Love you videos, huge help! I just applied my second coat of nitro gloss finish and noticed a small hair/lint on the front and back. How long should I wait before I can lightly sand those out before I apply my final two coats? Thank you so much.
Started finishing an explorer in Olympic white nitro 3 years ago. It was hard to find good info and I ultimately gave up after I made a mistake. Now I've found this video I'm motivated to finally finish it! It's been a wet sanding kinda couple of days 👍
Really enjoy this series of instructions on spraying Nitro. I am planning this very project this winter. Also loved you in the Addams Family movies. You're interpretation of "Thing" really brought him to life for the viewer in a way the TV series couldn't capture. Thumbs up.
These are some of the most detailed refinishing tutorial videos I have seen so far. I wish I had access to these videos back when I was learning to finish a guitar back in high school (2004). Back then, all I had were articles on Project Guitar its forum. Keep up the good work. Nice hands, by the way.
Man, can’t wait for part 3!!!!! I’m doing this myself and will be auctioning a guitar for a fundraiser. It’s neat to see someone else doing the same thing
I'm a professional body man over 40 years. Video had one major thing that concerned me but otherwise well done. That is after he waited 24 hours for the paint to dry he went straight to clear coat. At this stage sanding isn't recommended but a midcoat adhesive is. Some will say that's not needed. I have found that in 5 years or more the clear will start to peel. Looks great out of the gate but not for longevity it's not worth missing this step. Especially with enamels and polyurethane. You can buy it in a spray can and it's the same exact step as his sealer. I also found this definitely helps on Sharp edges as well to help hold a little build up. Hope this helps
Yes I do realize this is lacquer. I just emphasize this is needed more over on finishes with hard shells. And a month is sufficient. I prefer to wait 6 weeks even longer for cure.
What a great tutorial. I was looking to buy a nitro finished body but all the ones I have come across do a really heavy relic job. I'm considering just doing this myself and let it wear naturally over time.
Great work! This is far away the best tutorail i've found on the internet and I'm gonna follow it for my own guitar project, but where is part 3? you're the best!
Most spray cans can do this easily. Even some rustoleum enamel paints. The trick is in the prep work. The smoother the surface before color is applied the nicer the finish. The only thing you must have is a good nozzle on the spray can and you can usually borrow the nice nozzle to replace the not so nice nozzle on cheaper spray cans. But yes, he did a great job spraying that body.
Fantastic - best tutorial on this topic I've found, and I'm going to be basing my re-finish on your instruction. I'm re-finishing my 85 strat, first time attempting anything like this, I will record it on my new channel and publish referencing this series. Thanks again
It's maybe a good idea to let the can sit in hot water (not boiling tho) for a while before applying if your cans are not brand new. It seems to help the compounds mixing together and have the lacquer more fluid. I mention that because I screwed up my finish badly while using a clear coat can that had probably be sitting for too long on the vendor shelf. Even after shaking the can for a while, there were still small clots of compounds that went through the finish, dissolving the color and leaving nasty pinholes. I've tried to smooth them and apply a few color coats over them, but I think I'm just going to pretend I intended a vintage look.
Very good video. I always put a hook in strap button hole rather than drill neck pocket. I buy clear nitro at Home Depot for around $2 a can and use Tesco colors available at most hobby shops. The one near me has a great selection and the colors are even the same as some of the old Dupont auto colors. Not all are nitrocellulose, but not all Fender / Gibson custom colors were either. I learned you dont really need 6 sizes of grit. 400, 800, 1200 and a green Scotch brite will give you pro results. Finally, I love 3m Perfect It rubbing compound to buff out. You can hand buff with it just fine, but I use a friends wheel and man, it comes out like glass. It is expensive, but the best IMO and a little goes a long way.
Great video, thanks for posting these. One thing I can’t quite get my brain around though as why in the world you painted such a beautiful piece of wood a solid color! 😮
Your work have excellent method with a quite clear speech. I will sure be following and hopefully you may go with Polyurethane works as well. Thanks a lot, all the best.
My shop is in an old mill building so dust is just an everyday occurrence regardless of what you do. What I’ve found is that closely inspecting the surface a few minutes after spraying will show you any “preliminary” dust. If you have REALLY steady hands, you can get down on it with an exacto knife and magnifying glasses then CAREFULLY remove any little pieces of dust. This works best while the lacquer is still a bit wet because it will normally fill in any tiny little dust gaps. If you discover some in an hour or two after the lacquer has dried, you can just remove if very gently with your fingernail. What you’re trying to avoid is accumulation. If you let it go or don’t pay attention, it won’t turn out as nice. If you shoot light coats warm lacquer in a dry environment and keep an eye out for dust, you’ll get a beautiful finish. It’s really not that difficult...there are just a few little things to keep track of. In the long run, lacquer and varnish are the two easiest finishes to work with, in my experience.
I agree, very forgiving paint. I must also point out that duplicolor acrylic lacquer paint is as forgiving as nitro. The spray nozzle will sometimes spit out blobs of paint when the paint is mostly gone from the can and those blobs will melt into the existing finish and you won't be able to notice it when it dries. Very cool and for those who want a little bit more resilient and lasting finish, it's the way to go.
Just revisiting these tutorials. Really great job Lone Star. I'm just getting into spraying Nitro, and I must admit, I def prefer it over spraying poly
Me too. It's also easy to fix your mistakes and you can use lacquer thinner to go back to the wood and put a new color on. Plus, your guitar will wear nicely unlike poly which is hard as a rock and when it chips, big chunks fly off and make the finish look ugly.
@@TheChattanoogaBandit I don't have guitars with chunks out of them. I've seen on pictures what they do look like. Sometimes what can happen is guitar can fall from your hands or tip over the stand and fall onto hard surface and can crack the heavy poly finish with chunks coming off.
I am refinishing a headstock to match the body on a P bass (capri orange). I did not do a primer coat, just sealer. The color coat is complete orange peel (very small). I intend to sand it with 400 grit and re-spray. Should I reapply sealer or just adjust the color thickness and other variables as described below? I believe this happened for 3 reasons- 1.Temperature was around 90 F. 2. Humidity was high. 3 . I applied it too thick. Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated. Great tutorial, much better than manufaturer's "how - to" instructions!
Time 14:36 you said you like to let the color dry before clear coat. You should spray the clear coat over the paint as the paint tacts up just like any other coat. So after the last color coat , wait until it tacts up and start your clear coating. In my opinion, don't let the color coat dry for 24 hr before the clear coat, any dirt or bad spots can be sanded out of the clear coat and polish but don't sand though the clear.
The only time you should wait for a week or so is if you're spraying lacquer clear on top of acrylic color coat for example. To let the acrylic fully vent out before applying lacquer on top of it. Some paints specifically tell you to apply clear immediately after the color coats or you have to wait a day or two before applying clear. Something to do with the color coat still being gassy and clear needing that gas to adhere to the color coat.
Thank you so much for these videos. Really detailed. I really like the way the grain shows through the primer. Can you stop there, not apply color and just apply the clear coat at that stage?
I'm doing this work at the moment. PROBLEMS: 1) I've been Sprayin in temperatures between 21 and 24 and humidity of 55%-60%, idenpendently of the temperature levels I always and always have orange peel. I can't away from orange peel everytime I spray a coat. 2) manufacturer says each spray can can give 4 coats, I spray lightly and carefylly and can't get more than 3 coats with 1 Spray can QUESTION: If in the last coat of "Color" I have orange peel, should I sand it before the Clear Coats? Or should I leave it and the Clear Coats will disolve into the Color orange peel and then I just sand it well in the End of the Clear? Thank you so much for the video and for your help
You can use a piece of pvc pipe drill two holes for wood screws and screw that into the neck pocket if you don't have any wood around. I will sand down the primer coat if I notice imperfections and will pile on color and clear coats without any sanding between them and the orange peel will disappear on its own. I might sometimes slightly sand the last coat of the clear but stay away from the edges of the body to not go thru the paint. Then I hand polish the body and I'm done. You should use silicone free polish if you ever want to repaint the guitar otherwise the silicone will prevent new finish from sticking to the body. Also, if you're painting outside then you should use a paint booth that you can make from pvc pipes and plastic drop cloth otherwise you'll most likely get small specs of flying black matter embedded in your finish. That will definitely ruin your paint job because to dig it out the melted coats of nitro paint will pull up with the dirt and you might expose the primer coat as well. It's not like the bottom layers are solid and hard. They're soft because the layers above it are melting the layers below it. Nitro breathes and evaporates all the time. The bottom layers evaporate thru the top layers thus they melt them.
Awesome tutorial, this is the most helpful by far on YT. Quick question though! How important is letting the nitro cure for 2 weeks? I am building a guitar body for school and I only have 3 weeks to complete the whole thing including painting.
Do you follow the same process for spraying the clear coat Nitro that you did for the color coats? (spray, wait 20 min, repeat. Use a thin coat for the first coat) If you find imperfections / dust in the Nitro coats do you still wait 1hr and then sand out with 1000gr paper before continuing?
Thanks for this series, it's incredible! I have a question for you. I have a body that I want to paint nitro black, but I don't want it to be super glossy looking. I'd like pick wear to wear thru the paint organically but faster than 40 years. I also had a thought that it'd be cool to first paint the guitar white, and then black so that nicks and scratches will expose the white beneath. Do you think I could get away with just using the white primer below black paint or being that this is my first project, should I abandon the two paint idea and keep it simple? I guess what I am getting at is I don't know how much 2 paints would complicate this process. Also any advice for how to paint it in order to expeditated the relic'ing process? Would skipping the final gloss coat work or would it look bad?
I'm using a Satin clear coat. I don't have orange peel. My coats are thin and nice, but they feel micro gritty. Is this normal for a satin finish? If I feel I need to sand between sets of coats,.. how long do I let it dry before sanding? Which grit of wet sand should I start with? What grit is compatible with a Satin finish? Can I sand Satin smooth enough to switch to a Gloss? What do people do with a Satin finish if the goal is not a mirror finish? Apologies for all my questions. This is my first Satin nitro finish and I had not anticipated it seeming so dramatically different than a Gloss. Thank you.
Thanks alot, the videos are great! I've got a question though: If I've applied a coat of nitro, and some black particles of dust sticked on it, how long do I have to wait before I'll start wet sanding it?
Thank you. I'm using Mohawk Satin Clear Coat over a classical guitar which was sealed with shellac and micro sanded. The Satin nitro is not familiar to me. I am getting nice thin coats but the satin looks funny? It has almost a dusty look to it? Am I not spraying "wet" enough coats? Do I sand between multiple coats when using Satin Clear Coat? If I do get some actual dust in the finish is it ok to sand? It seems very different than the Gloss products that I have purchased from StewMac and I don't know if it is actually supposed to look almost a bit dusty? I only have 4 coats on so maybe all is ok, but if something is off it would be great to get any feedback. If needed, can I micromesh a nice finish after enough coats to smooth out this fine dusty look? If needed, can I spray gloss over Satin? Thank you
Hi do you sand the lacquer between coats or do you just build each coat up as you go. How long do you leave each coat of lacquer before applying another coat.
Hi great Videos. So after you apply sanding sealer If im understanding correctly you sprayed a coat or so of lacquer finish coat before primer? Or did I misunderstand you.
I'm refinishing a Warmoth Tele with ReRanch Fender Blonde. I'm ready to clear coat the Tele. ReRanch has been out of business for awhile because of Covid 19 but they have all the Fender colors in nitro. I use a handle on my paint cans, much easier to control. I wear a mask from Harbor Freight.
I was going to go with reranch but then I changed my mind and went with duplicolor sanding sealer then duplicolor perfect color match and finally watco clear nitro lacquer. The acrylic duplicolor is some tough paint I must say. After five years, the watco is starting to peel off in areas where guitar touches my body when I play the guitar. I love how watco easily checks as well. It dries hard and it's not sticky on the neck or body. Next time I would go with duplicolor clear instead of the watco but I wanted checking pattern because I like the old relic look so I used watco for that.
Hey man! Your videos have been super helpful. I had a question with an issue that came up in my finish process. I just sprayed my first color coat tonight and I believe a bunch of moisture got trapped in it. Would you sand that first layer off and start clear coat over again?
hello sir!! its pretty cool tutorial! but may I have a question? Ive got quite expensive gibson with the satin finish, its really nice wood-looking walnut model, and I noticed I can do too many deep scrataches. I can do the big scraches with the finger-nail only!! is there any chance to put some lacquer on it without ruin the wooden structure? thank you many times!
Awesome ! Can I overspray my T-style guitar ? It has a swamp ash body and the back is transparent....I would like it to be brown see-through finish ! Can I make it ? Thanks for your answer and help 🙏👍
Very happy to see this. Part 1 got me interested in getting back into making my own guitar, and part 2 has come along just as I am gathering the materials. So many thanks for that! Have you ever dealt with rebel relics in NL? They offer a faded sonic blue spray, which I’ve not found elsewhere, which is perfect for my project, but their website is a little...lacking. Many thanks for your efforts.
Glad to hear that! I haven't dealt with Rebel Relics myself. I did notice that their nitro is quite expensive though. Do they ship overseas? Best of luck with your build!
Lone Star Guitars Agreed on it being expensive, but to colour seems to be unique to them and fits my build very well, so I’ve just accepted paying more. They offered worldwide shipping options, again expensive, so we will see if it arrives. Many thanks.
Really nice tutorial, very clear. Do you know if I can use nitrocellulose such as these on stripped metal? The metal belongs to a pre-war typewriter and has been stripped of old paint and rust and is slightly abraded. If so, do you think the primer you use here also be a good choice? Thanks!
If you get heavy orange peel on the first coat, do you sand and then spray your second coat? Or can you apply all of your costs and deal with the orange peel at the end before starting the clear coat process?
Hi!!!! Thanks for the video. In the last color coat you got tiny bit orange peel and you said is easily be sanded later. You sand before clear coats or after?? And what sand paper use for it?? Thanks again for the video
I’m painting my guitar, if theirs orange peel showing in the base colour then you clear coat over it and buff later wouldn’t the orange peel in the base show through the clear?
The clear coat will dissolve into the color coat. That means you won't see the orange peel through the clear, but the clear might have the orange peel effect as well. Very minor orange peel in the color coat is okay. Major orange peel in the color coat should be sanded flat. Then apply clear.
Thank you for this video!! Only one question: After grain filing we sans with 240 grit paper, and then directly go to the sanding sealer? Is there no finer grit paper to use before the sanding sealer?
I assume you're using the sanding sealer as a primer. In that case use 200 to 400 grit max. sandpaper. Any finer and it will clog up quickly. All a sanding sealer is, is a clear lacquer with more pigments and maybe more plasticizers, levelers, etc. in it to make the lacquer thicker so that it will fill pores and imperfections in the wood before color coats are applied. Otherwise you'll use ton of clear lacquer to fill the pores. Actually, wood filler is better than sanding sealer or lacquer because it won't sink into the wood. Any lacquer will sink into the wood overtime. Some people will prefer that old sink into wood look ie. relic freaks :) A primer's job is to create a level layer for the color coats.
Haviing troubles with runs in my colour coat too heavy of an application instead of a very light first coat how can I fix this without sanding it back to bare wood as it has a signature on the back.
This is an amazing video!! I was wondering if I could use vinyl sealer as a top coat though after I’ve applied color and primer? did you apply sealer primer and lacquer all in one day? Thanks for sharing your process!
Thank you! I've never used a vinyl sealer, but I think it's meant to be used as a sanding sealer, not as a top coat. I usually apply sealer and primer on the same day. The next day I'll apply color. The day after the clear coat. Technically you could apply all of them on the same day, but I like to thoroughly inspect the dried primer coat before I continue.
www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Instrument_Finishing_and_Finish_Repair/Nitrocellulose_Finishing_Schedule.html Basically you can do the initial 3 coats or so with the lacquer that youre using. Just make sure the coats are thin and have ample amount to dry.
I think that vinyl sealer has some kind of particles in it that will make it easier to sand and those will take the shine away from the last coat when you sand it down. I guess you could use it if you want a satin finish. I wouldn't. I would use satin nitro lacquer if I was going for satin look. That way I can be sure the top coat is transparent and doesn't have stuff in it to mess with the color coat.
Thank you for taking the time to produce such a clear and informative video! It it necessary to grain seal Alder bodies? If we do see orange peel after spraying, what is an appropriate amount of time to wait before sanding? Thank you.
Thanks! Alder usually does not require grain filling. If I have to do any sanding in between coats I usually wait 48 hours and then very carefully wet sand with 1000 grit sandpaper.
Does the guitar nitro relics normal even tho I’m using nitrocellulose spray can? Compared to normal nitro paint? I want to refinish my Strat hoping it eventually gets relic’ed
Great video! Will start spraying as soon as it´s warm enough outside. Question: For what ever reason I have a FFP2 mask here... :D Is that sufficient for doing one body? Or do I need more protection?
I have a question! My friend is hand-painting some artwork onto a custom build I'm putting together. I'm creating an alpine white base to my body before she works on the designs. Should she paint after the colour coat and before the clear coat? If not, what point would be best?
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have followed your advice, and have finished painting, ready for topcoat. The guitar looks awesome, even better than I expected. One problem I noticed though is a few small paint splatter drops. I feel like if I dry sand or wet sand to try to knock down the drops, then I need to sand the whole body. Other than the drops, the body is really nice and smooth. Any advice? Thanks.
You are very welcome. Why do you feel like you have to sand the entire body after knocking down some drips? Yes, those spots will look different (less shiny) from the rest of the finish, but when you apply the clear nitro it will dissolve into the color coat and everything will look smooth again. So no worries. Just make sure you clean the sanded areas well (make sure there isn't any sanding dust left, because that WILL show up in your clear coat), and check for any bubbles / pinholes in the finish where those drips used to be. Best of luck!
I noticed that your spray can had a much wider path than what I purchased at the hardware store. It looked like you have about a 6" spray vs mine that is about 3" to 4". I like your product better.
Magnificent...just one question: do you have to maintain the temperature and humidity as mentioned during the 22 days? If the answer is yes, now how could it be done in a garage for the duration of that period...finally, thank you very much...
You want the temp to be steady for the whole month ideally. A few degrees won't matter. But, don't take it from a hot garage, into a cool room or you'll get checking in the finish. The temp needs to be stable. This is why many ppl only spray during spring/summer months. Winter isn't good for spraying, unless you have a climate controlled booth to spray
Great videos! Just a quick one, I'm looking at doing a strat build with a swamp ash body and sunburst nitro finish where you can also still see the wood grain. Would probably look at using the grain filler to make a nice smooth body, but it was when you applied the white primer to this that you couldn't see the grain. If you want the grain to be visible, would you still apply a primer? Are there clear primers or would the process be a little bit different? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I'm sorry for the late response! If you want the wood grain to show visually (meaning that the surface WILL be flat / grain filled) just follow all of the steps EXCEPT for the primer. Just apply grain filler, then a (transparent) sanding sealer, then your semi-transparent color coats and then your clear coats. A primer is not absolutely necessary. Best of luck!
Part 3 is finally up! I hope you all enjoy it.
Where's the link for the clear coat?
Love you videos, huge help! I just applied my second coat of nitro gloss finish and noticed a small hair/lint on the front and back. How long should I wait before I can lightly sand those out before I apply my final two coats? Thank you so much.
Can you put a oil finished neck on a nitro finished body?
This dude's hands are the star of the vid
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - Spray Conditions
1:36 - Temperature
2:24 - Humidity
2:52 - Air Flow
3:27 - Dust/ Location
4:32 - Spray Technique
4:55 - Workpiece Positioning
6:22 - Hand Movement
7:53 - The Spraying Process
9:38 - Clean the Body
11:10 - Inspection
12:23 - Primer Coat
13:44 - Color Coat
14:45 - Clear Coat
15:42 - Results
The best I've seen and believe me I've watched tons of videos.
Started finishing an explorer in Olympic white nitro 3 years ago. It was hard to find good info and I ultimately gave up after I made a mistake. Now I've found this video I'm motivated to finally finish it! It's been a wet sanding kinda couple of days 👍
Great to hear that! Glad to be of help. Best of luck with your project.
Really enjoy this series of instructions on spraying Nitro. I am planning this very project this winter. Also loved you in the Addams Family movies. You're interpretation of "Thing" really brought him to life for the viewer in a way the TV series couldn't capture. Thumbs up.
These are some of the most detailed refinishing tutorial videos I have seen so far. I wish I had access to these videos back when I was learning to finish a guitar back in high school (2004). Back then, all I had were articles on Project Guitar its forum. Keep up the good work. Nice hands, by the way.
Man, can’t wait for part 3!!!!! I’m doing this myself and will be auctioning a guitar for a fundraiser. It’s neat to see someone else doing the same thing
Sounds like a great project! Part 3 is almost finished. I hope it'll help you out.
At this point I kind of feel like if I saw you on the street somewhere I would recognize you just from your hands... :)
Looking forward to part three!
Maybe I should start wearing gloves to stop people from recognizing me... Part 3 is coming soon!
Little 'Ol Me lol
😂
Very informative, i am very keen on trying this myself soon. Please make more videos, YOU ROCK MAN!!!
Thanks! Part 3 is coming very soon!
I'm a professional body man over 40 years. Video had one major thing that concerned me but otherwise well done. That is after he waited 24 hours for the paint to dry he went straight to clear coat. At this stage sanding isn't recommended but a midcoat adhesive is. Some will say that's not needed. I have found that in 5 years or more the clear will start to peel. Looks great out of the gate but not for longevity it's not worth missing this step. Especially with enamels and polyurethane. You can buy it in a spray can and it's the same exact step as his sealer. I also found this definitely helps on Sharp edges as well to help hold a little build up. Hope this helps
Yes I do realize this is lacquer. I just emphasize this is needed more over on finishes with hard shells. And a month is sufficient. I prefer to wait 6 weeks even longer for cure.
Oh and maybe a couple sock puppets for the hands. LOL
Looking forward to part 3!
What a great tutorial. I was looking to buy a nitro finished body but all the ones I have come across do a really heavy relic job. I'm considering just doing this myself and let it wear naturally over time.
Great work! This is far away the best tutorail i've found on the internet and I'm gonna follow it for my own guitar project, but where is part 3? you're the best!
Part 3 is coming very soon!
I used to love the Talking Heads, but I am really learning a lot from the Talking Hands. Thank you!
Wow I was looking for this tutorial for the longest time, I feel I went to a luthier school already, thanks for your hard work my friend
Good to hear! Thanks for watching.
I think this is the cleanest spray can finishes I've ever seen...
Most spray cans can do this easily. Even some rustoleum enamel paints. The trick is in the prep work. The smoother the surface before color is applied the nicer the finish. The only thing you must have is a good nozzle on the spray can and you can usually borrow the nice nozzle to replace the not so nice nozzle on cheaper spray cans. But yes, he did a great job spraying that body.
Fantastic - best tutorial on this topic I've found, and I'm going to be basing my re-finish on your instruction. I'm re-finishing my 85 strat, first time attempting anything like this, I will record it on my new channel and publish referencing this series. Thanks again
Thx for the nice tutorial! God I love the way nitro finishes reflect light.
best video on this topic I have found
Waiting for the lacquer to cure can be tough, but it is vital to getting great results. I like to wait 6 weeks.
It sure is. The softer it is, the more difficult it is to get a nice gloss going.
It's maybe a good idea to let the can sit in hot water (not boiling tho) for a while before applying if your cans are not brand new. It seems to help the compounds mixing together and have the lacquer more fluid. I mention that because I screwed up my finish badly while using a clear coat can that had probably be sitting for too long on the vendor shelf. Even after shaking the can for a while, there were still small clots of compounds that went through the finish, dissolving the color and leaving nasty pinholes. I've tried to smooth them and apply a few color coats over them, but I think I'm just going to pretend I intended a vintage look.
What a great tutorial,........heading for part 3..........thanks !
Good color choice! Another great lesson and show, thank you.
Best tutorial I’ve found. Thank you.
I just started paint my guitar with your advice !
Very good video. I always put a hook in strap button hole rather than drill neck pocket. I buy clear nitro at Home Depot for around $2 a can and use Tesco colors available at most hobby shops. The one near me has a great selection and the colors are even the same as some of the old Dupont auto colors. Not all are nitrocellulose, but not all Fender / Gibson custom colors were either. I learned you dont really need 6 sizes of grit. 400, 800, 1200 and a green Scotch brite will give you pro results. Finally, I love 3m Perfect It rubbing compound to buff out. You can hand buff with it just fine, but I use a friends wheel and man, it comes out like glass. It is expensive, but the best IMO and a little goes a long way.
Your hands speak well, Thanks for great video and I really appreciate your work and knowldge
The hands have spoken!
Beautiful work and great tutorial, thanks again!
Great video, thanks for posting these. One thing I can’t quite get my brain around though as why in the world you painted such a beautiful piece of wood a solid color! 😮
So helpful, full of detail and really great advice. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, really appreciate it!
Your work have excellent method with a quite clear speech.
I will sure be following and hopefully you may go with Polyurethane works as well.
Thanks a lot, all the best.
Thank you! Maybe I will do a poly tutorial in the future.
Thanks for this great tutorial.
My shop is in an old mill building so dust is just an everyday occurrence regardless of what you do. What I’ve found is that closely inspecting the surface a few minutes after spraying will show you any “preliminary” dust. If you have REALLY steady hands, you can get down on it with an exacto knife and magnifying glasses then CAREFULLY remove any little pieces of dust. This works best while the lacquer is still a bit wet because it will normally fill in any tiny little dust gaps. If you discover some in an hour or two after the lacquer has dried, you can just remove if very gently with your fingernail. What you’re trying to avoid is accumulation. If you let it go or don’t pay attention, it won’t turn out as nice. If you shoot light coats warm lacquer in a dry environment and keep an eye out for dust, you’ll get a beautiful finish. It’s really not that difficult...there are just a few little things to keep track of. In the long run, lacquer and varnish are the two easiest finishes to work with, in my experience.
I agree, very forgiving paint. I must also point out that duplicolor acrylic lacquer paint is as forgiving as nitro. The spray nozzle will sometimes spit out blobs of paint when the paint is mostly gone from the can and those blobs will melt into the existing finish and you won't be able to notice it when it dries. Very cool and for those who want a little bit more resilient and lasting finish, it's the way to go.
these videos are awesome! Thanks so much - have helped my first time finishing job immensely!
Just revisiting these tutorials. Really great job Lone Star. I'm just getting into spraying Nitro, and I must admit, I def prefer it over spraying poly
Me too. It's also easy to fix your mistakes and you can use lacquer thinner to go back to the wood and put a new color on. Plus, your guitar will wear nicely unlike poly which is hard as a rock and when it chips, big chunks fly off and make the finish look ugly.
@@jcd13able what in the world are you doing with your guitar to “knock chunks” out of it??
@@TheChattanoogaBandit I don't have guitars with chunks out of them. I've seen on pictures what they do look like. Sometimes what can happen is guitar can fall from your hands or tip over the stand and fall onto hard surface and can crack the heavy poly finish with chunks coming off.
Very enjoyable video! Thank you for taking the time😊
Very nice. I learned stuff. I would never drill more holes in the neck pocket to mount a stick. Use the body holes and mount the stick like a neck.
Sounds like you have a slight accent, maybe French (like French Canadian) your tutorial is thorough and was very helpful. Thanks.
As much as I love surf green that was a beautifullly figured piece of Ash you tragically painted over.
Nice job man!
Thanks!
halfway followed this video on my first body and it came out alright. Follow it to a T and my second body came out immaculate
Can you do exactly the same sort of video, but this time for a 'clear natural' wood finish please?
I am refinishing a headstock to match the body on a P bass (capri orange). I did not do a primer coat, just sealer.
The color coat is complete orange peel (very small). I intend to sand it with 400 grit and re-spray. Should I reapply sealer or just adjust the color thickness and other variables as described below?
I believe this happened for 3 reasons- 1.Temperature was around 90 F.
2. Humidity was high.
3 . I applied it too thick.
Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated.
Great tutorial, much better than manufaturer's "how - to" instructions!
Subed bro, thsi is what i was looking for, for my first project!
Thank you Things (The Adam's family).
Time 14:36 you said you like to let the color dry before clear coat. You should spray the clear coat over the paint as the paint tacts up just like any other coat. So
after the last color coat , wait until it tacts up and start your clear coating. In my opinion, don't let the color coat dry for 24 hr before the clear coat,
any dirt or bad spots can be sanded out of the clear coat and polish but don't sand though the clear.
The only time you should wait for a week or so is if you're spraying lacquer clear on top of acrylic color coat for example. To let the acrylic fully vent out before applying lacquer on top of it. Some paints specifically tell you to apply clear immediately after the color coats or you have to wait a day or two before applying clear. Something to do with the color coat still being gassy and clear needing that gas to adhere to the color coat.
Informative, thank you. Not sure we need to so so much footage of hand gestures though.
Thank you so much for these videos. Really detailed. I really like the way the grain shows through the primer. Can you stop there, not apply color and just apply the clear coat at that stage?
I'm doing this work at the moment. PROBLEMS:
1) I've been Sprayin in temperatures between 21 and 24 and humidity of 55%-60%, idenpendently of the temperature levels I always and always have orange peel. I can't away from orange peel everytime I spray a coat.
2) manufacturer says each spray can can give 4 coats, I spray lightly and carefylly and can't get more than 3 coats with 1 Spray can
QUESTION: If in the last coat of "Color" I have orange peel, should I sand it before the Clear Coats? Or should I leave it and the Clear Coats will disolve into the Color orange peel and then I just sand it well in the End of the Clear?
Thank you so much for the video and for your help
What a beautiful Ash body. I would have loved a clear lacquer to show off that grain.
I found the talking hands strangely addictive.
You can use a piece of pvc pipe drill two holes for wood screws and screw that into the neck pocket if you don't have any wood around. I will sand down the primer coat if I notice imperfections and will pile on color and clear coats without any sanding between them and the orange peel will disappear on its own. I might sometimes slightly sand the last coat of the clear but stay away from the edges of the body to not go thru the paint. Then I hand polish the body and I'm done. You should use silicone free polish if you ever want to repaint the guitar otherwise the silicone will prevent new finish from sticking to the body. Also, if you're painting outside then you should use a paint booth that you can make from pvc pipes and plastic drop cloth otherwise you'll most likely get small specs of flying black matter embedded in your finish. That will definitely ruin your paint job because to dig it out the melted coats of nitro paint will pull up with the dirt and you might expose the primer coat as well. It's not like the bottom layers are solid and hard. They're soft because the layers above it are melting the layers below it. Nitro breathes and evaporates all the time. The bottom layers evaporate thru the top layers thus they melt them.
Awesome tutorial, this is the most helpful by far on YT. Quick question though! How important is letting the nitro cure for 2 weeks? I am building a guitar body for school and I only have 3 weeks to complete the whole thing including painting.
Considering he likes to leave it cure for 4 weeks I would say it’s imperative that you leave it to cure for the whole 2 weeks minimum
Thank you
Do you follow the same process for spraying the clear coat Nitro that you did for the color coats? (spray, wait 20 min, repeat. Use a thin coat for the first coat) If you find imperfections / dust in the Nitro coats do you still wait 1hr and then sand out with 1000gr paper before continuing?
Such a beautiful natural wood on that body
Excellent tip! Thank you! Have you done any work with Nitro that produces a "crackle" or a vintage look?
Great tutorial! Very helpful; only one question; if I wanted to stain my guitar, would I put the grain filler on before or after I stain it?
This looks like so much fun! Shame I live in a tiny apartment☹️
Thanks for this series, it's incredible!
I have a question for you. I have a body that I want to paint nitro black, but I don't want it to be super glossy looking. I'd like pick wear to wear thru the paint organically but faster than 40 years. I also had a thought that it'd be cool to first paint the guitar white, and then black so that nicks and scratches will expose the white beneath. Do you think I could get away with just using the white primer below black paint or being that this is my first project, should I abandon the two paint idea and keep it simple? I guess what I am getting at is I don't know how much 2 paints would complicate this process. Also any advice for how to paint it in order to expeditated the relic'ing process? Would skipping the final gloss coat work or would it look bad?
I'm using a Satin clear coat. I don't have orange peel. My coats are thin and nice, but they feel micro gritty. Is this normal for a satin finish? If I feel I need to sand between sets of coats,.. how long do I let it dry before sanding? Which grit of wet sand should I start with? What grit is compatible with a Satin finish? Can I sand Satin smooth enough to switch to a Gloss? What do people do with a Satin finish if the goal is not a mirror finish? Apologies for all my questions. This is my first Satin nitro finish and I had not anticipated it seeming so dramatically different than a Gloss. Thank you.
Thanks alot, the videos are great!
I've got a question though:
If I've applied a coat of nitro, and some black particles of dust sticked on it, how long do I have to wait before I'll start wet sanding it?
Thank you. I'm using Mohawk Satin Clear Coat over a classical guitar which was sealed with shellac and micro sanded. The Satin nitro is not familiar to me. I am getting nice thin coats but the satin looks funny? It has almost a dusty look to it? Am I not spraying "wet" enough coats? Do I sand between multiple coats when using Satin Clear Coat? If I do get some actual dust in the finish is it ok to sand? It seems very different than the Gloss products that I have purchased from StewMac and I don't know if it is actually supposed to look almost a bit dusty? I only have 4 coats on so maybe all is ok, but if something is off it would be great to get any feedback. If needed, can I micromesh a nice finish after enough coats to smooth out this fine dusty look? If needed, can I spray gloss over Satin? Thank you
Hi do you sand the lacquer between coats or do you just build each coat up as you go.
How long do you leave each coat of lacquer before applying another coat.
Hi great Videos. So after you apply sanding sealer If im understanding correctly you sprayed a coat or so of lacquer finish coat before primer? Or did I misunderstand you.
This video is handy
I'm refinishing a Warmoth Tele with ReRanch Fender Blonde. I'm ready to clear coat the Tele. ReRanch has been out of business for awhile because of Covid 19 but they have all the Fender colors in nitro. I use a handle on my paint cans, much easier to control. I wear a mask from Harbor Freight.
I was going to go with reranch but then I changed my mind and went with duplicolor sanding sealer then duplicolor perfect color match and finally watco clear nitro lacquer. The acrylic duplicolor is some tough paint I must say. After five years, the watco is starting to peel off in areas where guitar touches my body when I play the guitar. I love how watco easily checks as well. It dries hard and it's not sticky on the neck or body. Next time I would go with duplicolor clear instead of the watco but I wanted checking pattern because I like the old relic look so I used watco for that.
I can’t tell if you masked the ferrule holes or stuck something inside. Or did you just paint and deal with fit later?
Great videos. Informative, clear and consise. Especially for a beginner like me. A little weird staring at your hands the whole time tho.
Thanks for the Great Video!
What grit should I use to sand the Filler/Primer if I find any imperfections?
Hey man! Your videos have been super helpful. I had a question with an issue that came up in my finish process. I just sprayed my first color coat tonight and I believe a bunch of moisture got trapped in it. Would you sand that first layer off and start clear coat over again?
hello sir!! its pretty cool tutorial! but may I have a question? Ive got quite expensive gibson with the satin finish, its really nice wood-looking walnut model, and I noticed I can do too many deep scrataches. I can do the big scraches with the finger-nail only!! is there any chance to put some lacquer on it without ruin the wooden structure? thank you many times!
Awesome ! Can I overspray my T-style guitar ? It has a swamp ash body and the back is transparent....I would like it to be brown see-through finish ! Can I make it ? Thanks for your answer and help 🙏👍
Very happy to see this. Part 1 got me interested in getting back into making my own guitar, and part 2 has come along just as I am gathering the materials. So many thanks for that!
Have you ever dealt with rebel relics in NL? They offer a faded sonic blue spray, which I’ve not found elsewhere, which is perfect for my project, but their website is a little...lacking.
Many thanks for your efforts.
Glad to hear that! I haven't dealt with Rebel Relics myself. I did notice that their nitro is quite expensive though. Do they ship overseas? Best of luck with your build!
Lone Star Guitars Agreed on it being expensive, but to colour seems to be unique to them and fits my build very well, so I’ve just accepted paying more. They offered worldwide shipping options, again expensive, so we will see if it arrives.
Many thanks.
Awesome video!! How many cans of clear did you use?
Really nice tutorial, very clear. Do you know if I can use nitrocellulose such as these on stripped metal? The metal belongs to a pre-war typewriter and has been stripped of old paint and rust and is slightly abraded. If so, do you think the primer you use here also be a good choice? Thanks!
If you get heavy orange peel on the first coat, do you sand and then spray your second coat? Or can you apply all of your costs and deal with the orange peel at the end before starting the clear coat process?
Hi!!!! Thanks for the video. In the last color coat you got tiny bit orange peel and you said is easily be sanded later. You sand before clear coats or after?? And what sand paper use for it?? Thanks again for the video
If you just stopped at this point (the end of the video) would that me ok for a more matte finish?
I’m painting my guitar, if theirs orange peel showing in the base colour then you clear coat over it and buff later wouldn’t the orange peel in the base show through the clear?
The clear coat will dissolve into the color coat. That means you won't see the orange peel through the clear, but the clear might have the orange peel effect as well. Very minor orange peel in the color coat is okay. Major orange peel in the color coat should be sanded flat. Then apply clear.
The slight orange peel in the final clear coat will go away when you polish the guitar away.
Thank you for this video!! Only one question:
After grain filing we sans with 240 grit paper, and then directly go to the sanding sealer?
Is there no finer grit paper to use before the sanding sealer?
I assume you're using the sanding sealer as a primer. In that case use 200 to 400 grit max. sandpaper. Any finer and it will clog up quickly. All a sanding sealer is, is a clear lacquer with more pigments and maybe more plasticizers, levelers, etc. in it to make the lacquer thicker so that it will fill pores and imperfections in the wood before color coats are applied. Otherwise you'll use ton of clear lacquer to fill the pores. Actually, wood filler is better than sanding sealer or lacquer because it won't sink into the wood. Any lacquer will sink into the wood overtime. Some people will prefer that old sink into wood look ie. relic freaks :) A primer's job is to create a level layer for the color coats.
What lacquer would you recommend now that Manchester Tech does not deliver to mainland Europe any longer?
are you sanding between color and clear finish?
Hello, very interesting video. Just a question... How do you protect or cover the string ferrules holes? Thank you.
Haviing troubles with runs in my colour coat too heavy of an application instead of a very light first coat how can I fix this without sanding it back to bare wood as it has a signature on the back.
If I'm doing a glued neck kit like a LP should I glue it first or do the sanding and grain filler if I plan to also paint the neck?
This is an amazing video!! I was wondering if I could use vinyl sealer as a top coat though after I’ve applied color and primer? did you apply sealer primer and lacquer all in one day? Thanks for sharing your process!
Thank you! I've never used a vinyl sealer, but I think it's meant to be used as a sanding sealer, not as a top coat. I usually apply sealer and primer on the same day. The next day I'll apply color. The day after the clear coat. Technically you could apply all of them on the same day, but I like to thoroughly inspect the dried primer coat before I continue.
www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Instrument_Finishing_and_Finish_Repair/Nitrocellulose_Finishing_Schedule.html
Basically you can do the initial 3 coats or so with the lacquer that youre using. Just make sure the coats are thin and have ample amount to dry.
I think that vinyl sealer has some kind of particles in it that will make it easier to sand and those will take the shine away from the last coat when you sand it down. I guess you could use it if you want a satin finish. I wouldn't. I would use satin nitro lacquer if I was going for satin look. That way I can be sure the top coat is transparent and doesn't have stuff in it to mess with the color coat.
Thank you for taking the time to produce such a clear and informative video! It it necessary to grain seal Alder bodies? If we do see orange peel after spraying, what is an appropriate amount of time to wait before sanding? Thank you.
Thanks! Alder usually does not require grain filling. If I have to do any sanding in between coats I usually wait 48 hours and then very carefully wet sand with 1000 grit sandpaper.
Question if you get s run in the paint do you have a suggestion how to get it out without sanding down to the wood and repaint?
Does the guitar nitro relics normal even tho I’m using nitrocellulose spray can? Compared to normal nitro paint? I want to refinish my Strat hoping it eventually gets relic’ed
hello i would know how much time between coats of drying of vanish and what number sandpaper to sand down for vanish ? Thanks
Great video! Will start spraying as soon as it´s warm enough outside.
Question: For what ever reason I have a FFP2 mask here... :D Is that sufficient for doing one body? Or do I need more protection?
How long would it take from start to finish to refinish a poly sunburst stratocaster into a nitro sunburst?
I have a question!
My friend is hand-painting some artwork onto a custom build I'm putting together.
I'm creating an alpine white base to my body before she works on the designs. Should she paint after the colour coat and before the clear coat? If not, what point would be best?
Lloyd Alexander before clear coat IMO. At least the clear cost will protect the artwork and won’t rub off when playing 👍🏻
daniel cooper thanks mate!
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have followed your advice, and have finished painting, ready for topcoat. The guitar looks awesome, even better than I expected.
One problem I noticed though is a few small paint splatter drops. I feel like if I dry sand or wet sand to try to knock down the drops, then I need to sand the whole body. Other than the drops, the body is really nice and smooth. Any advice? Thanks.
You are very welcome. Why do you feel like you have to sand the entire body after knocking down some drips? Yes, those spots will look different (less shiny) from the rest of the finish, but when you apply the clear nitro it will dissolve into the color coat and everything will look smooth again. So no worries. Just make sure you clean the sanded areas well (make sure there isn't any sanding dust left, because that WILL show up in your clear coat), and check for any bubbles / pinholes in the finish where those drips used to be. Best of luck!
Yes, those splatters will melt into existing coats same with acrylic paints.
I noticed that your spray can had a much wider path than what I purchased at the hardware store. It looked like you have about a 6" spray vs mine that is about 3" to 4". I like your product better.
Magnificent...just one question: do you have to maintain the temperature and humidity as mentioned during the 22 days? If the answer is yes, now how could it be done in a garage for the duration of that period...finally, thank you very much...
You want the temp to be steady for the whole month ideally. A few degrees won't matter. But, don't take it from a hot garage, into a cool room or you'll get checking in the finish. The temp needs to be stable. This is why many ppl only spray during spring/summer months. Winter isn't good for spraying, unless you have a climate controlled booth to spray
Great videos! Just a quick one, I'm looking at doing a strat build with a swamp ash body and sunburst nitro finish where you can also still see the wood grain. Would probably look at using the grain filler to make a nice smooth body, but it was when you applied the white primer to this that you couldn't see the grain. If you want the grain to be visible, would you still apply a primer? Are there clear primers or would the process be a little bit different? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
I'm sorry for the late response! If you want the wood grain to show visually (meaning that the surface WILL be flat / grain filled) just follow all of the steps EXCEPT for the primer. Just apply grain filler, then a (transparent) sanding sealer, then your semi-transparent color coats and then your clear coats. A primer is not absolutely necessary. Best of luck!
That's great, thanks for the reply! :)