First time aerosol finish

billiam5billion · #1 02-16-2011, 02:27 PM

Hey guys, I'm going to do my first reranch can finish soon and I'd like some input. I did a few searches but didn't really find what I needed. Feel free to point me in the right direction with links.

Anyway, my first question is about painting raw Warmoth bodies, specifically Swamp Ash. Is a sand and sealer absolutely necessary? Can I just skip to the primer and basecoat?

Secondly, what would you recommend as a base coat for Candy Apple Red?

TomA1234 · #2 02-16-2011, 02:34 PM

If it is ash then it probably needs sealing first before priming.

ponticat · #3 02-16-2011, 03:25 PM

Might I suggest ReRanch's advice?

Start here: http://reranch.com/basics.htm

tonebrulee · #4 02-16-2011, 08:13 PM

The sealer step is *really* critical, especially for ash. Big mistake to skip it.

blipndub · #5 02-17-2011, 12:49 AM

Big wavy grain = sealer, little tight grain = no sealer.

Unless you want a sunken finish look where the grain has a texture on the surface.

billiam5billion · #6 02-17-2011, 01:17 AM

What about alder? Is that more conducive to not sanding an sealing?

tonebrulee · #7 02-17-2011, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billiam5billion

What about alder? Is that more conducive to not sanding an sealing?

yes, but still not a good idea to skip it. why do you want to avoid sealer? you are going to put in a lot of work over many, many coats of paint - why skip the single-most important coat insuring a smooth foundation??

Musiclogic · #8 02-17-2011, 01:47 AM

I would suggest buying a finished body and skipping this idea. If you don't want to take the time to do the prep before shooting the finish, then you most likely will not take the time to do all the work after the paint to make it look good, e.g. Wetsanding polishing, and waxing, so why waste the money and time to do what you could do with krylon?

tonebrulee · #9 02-17-2011, 02:22 AM

Actually, shooting Krylon would probably be a good alternative for billiam. Warmoth shoots polyurethane themselves and it is easier and cheaper to get a good result with poly vs nitro. Plus Krylon is readily available with a huge palette to choose from. My pwrsonal take (please, no flame wars here) is that any difference in "tone" due to material used is vastly overstated, if it exists at all. Probably more true for finish thickness rather than paint type - eg super-thick baked polyester finishes. Polyeurathane can be shot plenty thin. Seriously billiam - definitely worth considering. Cheers!

billiam5billion · #10 02-17-2011, 09:35 AM

I really just didn't know if I could skip it because on the reranch 101 the instructions seem to be from the perspective of a refinish, like stripping the old finish is what creates the need for all the undercoat stuff. I'm willing to put in the extra work to finish it correctly, it was mostly a cost-cutting question. Not gonna do CAR anymore though, I'm not confident enough in my skills to try a candy color first time out.

Rocky McD · #11 02-17-2011, 10:52 AM

Do it correctly, it will save you time and money. Cutting cost, cost you more.

Flabass · #12 02-17-2011, 10:57 AM

Buy a Warmoth body already painted. They have plenty in stock. Or have them paint it. It will save time, grief, frustration etc.

billiam5billion · #13 02-17-2011, 11:22 AM

Buying it painted is not an option. The color I want is actually almost 200 bucks more than the body itself. The whole reason I'm doing it myself is to keep it in a budget.

hdracer · #14 02-17-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

I would suggest buying a finished body and skipping this idea. If you don't want to take the time to do the prep before shooting the finish, then you most likely will not take the time to do all the work after the paint to make it look good, e.g. Wetsanding polishing, and waxing, so why waste the money and time to do what you could do with krylon?

+1 If you have to ask these questions, you are in over your head. You will not save anything by doing a bad paint job and then having to have a Pro paint it or ruin any value of the body with a really bad paint job.

Contact Marty @ http://www.martybellfinishing.com/index.html

Great paint at a great price, and he is fast.

tonebrulee · #15 02-17-2011, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdracer

+1 If you have to ask these questions, you are in over your head. You will not save anything by doing a bad paint job and then having to have a Pro paint it or ruin any value of the body with a really bad paint job.

Contact Marty @ http://www.martybellfinishing.com/index.html

Great paint at a great price, and he is fast.

Hey now, come on guys. He said he wants to paint to stay on budget - no need to discourage someone looking to do their first build, right?

billiam - One other option you might consider is Duplicolor acrylic lacquer. They are high quality spray lacquers you can generally find at the big auto parts chain stores. And they come in a wide variety of colors, including some very nice metallics. And there's a historical precedent here too - all the classic Fender colors we've learned to love were automobile paints. Leo knew how to produce on the cheap and saw all the colors he needed on the street. Here's Burgundy Mist Metallic for ya below. Don't let anyone discourage you - anybody can do this as long as you follow the best practices and take your time.

billiam5billion · #16 02-17-2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdracer

+1 If you have to ask these questions, you are in over your head. You will not save anything by doing a bad paint job and then having to have a Pro paint it or ruin any value of the body with a really bad paint job.

Contact Marty @ http://www.martybellfinishing.com/index.html

Great paint at a great price, and he is fast.

If nobody ever asked questions or tried things for the first time we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble. This kinda statement is ridiculous because it assumes that everybody who paints guitars started out knowing exactly what they were doing.

And since when is 300 bucks a great price? Warmoth is like185 and I'm sure their work is just fine.

billiam5billion · #17 02-17-2011, 12:46 PM

Anyways, I priced a complete reranch finishing package, which includes sandpaper, sand & sealer, primer, color, and nitro, and it came out to about 75 after shipping. I'm pretty sure I can swing this. My Rio Grande pup comes in next week and I'll probably be able to afford the body and the paint at the beginning of next month.

Thanks for everyone's input! Updates soon.

koobie · #18 02-17-2011, 02:59 PM

Looking forward to your results. It'd be great if you could post pics of the various stages. BTW, I've got two CAR basses, not my fave color, just worked out that way.

tonebrulee · #19 02-17-2011, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billiam5billion

Not gonna do CAR anymore though, I'm not confident enough in my skills to try a candy color first time out.

Have you decided on a color? And what kind of axe?

hdracer · #20 02-17-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billiam5billion

If nobody ever asked questions or tried things for the first time we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble. This kinda statement is ridiculous because it assumes that everybody who paints guitars started out knowing exactly what they were doing.

And since when is 300 bucks a great price? Warmoth is like185 and I'm sure their work is just fine.

If you did your research you would have known the answer.
You will end up spending at least $100 doing it yourself. For $85 more the Warmoth paint is a good deal. Learn to paint on a cheap guitar. I wish you luck