Painting guitar bodies

[dirtycooter]

Whoa
Couldn't get the link earlier-thats bad ass!! From bare stock blanks? ? I wouldn't attempt this myself. That shit has to be spot on tight fittin and alot more work than any bolt on neck guitar. There is alot less forgiveness buildin somethin like this if you screw up in process.
Tell me how in the hell you got into this type of building, i find it fascinating as hell.

[vanhalen5150]

Whoa
Couldn't get the link earlier-thats bad ass!! From bare stock blanks? ? I wouldn't attempt this myself. That shit has to be spot on tight fittin and alot more work than any bolt on neck guitar. There is alot less forgiveness buildin somethin like this if you screw up in process.
Tell me how in the hell you got into this type of building, i find it fascinating as hell.

Yeah, I just got a local exotic wood supplier to cut some basics. I made a 3 piece body but really should have done a 1 piece. I just came across the Tom Barnett build from the My Les Paul forum and thought I'd give it a try. His plans are 1:1 ration for $15. Drill press, table top band saw, router is the only electrical tools I used. Few tools from Stewmac and some stain. Just waiting on some PU's and a bit more nitro.
I got the neck joint so tight I could pick it up from the headstock and it wouldn't move a hair. Thats using calipers I got at Home Depot for $9.00.
Fun build if you have the time and patience. Started this New Years day.

[dirtycooter]

Thats fuckin awesome! One thing to throw a kit body together, but from a scratch chunk of raw wood start to finish is really where the men are separated from the boys-I guess I better grab my lunch pail and wait for the short bus! Did any one see my lost mitten??? Can't go to school with out my mittens........

[vanhalen5150]

Thats fuckin awesome! One thing to throw a kit body together, but from a scratch chunk of raw wood start to finish is really where the men are separated from the boys-I guess I better grab my lunch pail and wait for the short bus! Did any one see my lost mitten??? Can't go to school with out my mittens........

[rgorke]

Ok, here is where I am. I shot a whole can (just about) of Watco clear in 5 or 6 stints over the weekend. I followed the directions on the can (a novel concept for me). I am really impressed with how shiney and glossy it is without any wet sanding or buffing, nothing.

I know that the striped and little mustache thing aren't perfect but then again, it doesn't really matter. I know it is not the caliber of work that the guys at the Halen.com site do. This is my first attempt at paining a guitar (aside from one that my son and I did for fun one afternoon. It actually looks cool.

Anyway, I will let this sit for a while and decide how much sanding and buffing I want to do. There are some spots on the back that are a bit rough or bumpy.

[Bore Em at the Forum]

Where did you get the Watco? At the Woodcraft in Rockville? I am halfway between there and Baltimore store, PITA if that's the only place to find it.....about 30 miles either way.

I think it's looking good. It was a good weekend to lay some coats on........

[rgorke]

Where did you get the Watco? At the Woodcraft in Rockville? I am halfway between there and Baltimore store, PITA if that's the only place to find it.....about 30 miles either way.

I think it's looking good. It was a good weekend to lay some coats on........

Strosniders. There is one in Silver Spring and one in Bethesda.

[matttornado]

How does it feel? Smooth or does it have an orange peel type of surface?

[matttornado]

BTW, That looks great!

[rgorke]

How does it feel? Smooth or does it have an orange peel type of surface?

Thanks, the part that you see is really smooth. Parts of the back are a bit rough, not bad, just not glossy.

[dirtycooter]

1 coat is spraying over the whole body 4 complete times in a shooting session. If you put 5-6 good thick full coats on it let it sit 7 days and you should be able to lightly wet sand the orange peel out totally smooth to dull and matte looking. You can wipe it down clean and shoot more clear after this. Or skip the in between sand and simply shoot more clear then do the final wet sanding. 7-9 coats total will be perfect to work with in the final sand and leveling with 2000 grit. All that roughness will be totally gone after you sand then buff it with mirror glaze. You just wanna habvenough clear on to be able to level it but not break through the clear into the color coats. The crazy smooth mirror like perfection only shows up after its leveled and buffed. You are kinda goin fast with this though. I recommend the last coat of clear sit 30 days curing before final buff. Its insane trying to have patience to wait though. Lookin good. You use krylon color? Its nice to know the other paints out there that are compatible with watco and what when lookin for colors and stuff.

[rgorke]

Thanks.

I used the Rustoleum lacquer. I figured lacquer paint with a lacquer clear coat was a good combo.

[dirtycooter]

Cool deal. I used several cans of watco. To get through a coat it can go through a can rather quick. Dust, dust ot a little wetter, try to get it more wet, try to get as glossy lookin aa you can with out runs. Thats the four pass feel and method for a good coat. 10 MINUTES between passes is what I went by when doing a coat. Give her time to gel up and get tacky between passes. Thats how you BUILD a coat.

Mind you I had this thing in a jig on an engine stand rotissery-timing, turning, spraying, timing, readin the paint is everything. Even when its drying down.....you gotta read it.

[rgorke]

Ok, here we are at 10 days after clear coating. No sanding polishing or nothing at this point. Just put it together to see how it looks. I think I will leave it like this so the clear coat can really cure then wet sand or add more clear. I am pretty happy with the results.

Thanks for everyone's help, especially the one who's cooter needs cleaning.

[dirtycooter]

Looks awesome! Congrats on the new axe and amazing salvage of that neck pocket damage. You'd never know it was that same body. You don't even have to wet sand it really- just buff it with micro fiber cloth and mirror glaze intensly while sittin around watchin the lookity box. All depends on what you want to do. Sanding gets rid of the peel, the glaze makes the gloss and gets rid of some surface uneven-ness. Just try a little buff in a rough spot to see what it does

Btw-"Dirty" is the nickname I got after doin some amazing shooting with a Blackhawk 44mag. It was bet I couldn't pull it off again twice. And I did. All 6 shots both times, iron sights, 50 yards, one hand unsupported, into a plastic oil can plus it kept movin further out with each hit and just kept makin it dance. The comment made was "Man..........you're dirty!!" And that nickname just stuck ever since.
"Cooter" comes from a friends amazing jaw dropping mechanic abilities-as in cooter from Dukes of Hazzard. I have since dubbed him the EVH of auto mechanics He makes monster garage look easy. But thats how I put together this terrible sounding name. I shoulda made it roy or eugene or somethin simple