Painting Sucks

[LaoWai]

I bought this DKMG for a $100 on CL, I bought it because it had SD Blackouts I wanted to scavenge, and I figured I could play around with it while I'm on vacation.
Steps:
Sand
Primer
Get impatient and krylon the body.
Take the body over to dads so I can use his HVLP to do a clear coat.
Do the clear coat.
Watch the krylon melt off the body. Drip drip drip.
Me and the body bathe in lacquer thinner to scrape off the guk.
Sand
Primer
Color coat.
Get a buddy to airbrush a graphic (it was either this or a hello kitty sticker)
Clear coat.






never again... i hope

[tomanyjacksons]

That's really cool. I'm doing a refinish on a guitar now. Gonna put the Rising sun graphic on it.

[xenophobe]

I did a pretty decent half-assed job on my ESP. Ended up doing 4 or 5 color coats and 3 or 4 clear coats. I should have sanded before the clear, but I ended up sanding and polishing the front and sides, and left the back matted, and just for the age of the components, the hack paint job actually seemed right at place...

Crappy phone picture, but with two shake cans and a few pieces of sandpaper, I was able to do "good enough" for me. lol

[LaoWai]

That's really cool. I'm doing a refinish on a guitar now. Gonna put the Rising sun graphic on it.

Nice! I thought of doing something really cool like that, but it's beyond my skill level. I'd like to see your pics when its done!

[LaoWai]

I did a pretty decent half-assed job on my ESP. Ended up doing 4 or 5 color coats and 3 or 4 clear coats. I should have sanded before the clear, but I ended up sanding and polishing the front and sides, and left the back matted, and just for the age of the components, the hack paint job actually seemed right at place...

Crappy phone picture, but with two shake cans and a few pieces of sandpaper, I was able to do "good enough" for me. lol

Looks really good! ... I still have a bit of orange peel I need to rub out... one of these days : )

[ginsambo]

You can buy specialist pre catalyzed 2k in a can over here, limited shelf life of course. High build primer or 2k primer, 2k Acrylic or Synthetic single stage or base coat including candy colours and 2k Poly clearcoat all available in a high output, low pressure, wide nozzle can. That synthetic is the stuff they use on used commercial vehicles for blowovers, shits like shite to a blanket. Don't have to worry about water in the airline or the compressor running out of air either. But flies, mosquitoes and moths still stick to it.

Judging by the pic, I'd be pleased with that job Xenophobe.

What Krylon did you use?

[Force]

Looks sweet, always loved the Lightning graphics.

[xenophobe]

Thanks! It looks good from 4' away... I mean you can see the dings and dents on the front and a spot where I sanded through the clear that looks more like an age spot or stain or something, but the pickguard is old and pick scratched, then neck is showing signs of age, so it actually looks a lot like old paint on an old beater, which is really what I wanted. I didn't want it looking new and pretty, but to have a little character like the rest of the guitar.

Oh, I used that home depot crap, Rustoleum Double Coverage. Actually went on really nicely at first, but spray nozzels do tend to suck after the first couple of uses. I wouldn't recommend the paint or the clear, it's really soft and scratches easier. I would have used the rattle can nitro paint for it, but I had already bought the color I wanted so I figured if it didn't come out at all I'd redo it. But I'm happy with it and it'll show accelerated wear.... it's a $400 beater, so I don't mind if it gets more dents and dings.

LaoWai, that looks really good. Probably much better than mine in person.

[DonP]

Painting Sucks

I'd have to agree

Been there, done that. And yet I still have paint projects yet to do.

[vector]

I'd have to agree

Been there, done that. And yet I still have paint projects yet to do.

Was a time I enjoyed the DIY paint projects and I still have two axes that I did myself (including a RR ex that I actually use on stage) but on the whole, was too much effort and cost for too little reward and the guitars rarely measured up. They might have been passable on an aesthetic level but I should've played them thoroughly first to see if they were worth keeping/painting in the first place. BTW- the red trem rout area has been repainted black.