Jupiter Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Aloha! I'm in the process of shooting an acrylic-based clear coat on my guitar body. I'm about three good coats into it, and it's looking really good.... except there's a few odd spots that feel really dry. The sides and the back of the top horn, mostly. What in the world is going on here? Is there anything i can do with it? Please help soon! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 you've probably just got overspray on those spots, or, didn't spray evenly enough there. Give it a few more coats, and wet sand the entire thing smooth, then spray on a few more nice even coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted March 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Great! So, when i wet sand it, what grit should i use? This may sound stupid, but i'm not really familier with wet-sanding. Could someone give me a how-to and some pointers? Thanks! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 for getting rid of the overspray, knowing you're going to spray again, I'd use 600 or 800 grit. use a hard block again, not just your hand though. When you have your final coats on, I start with 2000 grit, it takes longer, but it doesn't put really deep scratches that become really hard to get out into your paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted March 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 You're the man, Jeremy!!! Thanks a lot, that should do it! Just where did you learn all of this stuff, anyway? Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 trial and error mostly LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted March 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Haha, well, those do seem to be the most efficient learning tools, after all... Anyway, about the wet sanding... What do i do? Soak my paper in water? Put water on the surface? I'm just not to clear on this. What difference does it make as opposed to normal sanding? Thanks! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 I generally keep a bowl of warm water with a couple drops of dishsoap in it and just rinse my paper in the bowl of water, there should be a nice film of water on the surface of your guitar, but don't soak it, you don't want water getting into the screw holes and stuff. I also make sure to have a bunch of paper towels and a bowl of clean water to keep wiping the surface, that way you can see where you're totally even and where you need to sand a little further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted March 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Hmm, alrighty! Doesn't sound too bad. Thanks! So, how does this affect the surface differently as opposed to dry-sanding? Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 The soapy warm water act's like a lubricant helping the paper glide over the surface without building up and getting clogged with dust from the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vh-guitarstore.com Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 depends on the clear coat you choose to go with and the sand paper you use if you need soap or not....i use the 3m micro grit papers to wet sand....but i dont wet sand the finish until im completely done with the clear coat....you want to make sure you have some hard finish on the guitar before you break out any water....and there really shouldnt be much sanding, just a general leveling..... you may want to address your painting technique......one thing that will definatly help is a decent gun....i was reading on a post somewhere about the guns everyone is using.....i cant stress the importance of a good quality gun....it will make your life so much easier....its something that you should definately save to get the better product......ive gone through endless cheap guns like everyone has...i probably spent more money on cheap guns than 2 or 3 good guns.....they are easier to maintain, you can get parts for them and they throw the finish the way its supposed to be....you also have to be sure to match your tip to the paint you use....there isnt a one size fits all....you also have to match the air pressure with the paint....if youre experienceing a lot of peel, youre compressor and gun arent set up correctly....i recomend Devilbiss or sata if you can afford it....and if you are serious....HVLP is good, i have a HVLP air system as well as compressed air...depends on the paint you use really....orange peel, fogging, runs or whatever are a rarity when you gain experience and learn what is going on and after all that, you have to understand the paint you are spraying; pot life and such.....if you wait too long between coats, you will have adhesion problems(see older guitars like charvels and some kramers AND definatly all those Ibanez darren swirls...notice how those seem to chip out easier than some other guitars? ive seen many where you could peel the clear off and leave the paint on....reason, no bonding because they either waited too long to clear or didnt use the correct clear) oh, i only use polyesters by the way, .,..which is a whole different animal, and sometimes urethanes for graphics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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