Spray paint is my mortal enemy. Especially spray paint drips. I’ve been finishing an electric guitar for months now, because every time I spray a new coat on, I get drips. When I get drips, my SOP is to sand through to the primer in a fatal attempt to level them. Then I swear, a lot. But I just got a set of scrapers the other day, and even though I haven’t managed to sharpen them satisfactorily, I decided to break ‘em out. I’d put another coat on my guitar a few days ago, and of course got some drips (I really, really suck at this whole aerosol lacquer game). Dull scraper to the rescue! With some careful scraping, I managed to rid myself of those pesky drips without scraping through to the primer! I’ll still wet sand until it’s ready for another color coat, but I think that dull scraper just saved me some sand-throughs. I might actually finish the guitar in this lifetime now. Now I just need to practice sharpening those glorious steel saviors….
-- I hate finishing. I never manage to quit while I'm ahead. --Chris
3 comments so far
Tim Dahn
home | projects | blog
1624 posts in 4572 days
#1 posted 03-23-2010 12:50 AM
Sounds like you are applying too much or holding the spray can too close. Stay 12” away and think many light coats.
-- Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement.
sphere
home | projects | blog
109 posts in 4038 days
#2 posted 03-23-2010 12:59 AM
Try a hunk of glass ( broken straight edge or cut) as well, curved for hollows and such.
BTW, I am a luthier and know what ya mean about rattle can spray, Stewart-MacDonald sells a good Laq WITH a decent nozzle on the can.
Mist first, I call it a tack coat, then go back and lay on a full wet coat, look at it from all angles for grainey-ness and STOP before it gets too wet. The grains will level out. And wet the floor and all area around ya so dust is not kicked up. I even shoot my sleeves and shirt front w/lac. to keep any dryer lint or dog hair from floating into the wet finish.
Good luck
-- Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Wood Works
ackychris
home | projects | blog
103 posts in 4020 days
#3 posted 03-23-2010 01:14 AM
Yeah, I need to work on my spray technique. It doesn’t help that my spray tent is only 4’x4’, so I’m pretty crowded in there. And I’m impatient to get a thick build so I can clear coat the sucker and start actually playing it. I’ll work on lighter coats. Sphere, that tack coat sounds like a great idea, I’ll try that with my next coat. And I hadn’t thought of using glass—good tip. All in all, after about 15 coats of sealer, primer, and color, I think I’m starting to learn some lessons. It’s about time…. :)
-- I hate finishing. I never manage to quit while I'm ahead. --Chris
Have your say...