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Need a little help with paint compatability


motele

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I have a polyfinished Affinity Tele that I am recontouring the body ala Strat ergonomics. It's completely roughed up to take whatever paint I can use. I enjoy the flexibility that rattle can colors provide, as the selections in nitro are so limited (and Expensive!) My local Ace hardware has the best selection of Krylon and their own brand of colors. I've been unable to determine what the exact type of paint is in these cans. I've used it on bare wood with very good results. Can anybody tell me what the likely interaction might be with most rattle can paint and a polyurethane understory? I plan on using the primer that is available for both brands, if it will in fact work with the poly. Many thanks for any solid suggestions here.:confused:

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Most Krylon type paints are enamel. Dry time can be quite long. My advice is to use B-I-N shellac based primer to seal the wood and ensure paint compatibility. Shellac has been used as a sealer longer than anybody has been alive. You may get good initial results without it but, without sealing the wood, eventually the paint will start leaching in and look like feces. Scuff the remaining poly to ensure good adhesion. Use a whole can of the B-I-N. Paint with whatever you want. Duplicolor paints are acryllic lacquer and work great for guitars. You can also use their clear over the color of your choice and polish it to where it shines like a new dime on a goat's ass.

I've used B-I-N, Duplicolor and clear over existing poly several times with excellent results. I've done customer guitars this way and they're always happy a year later. If it stays on and looks new that long, it's a damn good paint job IMO. You will have a few here argue with me on this one. But they haven't tried it. It works.

And you want color choices? Ain't gonna git more than with Duplicolor.

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Thanks, customtele. Sounds like a very good strategy. Preval okay with Duplicolor? Auto parts stores or just auto paint stores carry it? Available in smaller amounts (pints? quarts?) Aren't you glad you responded. Can't help it :facepalm: -- more questions always arise for me when I'm looking at a new solution. I've got good respiratory protection, so that's taken care of. Will be good to have a system that is more available and direct. The nitro finishes are great, but the getting of the right product, the shipping and expense of the product itself, and the intensive process have dampened my enthusiasm for them. I'm a hobbyist and the paint part is my least favorite; when I can avoid it all together I'm happy. But sometimes you want something a little unique and have to apply additional effort and time. This approach doesn't sound bad at all. The shellac seems to be a very helpful element.

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That's the beauty of it. Duplicolor is available @ Auto Zone, O'Reilly's, etc in rattle cans. 1 can of B-I-N, one can of color and 3 cans of clear will get it done. Just make sure to look at the cans as they do have enamel for some paints. Lacquer an enamel are about as compatible as catholics and protestants in Ireland. You can also use their filler primer for small imperfections. The main thing is it has to be smooooooth if you want a pro job. Any slight imperfection will stick out like a whore at a convent.

Go to the stickeys at the top of HCDIY and look up guitar reranch. Read up on painting. Information is power.

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Thanks, bud; very helpful. If I get my picture software working right, I'll post some shots once it's done. Won't necessarily be overnight, but I generally plug along to a good end. And you are absolutely right -- information is power; that's why these online forum communities are such great thing.:thu:

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If you start painting with lacquer tomorrow you won't be done for at least 3 weeks.

Rule of threes:

3 mist passes 3 minutes apart = one coat.

Do 3 coats. Each one 3 hours apart.

Wait 3 days. Do that again 3 times.

I like to start with the Green Scotchbrite pad after the 2nd round.

Wait 3 weeks.

Then start polishing.

This is what I do with the clear. For color I just put enough on to completely cover the body.

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Interesting ... and thanks for asking the question. Now that you bring it to my attention, as I was contouring it with my handheld belt sander, I did notice that the finish was moving out of the way much easier than it did on a strat body I did a while back. Which was definitely a major pita to clean down to bare wood. I'm sure your right; although I have heard that the CV's are a poly base with a nitro overcoat in clear. Again, I don't have definitive info on that, just read it somewhere. Wonder if the same applies to the Affinity butterscotches? Also wonder how to pin all this down positively. Berry, berry interesting ...

 

I don't remember how it smelled, or if I even would recognize the difference. All that sanding dust stinks if you're not wearing a mask and I nearly always do.

 

Anybody else want to chip in with some more knowledge on the subject?:poke:

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It most likely does have a hard seal coat. Back in the day they used a stuff called Fullerplast, which isn't really a poly, but is a plastic sealer of some sort. Not sure what is being used now. If the topcoat came of easily it probably is a lacquer.

Take some lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol, put a small amount on a paper towel and let it sit on the finish for about a minute. I think rubbing alcohol will work for this, but not sure. If it softens right up you probably have a lacquer finish. Neither one of these solvents will touch poly.

Regardless, I'd still use a sealer coat.

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Yeah, I'll still use the BIN you suggested. I'm going to stick with the Duplicolor as well. My color scheme is going to be an antique white to cream base color with some stylized Haida orca, salmon and sun elements stenciled on in red, black, blue, a touch of gold metallic and maybe some green. So, having a good selection of color options will be a great benefit. I'm getting excited about the art portion; that's what keeps me motivated anytime I have to deal with the damned painting:cry: Thanks again.

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Might want to look up the Affinity specs. If its a painted body, it may be poly. If its a natureal finish its definately laquerd only. Its one of the exceptions to the fender line. No nitro no poly. The necks are definately laquer, and a very thin coat as well.

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customtele ---

 

Wow. You sure gave me a super tip on the BIN. Man that stuff works great. I've used regular sanding sealer before, but for an opaque job this stuff is the absolute {censored}! Went on like a dream last night. And this morning I went out and just dusted it a little bit with some microfiber and it is READY for the Duplicolor. I've rethought my theme for this one. Going to do the headstock as well and do a "labor" oriented graphics theme. Lots of stuff from the WPA, Wobblies era. In case you hadn't noticed I'm a die hard liberal/labor guy. Anyway, many thanks for the tips.:cool:

 

I used the Bullseye stuff and have some of the plain aerosol shellac from them as well. Have you used it in the same way for transparent stuff?

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On the clears and trans I've used Deft lacquer sand & seal followed by clear lacquer. I haven't tried the clear shellac, but I understand it works well. Hope you post pics. I love seeing other people's work. Especially from the artistically inclined. I can draw flies and that's about it. Can't airbrush or do anything fancy.

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Maybe I'll do a test first, just in case.
:thu:

Best idea yet. You may also be able to get the Duplicolor clear from the same purveyor that you got the color from. Ask and see if they can order it.

I know I used Sheffield clear gloss lacquer on my last two. But we have a Habitat builders surplus store here. It cost me $6.25 + tax for a gallon can that had only a small amount of it used.

This worked great and I'm a self professed cheap b@$t@%d. I also have a compressor, water separator and an old touch up gun. Preval units do work well too.

Trouble is I now need to find more guitars to paint.:facepalm:

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No such thing as too many guitars. A guy simply has to keep his hand in or he'll get stagnant:lol:

Ten of these :thu:

My trouble is I come here and to other DIY type places and end up getting inspired. I need to find a rich girl to marry!

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Well I put the color coat on - Wimbleton White, and I'm really liking this paint. My wife likes to do art too and will be helping me put some images into collage form this weekend for heat transfering to the open areas; gonna be great fun. My daughter is supposed to show up too, so I may be able to get my picture software working right. In which case I'll post photos of where it's at and where it ends up.

 

The rich girls were always too smart to hang out with me for long, never mind marry me. I did marry one 40 years ago who is smart; can't quite figure out why she did, but she stills seems to like me -- my very good fortune. Neither one of us had or have any money, but don't miss it much either:D

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hardtail027.jpg

Not trying to hyjack.

I found a stripper. It's called So Fast. This guitar I'm redoing because it's a hardtail conversion and the seams were showing. I used this stripper and the lacquer came right off. The B-I-N was a bit more difficult, but I was impressed with the way it had adhered to the poly underneath. Lo and behold, leaving this stripper on the poly for a half hour softened it up enough to where I could scrape it off with a putty knife. I did have it roughed up with 80 grit. That may have helped. And the hard plastic sealer? Fuhgeddaboudit! It's staying. I also got some Milano Red Duplicolor cheap. .99 a can for the small cans. I got 4. And 2 of the filler primer. I can use that to hide the seams. So this will be a 6 dollar paint job. Already got more B-I-N and some clear gloss. And sandpaper. And a lack of sense.

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Question customtele.

 

I am doing a hardtail Strat. I have an alder body (USACG) body that has a nice tight grain. Do I need to grainfill it? I bought 1 can each of the Duplicolor scratch fill primer, Arctic White paint and clear coat as I did not want to mix different possible incompatible types of paint. I was going to hit the bare wood with just the primer --> color --> clear and thats it. Does this sound adequate? I want an accelerated relic (naturally occuring dings and scratches) over time.

 

On a side note I tried enamel on a kit guitar before and it stayed soft and never dried.

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I'd hit it with the B-I-N shellac based primer first. Use a whole can. Just go super light coats as it can run pretty easily. The scratch fill stuff is really good and speeds the process, but it's not designed to go on bare wood. Plus the B-I-N also seals and you may get away with not filling the grain. Otherwise the scratch fill primer will soak in over time and give the look of a guitar what just wasn't prepped properly. All bumpy and ugly. I'd also consider going with nitro if you want the finish to age rapidly. The acryllic Duplicolor won't age nearly as fast. That and the fact that it's available locally is why I prefer it.

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