checkerboard graphic

[STARGUITAR]

OK, I was looking at the 2 checkerboard explorers in the USA Charvel section. does anybody know how you'd mask a pattern like that out for painting?? ...........Gary

[mudkicker]

Re: checkerboard graphic

I used to paint cars years ago when i first got out of high school. I painted a checker board graphic for a fiend of mine. Be prepared to take your time.
Once you have your guitar prepared to paint. Paint your base color over the entire guitar. Two or three coats, let dry usually 24 hours. Next use twotone tape, made by 3m. It has less glue than regular masking tape. I believe the largest roll they make is 2 1/2"'s thick. Run a tack cloth over the guitar front removing any dry over spray. Next tape the entire front of the guitar. Take a ruler and pencil out your pattern. Looks like the two in the other thread the squares are 1 1/2" or 1 3/4". Take a new razor blade or hobby knife and cut out the squares your have marked off. Spray the guitar with your second color.
Touch the tape and see if you can leave a finger print but not get any paint on your finger, if so slowly peel off the tape. If you let it completely dry if may peel the paint off, if you do it to soon the colors may bleed into one another. When the tape is off let dry, tack it and clear coat it.

[mudkicker]

Re: checkerboard graphic

Forgot to mention that you can get that tape through an auto paint distributor,or some large auto part stores may carry it also.

[STARGUITAR]

Re: checkerboard graphic

Thanks MK, only problem is I tried cutting some patterms "on the body" once and the blade kind of scored the wood also.On a car this would'nt be an issue! Maybe if I use the widest of the tape I could cut it out on a piece of glass and transfer it over to the body. Will try it on something else first. Thanks for your input........Gary

[mudkicker]

Re: checkerboard graphic

The tape I recommended is thinner than normal masking tape. By using a new hobby knife or razor blade you shouldn't have to press hard enough to score the wood.

[Budman68]

Re: checkerboard graphic

A little tip for you, before you shoot the top color coat, give it a shot of clear and let that dry. This should prevent the bleeding of colors with each other. Good luck on your project!

Dave->