Crackle Finish D.I.Y questions?

[Jackson-Charvel]

Specifically the classy Desert Crackle Finish on the Charvel toothpaste series. You don't see many aftermarket refinishes like that. Was this extremely difficult to get that crackle effect? Does it require extreme temperature changes or is it strictly a chemical reaction that causes that? Thanks from my curious mind and others that may have contemplated how they do it.

[DonP]

I want to know how firecrackle is done as well.

[Carbuff]

I think I saw this somewhere. I think the base color is put down in a certain kind of paint. Then the crackle color is sprayed over it. Then a special kind of chemical or paint is sprayed on that makes only the crackle color shrink and break. Then its cleared over. I think I saw this somewhere online. I may be totally wrong too. Maybe reranch sells the stuff to do this?

[Racerx2k]

Grab a can of enamel and a can of laquer, and find out.

[Model1VH2]

Just use Krylon and wait 6 months.

[rjohnstone]

How true.

Just use Krylon and wait 6 months.

[Racerx2k]

Wow, Dino, you really ARE jaded over the whole rattlecan thing, huh?

[Model1VH2]

It was meant to be funny.
Sorry ...

[Racerx2k]

Oh, no. Don't apologize. I was just curious, cause it really seems each time someone brings up rattlecans, if I listen real closely, I can hear your teeth grinding. I know all about your Van Halen guitar, and how the finish went sour, after a short period upon completion. Did ALL your rattlecan jobs go south, or was it just that one? Cause I've seen your work, we've spoken briefly, on it, in the past, and I was quite impressed with the results you had gotten. Just curious as to whether it was an isolated incident, for you, or did they ALL go bad.

[fett]

Specifically the classy Desert Crackle Finish on the Charvel toothpaste series. You don't see many aftermarket refinishes like that. Was this extremely difficult to get that crackle effect? Does it require extreme temperature changes or is it strictly a chemical reaction that causes that? Thanks from my curious mind and others that may have contemplated how they do it.

I have a 375 body in Desert Crackle. I scratched around the trem cav to get past the crackle. I thought the effect was done with fiber. But. no. I just took a big piece out and I still don't have a clue. Based on the wood underneath, there doesn't seem like there was a big chem reaction. My opinion is: Don't try this at home.

[Model1VH2]

Oh, no. Don't apologize. I was just curious, cause it really seems each time someone brings up rattlecans, if I listen real closely, I can hear your teeth grinding. I know all about your Van Halen guitar, and how the finish went sour, after a short period upon completion. Did ALL your rattlecan jobs go south, or was it just that one? Cause I've seen your work, we've spoken briefly, on it, in the past, and I was quite impressed with the results you had gotten. Just curious as to whether it was an isolated incident, for you, or did they ALL go bad.

Naw bro .... it's not that they ALL "went bad".
Even when everything is done perfect, Krylon paintjobs just look "old and beaten" WAY before their time. Great for relic jobs, but I'd imagine it wouldn't be too cool for someone who's spent that past six months working on a "factory finish" to see his paintjob turn to crap in a matter of a couple weeks (sometimes even days).

It's not because I'm "jaded" ... it's just that I've done enough of these paintjobs to know that, 9-times out of 10, the problems experienced as a result of using Krylon are due to the paint itself and NOT the user.
A majority of people using this stuff are people who are trying to paint guitars for the very first time and they often have unrealistic expectations of how these paintjobs will look and/or hold up over time. Because alot of these folks are doing this for the first time, problems encountered are usually written off to "lack of experience".

But what happens after you've spent the past couple years using this stuff to paint several guitars and start noticing a pattern with chemical reactions, extermely poor durability, etc...? Would you try to use your experience and knowledge to help educate others of the disadvantages so they may avoid making the same mistakes? Or would you continue to encourage folks to use Krylon with the knowledge that it's a poor choice for painting guitars?

Again, you could probably turn out some pretty awesome looking relic paintjobs with Krylon, and you wouldn't have to worry about it looking bad. But once you start piling on coat after coat of this stuff in an effort to achieve a "factory finish", bad things are bound to happen.

Again, this is all just my opinion based on my personal experience.
If I can save people some time and aggrivation by pointing out some of the disadvantges of using Krylon, then great! If not, well ... then that's okay too.

[Racerx2k]

Ah, maybe "jaded" was too strong a wordchoice. I always appreciate hearing your opinions on finishes, based on what I've seen you do. I have noticed, lately, that you have had to defend your stance a bit, in several forums.
How did your Van Halen striped Strat come out? Did you ever have a chance to go back, and re-do what you did, this time, with something other than rattlecans? I remember you posting the pics of what happened shortly after the initial "finished" pics were taken, and was really bummed, over how it had crackled on ya. I'm gonna have to go, and re-visit your site, for some fresh inspiration.

[Model1VH2]

Ah, maybe "jaded" was too strong a wordchoice. I always appreciate hearing your opinions on finishes, based on what I've seen you do. I have noticed, lately, that you have had to defend your stance a bit, in several forums.
How did your Van Halen striped Strat come out? Did you ever have a chance to go back, and re-do what you did, this time, with something other than rattlecans? I remember you posting the pics of what happened shortly after the initial "finished" pics were taken, and was really bummed, over how it had crackled on ya. I'm gonna have to go, and re-visit your site, for some fresh inspiration.

Sorry .. I guess I have been a little harsh in some of my comments regarding rattlecan paintjobs.
Bengal65, if you're reading this ... I sincerely apologize for my earlier comments.

I really don't know why I've felt the need to defend my position on this topic. Those who have experience with rattlecans already know the disadvantages. But I guess what really bothers me is that nobody ever bothers to point them out to those with little to no experience, and in a way, I find that to be a little misleading.

The last VH1 I painted with rattlecans was the best ... and the worst.
It was the best in terms of the time spent on body prep, design layout, the most time allowed for curing, and final finish. It looked gorgeous when it was done. However, it was the worst in terms of what started happening to the finish only days later ... wrinkles, cracks, shrinkage, etc.. Six months worth of work gone in a matter of days.

The guitar itself is amazing ... It plays and sounds incredible, so my plan will be to tear it down once more and refinish it in acrylic urethane. I think if you played this guitar, you would agree it is well worth the extra time and effort.

As for the website ... it's in desperate need of an update.
I hope to have it updated again sometime next month.
I appreciate the interest and the kind words.
Thank you.

[mm2002]

I agree that it's very misleading to tell the novice they can achieve a "factory" finish with rattle cans. (I guess it depends on the factory huh?) This has been a long lived debate on this and many other forums, and I'm glad to see the "truth" finally coming out. That dude on ebay selling the "how to paint your guitar" thing (or whatever it was called) didn't make things any better.

[Racerx2k]

Oh, I think that book fuels alot of this whole topic. Whether someone buys the book or not, it, at the LEAST, puts the notion in someone's head that it can be done, and in a simple fashion.