Warmoth's Satin Neck Finish

[jlegnor]

I'm wanting to sand off the face of the peghead of my satin finished birdseye maple neck that just arrived so I can match it whatever color I decide for the body.  On Warmoth's site it states "All our necks are dipped in an oil based penetrating sealer which is compatible with virtually all secondary finishes." 

Question is, would I be able to use a Preval unit and spray alcohol based stain on it?  Then go over that with Nitro?  Or would I have to get some lacquer, thin it out, and tint that to spray on?

 

[jlegnor]

Got an email back from Spike and he confermed that the satin finish is lacquer so they said I could sand and finish with anyone of the techniques I mentioned above.  Just in case any first timers were wondering also.

 

[-CB-]

You can use alcohol or acetone or water based dye on the Warmoth sealer, but the bugbear is the maple - which does not accpet dye all that well.  Its better to use a tinted finish - lacquer, poly, whatever.

 

[Watershed]

Leaving the sides of the headstock alone will really help the tape stick when you mask off the face.
After you have taped off the sides, I would recommend shooting a few coats of clear on the face, before adding any dye/color.
No matter how well you think the tape is applied, a first coat of clear will fill any gaps/air bubbles that may be under the tape.
If dye gets under the tape, it's a pain to get off.  So if anything gets under the tape, it's best that it be clear.
That should really help you get a crisp sharp line. 

Mixing a dye into lacquer is going to be your best color application method, but it's really hard to say much else without knowing what you are matching to.

James

 

[jlegnor]

So far I'm leaning towards an Amber/Brown burst color for the body.  I also have some Red Transparent Nitro, but red body with red peg face is alittle too 80's for me, so I'll leave that as my backup plan.  I've read on ReRanch where they say you can spray alcohol based dye over lacquer.  Maybe that's not totally correct?  (or maybe not a good idea for a beginner)

I'd like to try something with the peg face, but also don't want to get in over my head either.  That's why I'm sort of asking questions now.  That way when the time comes to start painting, I'll have a better idea of what I can and can't do.

 

[Watershed]

It's a PITA personally.
What is the body wood?

Spraying alcohol based dye over lacquer would work, but would be also pretty tricky.

 

[jlegnor]

It's a PITA personally.
What is the body wood?

Spraying alcohol based dye over lacquer would work, but would be also pretty tricky.

That's the word I was looking for!  Tricky. Body wood is Alder w/Flame maple top.