DYI paint question

[GerryL98]

I'm done with my color coats. I have some orange peel. Am I supposed to wetsand before the clear coats or do I just put the clear on and then wet sand?

If I do wet sand before the clear, do I also rub it out before the clear as well or will the clear coat fill in all the scratches from the wetsanding?

 

[dougk]

Go straight to clear.

 

[dickjonesify]

I've been struggling with that, too. Thanks Doug.

 

[76Custom]

This was done in Nitro. No sanding until the final coat of clear. I used stew mac aerosols. FWIW it has even got some beautiful lengthwise, extremely small weather checking already. It is on VERY thin. Sounds great. I have faded it a fair amount so its not so dark and wide.

I did a strat a while back in Rustoleum (WTF?) enamel. I did do some very light wet sanding with 800 to resolve some orange peel before the clear. Don't make it too smooth. I am doing an EPI LP Jr in Seafoam green enamel and have some peel to knock down on the neck before the clear.

The Stew Mac aerosol nitro is so much nicer to use than your standard spray bomb. Just clear the tips well after use.

 

[GerryL98]

Thanks. Here it is after four coats of clear. Paint and clear was done out of a rattle can. Instructions say to wait 48 hours on the clear so I'll wet sand and rub out on Saturday.

My second time. If I do any more I might just go to Harbor Freight and get a spray gun.. And yes, I sprayed it horizontally. I had bad luck with runs on my first time. I just couldn't get a decent wet coat with it hanging it vertically. Could be a spray can issue.

 

[dougk]

My second time. If I do any more I might just go to Harbor Freight and get a spray guy. And yes, I sprayed it horizontally. I had bad luck with runs on my first time. I just couldn't get a decent wet coat with it hanging it vertically. Could be a spray can issue.

I have a hell of a time vertical too depending on what I'm spraying.

If you want to save a little hassle, before your last couple coats of nitro sand the entire guitar flat at that point with nothing coarser than 320 (400 would be better). Then blast a GOOD wet coat of nitro on. It'll melt all the sanding marks out and it'll really level out.

 

[76Custom]

Gerry. Looks great. Is it Nitro or Enamel or what? Digging the color.

DougK - Thanks for the tip. I will keep that in mind when I do my next rattlecan nitro job. Until then I continue to muddle along with my Rustoleum JR. Will your sanding trick work with Enamel like I'm using? Definitely going the horizontal Wetcoat route for the remainder of my clear.

 

[Indyclone]

looks like a duplicolor car paint can in the pic (acrylic?)

I found duplicolor to be on the thin side, but worked well for me.

 

[slapshot]

except for white i do all my fenders with duplicolour spray cans.if i did more i'd buy a tin of the colours & use my gun
buy yourself one of those spray can handle gun things

 

[GerryL98]

Gerry. Looks great. Is it Nitro or Enamel or what? Digging the color.

Yes, it's Duplicolor for the color coat, but I got the metallic green because they come in larger cans, not the friggin little factory OEM color 8 oz cans. The clear comes in 8oz so I bought two. I was able to do four coats on each side with those little cans. This guitar is going to be flipped anyways. It didn't move on Craigslist with all the paint chips and scratches so I'm hoping that the change from beat up black to new metallic green will get this Jackson sold....and yeah, it was just plain fun to do too.

 

[dougk]

Gerry. Looks great. Is it Nitro or Enamel or what? Digging the color.

DougK - Thanks for the tip. I will keep that in mind when I do my next rattlecan nitro job. Until then I continue to muddle along with my Rustoleum JR. Will your sanding trick work with Enamel like I'm using? Definitely going the horizontal Wetcoat route for the remainder of my clear.

It probably will be no promises. The big thing about lacquer is its remelt ability. Ofcourse that's also what makes what you put UNDER it so important.

 

[slapshot]

no one wants a worn looking jackson
now if it was a strat .....

 

[GerryL98]

no one wants a worn looking jackson
now if it was a strat .....

I'll take a worn Jackson with a good neck and the right price every time. Same with a strat. It'd have to have some real mojo before bought any worn looking for guitar I intended on keeping.

I had no takers on a worn white MIM. The paint cracks at the neck pocket always raise a concern. I actually bought it for real cheap from some kid. I filled in all the chips, sanded, and painted it Olympic White with Duplicolor. Sold it for more that I paid...but really just broke even since it was my first time and took me about five or six cans of those teeny weeny 8oz sprays to get it right. I even let the seller know I repainted it myself and he was impressed.