A few finishing questions

E

erogenousjones17

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Alright, so I'm working on my first guitar project (LP double-cutaway, mahogany body/neck, Seymour Duncan Phat Cats...all very exciting), and I have a few questions about finishing, so I figured I'd put 'em all in one place.

1) How important is it to fully assemble the guitar, then rip it apart, THEN finish and put it back together?
2) When using grain filler, how do you know when you're finished?  I've done one application/sanding, and everything feels super smooth, but I don't know if I'm supposed to reapply, and if so, how many applications?
3) If I plan on giving the guitar a solid finish (yellow, of course), do I need to apply some type of primer, or can I go right over the (grain-filled) wood with the paint?
4) Will car paint work on a guitar?  My neighbour's Mazda is exactly the shade I want...if I go down to NAPA and buy some of that colour, can I spray it right on there?  My dad runs a body shop, so we have all the proper equipment for spraying a car.
 
erogenousjones17 said:
1) How important is it to fully assemble the guitar, then rip it apart, THEN finish and put it back together?
2) When using grain filler, how do you know when you're finished?  I've done one application/sanding, and everything feels super smooth, but I don't know if I'm supposed to reapply, and if so, how many applications?
3) If I plan on giving the guitar a solid finish (yellow, of course), do I need to apply some type of primer, or can I go right over the (grain-filled) wood with the paint?
4) Will car paint work on a guitar?  My neighbour's Mazda is exactly the shade I want...if I go down to NAPA and buy some of that colour, can I spray it right on there?  My dad runs a body shop, so we have all the proper equipment for spraying a car.
Click to expand...

1.  Just check the neck alignment.  I've had only one neck that needed a little help in the pocket.  So, make sure it drops down into the pocket ok, and that the centerline is at the centerline of the bridge.

2.  Usually, you'll know.  When you sand it off, you'll see.  When in doubt, reapply.  I use a credit card type plastic and "scrape" it into and off of the wood while its still very wet, to make sanding minimal.  When you think you got it all filled.  Do it one more time, especially on ash....

3.  Depends on the paint, but some bright colors are going to look better over a white undercoat.  If you're using yellow lacquer, you can use that over, say, bright white lacquer, and get a bit more "glow" from it.

4.  Car paint works.  Thats what it originally was.  MASK the neck pocket edges and bottom.  You probably dont have to mask the pickup routes.  If you're gonna do it in a car color, shoot some clear on it, real thin, then sand it back.  Poly finishes shrink in less... but they still do, and any unfilled grain is going to show... so that clear on the wood is insurance.
 
Alright, sounds good...thanks a lot!  Now, if I were to omit the white undercoat, would the grain of the wood show through a little?  Cu if so, that'd be cool too...
 
1) How important is it to fully assemble the guitar, then rip it apart, THEN finish and put it back together?

No need to fully assemble, just check neck pocket fit before you do any finishing, in case of any issues there

2) When using grain filler, how do you know when you're finished?  I've done one application/sanding, and everything feels super smooth, but I don't know if I'm supposed to reapply, and if so, how many applications?

This can depend on wood used and how thick you apply filler and filler type. There's no magic formula as to how many applications, it will very dependent upon those factors. If you think you're done, the next step would be sanding sealer anyway. Shoot a coat and let sit overnight. If any grain isn't completely filled, the sanding sealer will shrink into the pores and it makes it more easy to see if you need additional filler applications.

3) If I plan on giving the guitar a solid finish (yellow, of course), do I need to apply some type of primer, or can I go right over the (grain-filled) wood with the paint?

I would recommend using sanding sealer over the filler, that should work in lieu of primer coat in most instances. Only additional priming instructions/recommendations I've ever seen are for metallic paints like Goldtop Gold....

4) Will car paint work on a guitar?  My neighbour's Mazda is exactly the shade I want...if I go down to NAPA and buy some of that colour, can I spray it right on there?  My dad runs a body shop, so we have all the proper equipment for spraying a car.

Sure! Here's a great link with a lot of detail on all the Fender custom colors which were Dupont "Duco" lacquers used on cars. and you can still order these colors from DuPont.  http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html
 
Alright...I'm ready for sanding sealer now...is the standard yellow-can Minwax sanding sealer for hard wood floors ok, or is there a special kind I need to look for?
 
Unsure about Minwax yellow can; make SURE that it's sanding sealer for LACQUER, not poly, think they do both kinds. If you have a Woodcraft store or a big Walmart nearby the Deft brand in an aerosol can is great.
 
Alright, thanks.  Another question, which may seem kinda dumb, but I guess the only stupid question is the one left unasked, so here goes: what kinda finish do I need to give a rosewood fretboard; I've read some things that recommend fretboard oil (which I've yet to find in Canada), gun stock oil, or even leaving it au naturel.  What's the best course of action?  I've got a Jackson with some kind of finish on the fretboard and I love it, but my friend's got a Washburn with what feels like raw rosewood which I'm not too keen on.
 
if you want a finnish on the fretboard and havnt done a finnish job before...i would strongly suggest having warmoth do it for you.

Brian
 
Really eh?  I was afraid of that...the wood on it does feel really nice already, but do I not have to do something to protect it at least?
 
Rosewood needs no finish at all, and most typically never gets one. If you need to CLEAN it off, most people recommend using naptha/lighter fluid or similar solvents which can "dull" the natural look a little; THEN you would want to apply a little appropriate oil of some type very sparingly to return the natural luster.
 
The raw rosewood board you disliked may have been either just a poor, nasty rosewood, or it may have been allowed to dry out too much. Humidity control is important stuff.
 
Alright, back to the sandng sealer thing...I have looked high and low for this Deft stuff and cannot find it.  The only other product that I've found that isn't straight primer or sealer for hardwood floors is something called Kilz Sealer-Primer-Stainblocker.  It says it's good for "most latex or oil-based paint."  Has anyone ever even heard of this stuff?  If so, does it work?
 
Deft is sold at Walmart in the paint section, in the familiar white with blue accent can.
 
I'm sure it is somewhere; Minwax also makes a lacquer sanding sealer that might be easier to find; Ace/True Value hardware carry these products in the US, should also in Canada I would think, Park is another brand as is Zinnser SealCoat; you should be able to find one of these brands even if you live in Godforsaken Moose tundra country

http://www.minwax.com/products/woodprep/lacquer-2.cfm

Do NOT attempt to use the Minwax Poly sanding sealer in the yellow can under lacquer!!!!!
 
Ok, this may be getting a little irriating, but I can NOT find this stuff anywhere.  What exactly is sanding sealer for?  What does does it do?  We have some "sealer" in the basement which is used to bring out the grain of wood so that it can be sanded really smooth before painting.  Is this the same thing?  It's not Deft, but I have used it on furnitue and stuff before.  Is this more or less acceptable?  I'm also a little concerned that it would react with the grain filler... 
 
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