Finish thickness. how many layers is too much?

[AGWAN]

one of my top Ideas to finish my Guitar is a technique that I've known only as "sanding back"

I've seen it on hot rods and done it on a bike and a coffee table.

basically. you lay down several layers of different colors. and then slowly sand it back to the first color in various places. leaving layered bands of color on the project.

the one downside to this of course. is when you do something like say... a Rainbow sand back... you're usually left with layers like this.

Grain filler, smoothed.
Primer,smoothed
Primer, smoothed
Red,smoothed
Red, smoothed
Orange, smoothed
Orange, smoothed
Yellow...
yellow...
green...
green...
blue...
blue...
purple...
purple...
THEN YOU SAND IT ALL BACK .
then
Clear,sand
Clear,sand
Clear,sand
wax and polish.

as you can see. THIS may be a problem. and I really don't need to do a rainbow.
and perhaps Automotive paint wont need several coats. like cheaper wood paints do.

I'd like to do at least a 4 color sand back.

but how thick is too thick?

 

[AGWAN]

Sorry to Double post, but when I wait so long after my first post to find what I mean... I worry everyone who is going to read it, already read it.

THIS is what I'm planning, false "Distressing" but with brighter non primer colors. and not down to wood.

seems like if I keep it down to about 4 colors, and pay close attention to where my bridge mounts...

I should do okay.

 

[Tofu]

it seems like youve got the right idea, ive done this sort of thing before...but...only on model cars  :icon_thumright: but, just some input: what i did to add a more..unique? effect is instead of all the colors being the same amount of layers, i did, say, 2 coats of one color, and 1 of the other.  its something that you might want to do with the second or third layer, and depending on the colors it could add a nice almost transparent look to that one layer.  just a thought.

but you seem to have the right idea about the sanding back thing