Paint layers and binding

[ryocho]

I've started planning my first build taking inspiration from the apline white custom and spec-ing it to a 2018 classic.
When you spray the layers of paint and clear and scrape the binding after, will the paint be higher than the binding and leave a very minor height difference? Or will the binding be flush with the rest of the paint
Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Greg Dunn]

I spray my color coats then scrape binding, apply my clear coats over the binding. Usually 1 top coat being amber tinted lacquer. No difference in height is noticed as lacquer coats flow together.

 

[LtDave32]

You tape off the wide part of the binding, the side.

Spray your color coat.

Scrape the color off the top edge of the binding. There's a tool you can make in seconds to do this:

Set the blade to the depth of the binding, run it around the guitar like this:

Before scraping, pull the tape off the side of the binding.

You will get much better results if you use the right tape.

Scotch 3M makes professional "line tape" that offers no bleed through under the edges. I swear by it:

fine line tape

It's not cheap at $24, but it's superb if you are looking for tape that won't let paint bleed under it and will come of cleanly.

Or, you can use plain masking tape, and set your scraper for the width of the binding on the side and scrape the rough edge away.

 

[pshupe]

Spray colour first, then scrape, then clear. I do not spray a lot of guitars and just recently starting working on a spray booth. This may be more of a question for the people with lots of spray experience. When I spray a colour coat, to date mainly bursts or solid black head stocks, I use very little lacquer in with the colour and thinner. I do not want to build these coats. About 10% lacquer is enough to hold the colour. The question being does this make sense and/ or for solid colours do you want more lacquer, or for metallics, to get a deeper look?

Cheers Peter.

 

[Brek]

Jeez that tapes eye wateringly priced, holy schmoly. I guess if it works you gotta pony up for it, otherwise it’ll end up looking like a factory Gibson lol.

 

[Roxy13]

Look at it this way I guess. Each singlecut will use less than 2 yd of the tape. You will be able to paint at least 30 guitars with each roll. That's less than $1 per guitar for best results.

 

[ryocho]

Sg

You tape off the wide part of the binding, the side.

Spray your color coat.

Scrape the color off the top edge of the binding. There's a tool you can make in seconds to do this:

View attachment 522465

Set the blade to the depth of the binding, run it around the guitar like this:

View attachment 522466

Before scraping, pull the tape off the side of the binding.

You will get much better results if you use the right tape.

Scotch 3M makes professional "line tape" that offers no bleed through under the edges. I swear by it:

fine line tape

It's not cheap at $24, but it's superb if you are looking for tape that won't let paint bleed under it and will come of cleanly.

Or, you can use plain masking tape, and set your scraper for the width of the binding on the side and scrape the rough edge away.

I this little tool looks real handy, thanks!

 

[LtDave32]

Spray colour first, then scrape, then clear.

Absolutely right. I forgot to add that.

 

[LtDave32]

Jeez that tapes eye wateringly priced, holy schmoly. I guess if it works you gotta pony up for it, otherwise it’ll end up looking like a factory Gibson lol.

You can get it cheaper on amazon, say 12 bucks or so.

I have two rolls of it, 1/8" and 1/2". Reason being, I had a two tone paint job that required absolutely clean, straight lines with no bleed into the next color. It worked like a charm. So now when I'm taping off a surface that I want no paint to get through, I use the line tape.

They are tall rolls, and one roll should last you a long, long time.

You can certainly use common masking tape to mask off the binding, just don't put too much faith in the "edge lock" stuff. That's for homeowners who paint their kitchens in nice clothes.

It doesn't work so well with solvent-based paints like lacquers.

So you can use masking tape, just don't be surprised if you've got some edge clean up to do.

This is why I use the line tape. I like my edges sharp and clean.

 

[ryocho]

Spray colour first, then scrape, then clear. I do not spray a lot of guitars and just recently starting working on a spray booth. This may be more of a question for the people with lots of spray experience. When I spray a colour coat, to date mainly bursts or solid black head stocks, I use very little lacquer in with the colour and thinner. I do not want to build these coats. About 10% lacquer is enough to hold the colour. The question being does this make sense and/ or for solid colours do you want more lacquer, or for metallics, to get a deeper look?

Cheers Peter.

I sorta get what you're getting at but I assume you're using a spray gun where you have the ability to mix your paint ratios. In my case I'm just going to use spray cans so I don't know if I can choose lacquer content. I'm going for just a solid white colour with a nitro coating. Unless the cheaper spray guns can get decent coats I'm going to stick with the cans for now

 

[ARandall]

My guns are mainly the cheapo ones (ozito) now. Its all more about the way you spray and your gun setup than the sprayer.

But gun or can, the process is the same.
Including the level sanding to make the whole thing as smooth as possible by the end. But if you look at Gibsons, they more often than not still have a ridge on the binding interface.