Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

[Bengal65]

I'm going with System 5 epoxy grain filler on this SG Jr. mahagony body, then to paint. What do you guy's use to plug the bridge post holes? (I've got all the screw holes filled with wood filler, epoxy or doweled, I don't want to have to redrill the bridge though) I don't want paint or water to get in there when I do wet sanding later. I was thinking PlayDo or clay on top of a bunch of masking tape?

[rjohnstone]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

Make circles out of masking tape and cover the holes.
Leave the tape on there from start to finish. It will protect the hole from getting water in it as it will have several layers of paint and clear on top of it by then.
Once you're done with all the wet sanding, just carefully cut out the masking tape. Start from the center and take your time. The go onto the buff and polish stage.
That's how I did mine and it worked perfectly.

[Bengal65]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

Thanks for the idea. I just did the System 3 epoxy grain filler. I don't know what is worse, water and oil based fillers or this epoxy filler. Either way I hate grain filling [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]. It's one of things I can't do well, paint yes, grain filling no.

[mm2002]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

I never cover those holes at all. What little paint gets in there will help the bushings go back in nice and snug. Because of the air pocket in the hole, you'd have trouble getting much paint in there if you tried. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Bengal65]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

[ QUOTE ]
I never cover those holes at all. What little paint gets in there will help the bushings go back in nice and snug. Because of the air pocket in the hole, you'd have trouble getting much paint in there if you tried. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, but I'm worried about getting water in there during wet sanding and swelling the wood. Did you see in the other post below this that I destroyed a StewMac stud puller tool, just pulling one stud insert out. Maybe it will go back in easier considering it was in there for 40 years! [img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Model1VH2]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

I stick a piece of paper towel in the holes and then place a piece of masking tape over the paper towel on the inside diameter of the hole.
In my experience, I've never found that painting inside the holes makes for a "tighter fit".
In most cases, I've found that the studs are hard enough to get out in the first place.
Painting inside the holes will make it that much harder to put the studs back in AND if you try to trim the paint inside the holes, you stand a good chance of chipping or damaging the paint AROUND the holes.

Stuffing a paper towel inside the hole will allow the masking tape to sit flush with the body inside the hole.
Then when you're ready to wetsand, simply take off the masking tape and leave the paper towel inside the hole.

Water from wetsanding will cause the wood to swell under the paint and cause wrinkles and sometimes cracks in the paint.
Leaving the paper towels inside the hole will help suck up any water that may get into the hole BEFORE the wood has a chance to absorb it.

Don't ask how many paintjobs I screwed up before learning this trick. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Deneb]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

We're going to be priming mine soon (we just sealed it yesterday) and we won't be filling the holes.

Paint may get in, but the water shouldn't be too much of a problem. I mean, you don't hose the fucker down to wet sand :P

[Model1VH2]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

My suggestion is based on my experience in working with Krylon.
Other paints may not be a problem.

[Bengal65]

Re: Getting Ready To Seal and Paint

I'm shooting PPG Acrylic Lacquer on this old SG. It is the same PPG product that Gibson used in 1965 on the Polaris White Finish. As far as I know there is only a few distrubutors left and I found one of them. Dupont ceased making acrylic lacquer in 1998, but PPG still makes it. Fender and Gibson used each interchangably.
Thanks for the tips. The studs came out very tight. Gibson did not plate the inserts back then, so I think they had a little oxidation holding them tightly.