Refinishing an old Warmoth

[GreatSaiyaMan]

This is a new account, but I am a returning user, I used to be Spartan117 (It's been years since I've logged in). Anyway I have loved my Warmoth Strat for sometime now, but since its creation it has earned many a battle scars and the paint on the body is absolutely thrashed: huge chips, scratches, big dents and all. I'm not mad at warmoth for the chipping paint, that was a diy I thing I did. I dont think I gave it enough time to dry, and probably didn't have enough clearcoat(nitro finish). Planning on putting a super-vee bladerunner in it, and trying figure out something for the third pot, as it does nothing at the moment. Any suggestions on how to refinish it?

Thanks
-Tyler

 

[GreatSaiyaMan]

Those were taken a few years ago, heres what they look like today...

 

[dmraco]

Great looking neck.  Nothing wrong with a chipped guitar.  What's the base wood?

 

[GreatSaiyaMan]

Thanks! I love that neck, its my favorite part of the guitar. It has just has a plain alder body, nothing special, otherwise I would consider a dye. There isn't anything wrong with a chipped guitar, I'm just bored and a little too poor to build another one, so I was just thinking of reinventing this one with a satin white finish.

 

[Cagey]

Kinda looks less like wear than like the paint didn't adhere very well. Maybe it was sanded too smooth before application, or the sealant wasn't a good match with the topcoat?

Anyway, I'm a big fan of white guitars, but I don't think I'd do satin. Seems like it would look dirty all the time. Plus, satin doesn't stay satin, it gets glossy fairly fast anywhere there's frequent contact with the thing, so between dirty spots and shiny spots, it would probably end up kinda dingy-looking.

 

[dmraco]

I agree with Cagey.  I even think 200 is as smooth as you should go.  You should not have to grain fill.  I agree with the Satin comments, they always shine up near the forearm.

Dude you have an open canvas.  I say strip it clean.  If the grain is decent, shoot some transparent (alder usually is nothing great).  If not sand with 200 and pick a color.  I have been on a metal flake binge lately.  Playing with different color bases and flakes.

A tip if you do spray a solid.  I like to spray the 1st few coats VERY lightly.  I think it creates a better bond and future coats will stick better.

 

[GreatSaiyaMan]

Thanks for the input! Cagey, I do think I sanded it a little much when I first sanded it, i'm pretty sure I used 1000 grit sandpaper too, way to smooth, I thought the chipping might of been due to using automotive paint or a too thin layer, but after reading what you DMRACO said I think it was just a little too much. I'm going to sand it down to bare wood this week and post a pic of the body completely stripped. Should I reseal it?
much thanks.

 

[Cagey]

If you used lacquer, it's easy to strip with acetone, which is only about $15/gal. Still have to sand before you'll be happy, just a lot less elbow grease. Basically just clean it up with some 220.

As for a base coat, a sealer is a Good Thing. With many coatings these days, they have a "system" where they want you to use their base/color/clear coats to get the best results. How far you go with all that has an impact on how robust the finish will be and how much time you spend will have a major impact on the final appearance. Finishing is slow work - patience pays. Even Warmoth won't get a part to you much faster than about 8 weeks away if they're going to finish it, and they use poly, which is much easier than lacquer if you're set up for it.

Something to consider if you think you might need to refinish more than one body is getting your own HVLP sprayer. If you buy into something like the Earlex 5500, it pays for itself in two paint jobs, and starts saving you money on the third. The thing is nice because it's small, lightweight, easy to clean/store, and it produces excellent results. Just be sure to get the 1mm needle valve for it; the ones it comes with are too large for lacquer.

 

[GreatSaiyaMan]

How much acetone do I really need? Could I just sand off the finish instead?

 

[Cagey]

Not much. Maybe a pint? I don't think you can buy it that small. Probably a quart.

Of course, you could just sand it all off. It's just more work. Gonna spend money one way or another, either on sandpaper or chemicals. Whatever's best for you.

 

[dmraco]

I used good old shellac to seal my wood.  Cheap and easy.  Just remember you have to sand it smooth.....220..... :toothy10:

 

[bagman67]

Make sure it's wax-free shellac.  Otherwise you'll have the devil's own hard time getting something else to stick to the stuff, and whammo, you're back to square one.

 

[stubhead]

The truely marvy Zinnser Bullseye premixed wax-free stuff has become hugely popular in the last decade or so. Just in time for me to buy a bag of flake shellac and roll my own, because even with the Bullseye I don't think it's a good idea to use stuff that's over a few years old, and I seem to need, like, 2/5 of a can every three years somehow. Shellac the table! Shellac the cat! Getcher money's worth etc.

 

[GreatSaiyaMan]

Thanks for all of the good information you guys!! ccasion14: I think I will go down the shellac route since it seems pretty easy to find in an average hardware store. Any idea on whats the best clearcoat? Last time I used Stewmacs color tone nitro clear gloss, is there something easier that I could find in a hardware store?

 

[Cagey]

Watch the hardware stores close. Canned/mixed shellac has a shelf life, and it should be marked on the can. You definitely want the freshest stuff you can get, which is why a lot of folks who use shellac will buy the flakes and mix it themselves.

Also, spend the money to get a good brush, or you'll be sanding/re-coating your life away to get a good base. If it costs less than $15, it's probably less than desirable. Again, tough to get good brushes at a hardware. You may want to get online to find one.

Finally, you can put just about anything you want over shellac for a clear coat. I'd shoot lacquer, but if you don't have a spray rig, that can get expensive. There's surprisingly little actual finish in a rattle can (it's mostly reducer and propellant) and you need numerous coats, so it can get away from you.