Finishing masters, guide me through my crash course!!!!!!!

[RU36]

Ok so here is the score.
I was going to have Warmoth Paint my guitar but I figured I would never learn to do it my self so here we are.
I always tend to learn the hard way, but hopefully with some words of wisdom I will not do to bad on this finish.
Maybe I can catch =CB= or Tonar after a strong cup of coffee and in the right mood to help a rookie out.

The guitar is a quilted maple top on a basswood back.
The top is from the unique choice section and it was worth the extra money. It looks awsome in person.
I made up some dye and I already dyed the top.

I want to paint the back gloss black.
I have a couple cans of the stew mac black rattle can lacquer, and some deft clear gloss ( I can't find the cabot in a rattle can)
I also built up few coats of clear over the dyed top just in case I screw something up I can sand it back with out screwing up the dye.
I want to do a slight burst over with the black back just to add some depth.

My question is NOW WHAT!!!!!!
I made it this far and its turning out great.
How should I proceed to painting the back black with out ruining the front?

 

[Keyser Soze]

Not one of the resident experts, but...

Nice dye job.

If you've sealed off the top you can try adding a burst around the edge with your black.  From what is visible in the pic you don't need a burst.  If you are confident you can get a crisp line between the dyed top and the black painted back it could look great.  Otherwise a burst over is an easy way to make the transition between the two.  A 'slightly-less-than-perfect' burst will look light years better than a crappy edge line.

If you do try a burst I recommend shooting from the inside out towards the edge, and don't try to get it perfect in one pass, multiple thin passes are better.  Worse comes to worse you can carefully sand it off.  don't forget to clean up any over spray/drops that hit the middle of the body.

Ideally you should do a some practice before shooting the real deal - mock up a body shape out of cardboard and if you don't want to use the Stew-mac stuff then at least use a different can of spray paint and try making a nice burst effect while following the contours.  Doing a trial run will also help you figure out the sweep motions and body mechanics that give you the best/most even effect.  Every body shape requires a different approach.  sometimes its ok to stay with the contours all the way around, other times it is better to sweep through each arc as a separate motion.  The differences between each approach are subtle, but they do add up.

If all goes well then you color the back and sides (probably want to tape off the top ) followed by clear coating everything.  Then lots of waiting followed by sanding and rub out.

 

[RU36]

One idea I had was to put the body face down on a flat surface and just shoot the back and sides black.
there would be  a little over spray on to the front where the edge route is but not much.
Maybe tape of the forearm contour a little bit since it will be more prone to over spray.

Then flip it over face up after its dry and free hand a very slight burst of about 3/4 of an inch around the whole lip of the top, spraying from inside aimed out.

 

[dmraco]

sounds like a cool plan.  I am not burst expert so I will not give advice.  I know most "pros" use some sort of air brush.  I have also seem a template the shape of the guitar places an inch or so above the guitar, (typicially secured aroud the PU area) then the guitar sprayed directly from top.  This allows some paint to get thru....

like this
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/burst.htm

PRACTICE PRACTICE...BTW...the top looks killer!

 

[Kublai]

That looks great so far! I have no advice, but please. don't screw up the front of that body.

 

[RU36]

Thanks for all the kind words so far.
I went with the guitar face down approach to paint the back and sides.
I taped off the contoured arm thingie and that was it.
Put it face down and added to coats of stew mac black rattle can lacquer.
It worked perfect.

Next step will be to do a small burst of black around the edge.
I am going to try the technique  DMRACO suggested to get the effect.

sounds like a cool plan.  I am not burst expert so I will not give advice.  I know most "pros" use some sort of air brush.  I have also seem a template the shape of the guitar places an inch or so above the guitar, (typicially secured aroud the PU area) then the guitar sprayed directly from top.  This allows some paint to get thru....

like this
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/burst.htm

PRACTICE PRACTICE...BTW...the top looks killer!

After all the black on the back dries I am gonna shoot the whole thing with a few light coats of clear just in case I have to sand something back.
Then I am gonna trace the body, make the cut out and go for it.

 

[kboman]

That back looks like dark bronze of some kind all wet and under that light! Cool :icon_thumright:

 

[riverbluff]

Looks great so far.  I think the burst will be killer

 

[shanejw]

That is going to be without a doubt the best Z body build I've seen.  Ugh, I want one so bad!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RU36]

I have had good results on the clear and the black back and sides using rattle can lacquer.
As i mentioned earlier I am using deft clear gloss and stew mac black.

The stew mac black rattle can lacquer looks ok on the sides and back but looks like total shite on the bursted edges.
I heated up the cans in warm water and shook them for ever and heated them again but it still looks spotty.

So after sanding it back twice (thank god i did not sand through the clear to the wood or dye)
I have decided to fork out the money for a spray gun.
I have a bass and another guitar that I plan on building next and I basically plan on building all my guitars from here on out, so I might as well get a spray set up.

Any advice on entry level spray units, compressors, moister filters etc etc would be awesome.