Hi all
I bought another strat type body because I want to do a custom theme paint job its alder wood and I would like to know whats a good paint to use that will not freak out under clear coat and whats a good clear coat to use
here is the body


heres my conception of what I want to do. I'm calling it "The Peacecaster"

Well, the important thing to remember here is to use the same type of paint for your clear coat as you do for your designs. In other words, if you do your custom theme in lacquer, use lacquer clear coat....if you use enamel then use enamel clear coat. For the type of work you are talking about here, personally I'd recommend enamels as they are easier to obtain and more universally compatible. You don't typically get as high of a gloss with enamels as you do with lacquer, but typically you will have more color choices without having to mix your own paint and such. Also, enamels are typically MUCH less expensive....lacquer can get really expensive really quick when you are looking for small quantities of several different colors.

As far as brand goes...in that regards, paint is paint. Just like cars, guitars and anything else, everyone has their favorites. Sherwin-Williams, Dupont, Krylon, Duplicolor...it's all pretty comparable.

The last thing I would suggest here is that custom paint job or otherwise, READ UP before you start! If you want professional results, it is NOT as simple as just painting your pretty design on the body and then shooting it with a couple of coats of clear coat to make it "shiney"...IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY! Since you've asked about what kind of paints and such to use, it's easy to assume that you've never refinished a guitar before so please know that it is a VERY labor intensive thing and if you don't know what you are doing, you *WILL* destroy your guitar finish. Personally I'd recommend starting at ReRanch's Guitar Refinishing 101 (just Google that, you'll find it) then read all you can before you even touch the guitar! I'm serious here...it's not as simple as painting/printing pretty little pictures and such on the guitar then clear coating it...there is more involved...A LOT more if you really want it to look even remotely professional!

Good Luck,
Jim

Though more than one person has famously done exactly that...



Hi eyerish: more seriously, lomitus is perfectly right that you want your materials all to be the same and so as to be compatible.

For a suggestion, how's about using artist's acrylic paints from tubes and then clearcoating with automotive acrylic lacquer on top?

The word "acrylic" can stand for differing formulas, but I can't see a better way than that, unless you want to really get pro and do the whole thing in the manner of auto custom shop airbrush painters - within which case you need to be looking at other websites for advice!

'Nother suggestion: even if you want the painting to sit on top of natural wood (as in your pic) you still would be well advised to seal it first. If it were me I'd first seal with aerosol vinyl sealer (available from many sources: are you actually in Ireland or is that not what your user name means?). Then build a sanding layer of a few coats of clear acrylic. Once dry, sand that flat using P300-ish paper, to create a decent "tooth" for your art work.

Paint away with your artist's acrylics, keeping it as thin as possible: definitely no thick "impasto" brushwork. Finally, a goodly layer of half a dozen or more coats of clear acrylic lacquer, which can hopefully then be sanded and buffed to a flat gloss without breaking through into your artwork.

How does all that sound?

Cheers - C

PS If there's something wrong in what I've just suggested I'm hoping Mr Twelvebar will post with better ideas...

I am definatly not good with an airbrush. I have always used a variety of brushes,and I'm kinda bummed about keeping it thin. I always liked creating a texture,but this will be the first guitar, I will have done. I am learning as I go. I already ordered a bunch of stuff from Reranch almost 2 weeks ago and its not here yet but should be soon(including a dvd on finishing guitars).


I am from Detroit Michigan Michigan,currently In Arizona and my Screen name means "Irish" I am directly decended from. My family came from Ireland to Canada then to Michigan. I still have Canucks in the brood and a right fair batch of blood spread over Ireland,and a few scattered cousins here in the states.We are(my branch) kinda dyin' off as we are getting old(or already passed on)I have one daughter(29)and a son(23) so hopefully a little blood will move to the future.


I have painted all kinds of media over the years. The reason I asked this is as I noted this will be my first guitar done with designs like I showed,but years ago close to 30, some people I knew,built a geodesic dome home. They knew that most of what I did artsy fartsy like was geometrics. They asked me to paint some for them on wood. Over a two week period I painted several and then let them dry for a few days. When I went to shellac, on a couple of the pieces whole sections of the pics sloughed off. Thats why I am asking so I don't do that again.


I appreciate all the help you folks are willing to give.
Thanks

Ah, OK. Then if you want to do the vinyl sealer first onto the bare wood Behlen Vinyl Sealer is as good a bet as anything. In the US it appears you can't buy it direct from Behlen, but a quick Google will find it for you. And I happen to know that Stewart-MacDonald sell it - though not in the aerosol, seemingly. Behlen's aerosol exists (I have some on the shelf) so search for it if you want it.

Mind you, not everyone likes the idea of vinyl sealer: it's open to debate. But you'll find everyone serious from PRS and Martin down use it, so it has a certain track record...

For the acrylic clearcoat, your local automotive parts supplier will be fine.

Regarding thick brushwork: of course, you can paint as thick as you like, as Eric and Jimi did on their guitars. You just won't get a nice glass flat finish at the end. Your own artistic choice...

Good luck - C

Hi Ceri
I am not doing any designs on the back. Would I still need to use the sealer on the whole body?

Yep. The point of the sealer is to stop the solvent in the coats above from sinking into the timber and leaving their solids behind on the surface in overly great concentration.

There's those that just keep shooting the lacquer till it stops sinking on some kind of religious "anti-sealer" basis. But most think the sealer saves them time and money. It's been used for decades. It has as proven a track record as any finishing material, other than old violin varnish formulas...

Mind you, whether sinkage is such an issue with acrylic based lacquer I couldn't tell you. For that matter, whether manufacturers seal bodies that are to be finished with polyester I also don't know.

'Course, if you are artistically inclined (as your previous post suggests) you could just do the body with a nice gesso ground and then have at it with oils, or egg tempera, or what you will! Be a very unique and interesting guitar then...

I trust we get to see some nice pics when you're done?

Cheers - C

A artist friend of mine once made some graphics for me by spraying some kind of laquer over the picture, leaving it to dry and peel it off. Then placed the laquer with the picture on it on the guitar and clear coated over it.

It may work for you.

_________________
No no and no

If I may make one more little suggestion here...

Since some of this sounds a bit experimental on your part (and I have nothing against that at all), instead of starting with a "nice" guitar to do this work on, maybe snoop around on Ebay or Craigslist and pick yourself up an extra body for around $20 or $30 to practice on first...something that if you do screw up, won't be a total loss. If it does turn out nice then you can slap the parts for the guitar you were planning to use (or buy more parts and build a second guitar) but if not, at least you haven't scrapped a nice instrument.

Just a thought for ya...I actually have a couple of plywood guitar bodies that I do (most of) my experimenting on and it usually works really well.

Peace,
Jim