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Custom Grabber - 1st A to Z build

#186
Today marks the day the headstock got shot...with black paint! I've also started spraying the sides of the body with the metallic purple and the flake is still seen through the purple. So far so good. IDK if i'll be doing the top/back of the body today, but i know the sides will be done and that's good. Headstock is already at it's 5th coat and i've only just started with the purple. Most likely another 2 coats on the headstock and it'll be done for the week while it fully dries.

Thinking of a nice tint for the neck, recommendations on what i could get. THe neck is going to be Satin cleared while the face of the headstock and the body will be gloss cleared.
 
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#187
Hopkins said:
That is going to be next to impossible to do that with an opaque color and get it even.

What you need is a trans purple over the blue in order to get an even coat.

Something like this would probably work for you [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

So you guys were right about the paint combination. Didn;t turn out so good after 2 coats on the sides of the body...so yesterday i sanded that down and recoated with the remaining blue that i had. So i've been browsing and there's not much transparent purple colors, but i stumbled upon this...would it work? if not, i'd need some purple that i can acquire in stores.
 
#188
ThaCoast said:
So you guys were right about the paint combination. Didn;t turn out so good after 2 coats on the sides of the body...so yesterday i sanded that down and recoated with the remaining blue that i had. So i've been browsing and there's not much transparent purple colors, but i stumbled upon this...would it work? if not, i'd need some purple that i can acquire in stores.
Click to expand...

I would say that is exactly what you need.
 
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#191
The only customer review of this product on the Home Depot website cracks me up.

Don't waste your money
February 6, 2014
2.0
rating.gif

Quality
2.0
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Value
1.0
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This paint does NOT have good coverage at all! Good for super small projects, but you'll still have to use half a can to get good coverage. I called and complained to Alsa directly, because I thought I must have received defective cans, but nope, the replacements they sent me still had terrible coverage, and would randomly spray huge drips/splatters on my project, essentially ruining it so I had to sand down and start over. The ONLY good thing about this paint is that it is super metallic when you can finally get it concentrated enough, and their clearcoat is really awesome. Alsa customer service was very helpful, but this is just a dissapointing product.
Pros: Dries Quickly
Cons: bad coverage, uneven application
Click to expand...

Of course it doesn't have good coverage, its a transparent finish, :banghead:
 
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#192
The problem of being in Canada, specifically in quebec, is that nothing from the states will ship here!! So back to trying to find another transparent/translucent/anodized? spray paint for this bass. Any suggestions will help very very much :) cause browsing and only finding things that won't ship to where i live is just great -.-

And so i found one suitable spray paint. It's purple, transparent, available in local stores, and i've used it before. Tee results were great the first time i painted a guitar, although the paintjob in whole was pretty juvenile & weak, it still generated shock of joy to the owner of the guitar now.
 
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#193
Yesterday, i got to put a thin coat of transparent purple over the blue. And the flake still shows. i'm pretty happy with the results, just gotta go get some clear coat satin and gloss (minwax polyurethane) and then both pieces will be "curing" for about 3 weeks each. I'm pondering about installing the frets now, or later. Any tips? Will it make a difference? They are Jumbo bass frets from all parts, 2 ft long. I had the idea of placing it on the fretboard and marking with a sharpie the length it would be for all 21 frets. Is that a good approach? I don't want to pre cut and have some of them be too short for the fretboard.
 
#194
Cool - interested in photos of that paint job when you get a chance!

I cut the frets as I install them, typically starting with the highest frets, which are the longest ones, so that if I accidentally cut one too short I can use it further down the neck.
 
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#196
Started shooting the face of the headstock with gloss lacquer. Few layers of that today, then i'll do the necck afterwads if i still have the time hahaha. I'll try to get good pictures of the body's final paint scheme. It looks pretty good, although the top has perhaps a layer more than the back but it's still a good job. I've read up on watco lacquer and there's a lot of "dis" on it. Reason i'm saying is cause that's my gloss lacquer, i'm using minwax poly satin for the neck itself as i'll get a tinted look perhaps with the minwax (that's what it says on the can).

Anyways, watco good or not? i've seen some "builders" who've used it and had good results. Also, between poly and nitro, is there anyone of those lacquers that's better, or is it really just preference?
 

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