This is why I won't build any more guitars.
OCD only works well in certain situations.
Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
So 16 coats in 16 days isn't the way to go ...
This is why I won't build any more guitars.
OCD only works well in certain situations.
This is why I won't build any more guitars.
OCD only works well in certain situations.
Why Aye Man
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
I was told to use the "rules of 3".
Three coats a day, for three days.
A coat is defined as around three passes over the body.
Start with a light coat, next coat a little wetter and the last coat wet.
But not so wet it runs.
That is one coat.
Then let it dry for an hour or so, then apply another "coat".
I usually don't spray lacquer unless the humidity is below 50%.
If you spray during high humidity you will get blushing, which is a
white haze in the finish.
It is water that is trapped in the lacquer.
You can use blush eraser or just stop and spray again when the humidity
is lower and the blushing will go away.
I'm talking nitrocellulose lacquer here.
And that rule is basically for the clear coat.
A mistake many make, is putting too much color coat on.
You only need enough color to completely cover the body.
So three or four passes to get an even coverage is all that is needed.
And you don't really need to sand the color coats or any coats unless there
is a big run, drip or bug in the finish.
Nitro lacquer is unique in the way the next coat melts into the last coat.
So you don't need to sand in between unless there is a defect.
So after your 9-12 coats of clear are on, let it hang for at least three weeks if not four.
If you don't, the finish will not be hard enough to wet sand and polish.
The reason for the 9-12 coats is when you wet sand and polish, you are in effect
removing at least 1/4 if not 1/3 of the material sprayed on.
So it even though that sounds like a lot, it shrinks to a paper thin coating.
If you don't apply enough clear lacquer, you will be sanding into the color coat before
you know it and that's not good.
Three coats a day, for three days.
A coat is defined as around three passes over the body.
Start with a light coat, next coat a little wetter and the last coat wet.
But not so wet it runs.
That is one coat.
Then let it dry for an hour or so, then apply another "coat".
I usually don't spray lacquer unless the humidity is below 50%.
If you spray during high humidity you will get blushing, which is a
white haze in the finish.
It is water that is trapped in the lacquer.
You can use blush eraser or just stop and spray again when the humidity
is lower and the blushing will go away.
I'm talking nitrocellulose lacquer here.
And that rule is basically for the clear coat.
A mistake many make, is putting too much color coat on.
You only need enough color to completely cover the body.
So three or four passes to get an even coverage is all that is needed.
And you don't really need to sand the color coats or any coats unless there
is a big run, drip or bug in the finish.
Nitro lacquer is unique in the way the next coat melts into the last coat.
So you don't need to sand in between unless there is a defect.
So after your 9-12 coats of clear are on, let it hang for at least three weeks if not four.
If you don't, the finish will not be hard enough to wet sand and polish.
The reason for the 9-12 coats is when you wet sand and polish, you are in effect
removing at least 1/4 if not 1/3 of the material sprayed on.
So it even though that sounds like a lot, it shrinks to a paper thin coating.
If you don't apply enough clear lacquer, you will be sanding into the color coat before
you know it and that's not good.
Tom
Don't let that smoke out!
Don't let that smoke out!
-
Reeltarded
- Posts: 10189
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:38 am
- Location: GA USA
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
The way I said is the way all the golden era guitars were done. Flatops to Les Pauls. Martins and Gibsons. Seriously!
Ever heard of a vintage thick finish? Me either.
I didn't guess this. (hint hint)
Ever heard of a vintage thick finish? Me either.
I didn't guess this. (hint hint)
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
Makes sense. If the wood was hermetically sealed inside a thick finish, there would be no sweet mellowing of tone with age ..... and we know that is what happens with those golden era instruments ..... the tone blossoms with passage of time. Case closed.Reeltarded wrote:The way I said is the way all the golden era guitars were done. Flatops to Les Pauls. Martins and Gibsons. Seriously!
Ever heard of a vintage thick finish? Me either.
I didn't guess this. (hint hint)
-
Reeltarded
- Posts: 10189
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:38 am
- Location: GA USA
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
When you see a deep shatter instead of a fine haze of checking the painter had a very bad day.
When Gibson started floating sunbust finishes there is one extra coat to lock the color in before scraping the bindings but you can't even count it because its so very thin. Light coat that won't pull away at the clean edge of the scrape. That is a process that was done by hand within an hour of the lock coat. I have seen pictures of the finish ladies scraping. They could do a Super 4 in about 10 minutes. They were badasses. Takes me about an hour to scrape a mandolin and maybe 30 minutes of that is the scroll.
Painted (color) guitars have 2-4 fine color coats that were never touched or color sanded. LP customs and such.
Fender guitars have the thickest finishes because they thinned the materials less and did less leveling before polish. Look at the last of the lacquered black strats. Yikes.
This is all of course not including sealer coats, of which there were also 4, but on the 80-90% of that is sanded away before overcoats and never sealer over maple so take that into account also. (Until floated sunburst which is shot over sealer) ok back at it..
When Gibson started floating sunbust finishes there is one extra coat to lock the color in before scraping the bindings but you can't even count it because its so very thin. Light coat that won't pull away at the clean edge of the scrape. That is a process that was done by hand within an hour of the lock coat. I have seen pictures of the finish ladies scraping. They could do a Super 4 in about 10 minutes. They were badasses. Takes me about an hour to scrape a mandolin and maybe 30 minutes of that is the scroll.
Painted (color) guitars have 2-4 fine color coats that were never touched or color sanded. LP customs and such.
Fender guitars have the thickest finishes because they thinned the materials less and did less leveling before polish. Look at the last of the lacquered black strats. Yikes.
This is all of course not including sealer coats, of which there were also 4, but on the 80-90% of that is sanded away before overcoats and never sealer over maple so take that into account also. (Until floated sunburst which is shot over sealer) ok back at it..
Signatures have a 255 character limit that I could abuse, but I am not Cecil B. DeMille.
Re: Has anyone built a Les paul jr.
I think you have to put more coats on with fufu cans.It has to be thinner to spray out of the can.
I couldn't imagine doing 10 or 12 coats.It will crak
After its sealed or colored or whatever i do 4 coats.
A light wash coat then three more 10 mins apart.Each one heavier tan the next.
On stuff thats not gonna be leveled and polished( kitchen cabinets) I do two coats after sanding sealer
I couldn't imagine doing 10 or 12 coats.It will crak
After its sealed or colored or whatever i do 4 coats.
A light wash coat then three more 10 mins apart.Each one heavier tan the next.
On stuff thats not gonna be leveled and polished( kitchen cabinets) I do two coats after sanding sealer