of the guitar and eliminated ALL orange peel! It now has a very glass-like sheen to it. Here's the only problem... there were two tiny dirt spots on the back that i had to sand out, and two small ones on the front, too. I've eliminated them, but now there's a little swirl/scratchy area where each spot used to be since i used a coarser grit paper to get the dust out. Will i have to spot spray these little spots before i clear the guitar, or will they vanish when i spray the clear? Also, what kind of clear do i use over Krylon? Practically all that i saw at Wal Mart { where i bought the paint } was spray-on laquer. Will this be okay? Please help soon, i think it's supposed to stop raining Friday! Thanks for all the help, everybody! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 I think Krylon has their own clear, I would stick to product specific paints. As for the dust spots, first of all, when you sand, use a hard block or you'll see funny ripples when you clear. your fingers are not an acceptable hard block. If you use a hard block, any dust specks you end up with will be knocked down with the rest. What I would do now, is use a hard block, and go over the entire front and back again and try to blend those spots. You could spot spray them, but I'd try to get rid of them first. A very important note, clear won't hide anything. It might disguise it, but it won't get rid of it. Your finish will only be as good in the end as it is in the beginning Sounds like you've got some rain there anyway, so spend another day just to go over it again with a hard block and you'll be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 27, 2003 Report Share Posted February 27, 2003 You could try a spot spray in the area's where the swirl marks are just to build up the low spot's and sand it back down smooth again but like LGM said a block is a necessary evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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