Les Paul Refinish Advice Please

[GrantB]

I spray myself. I’ve rattle canned in the past to good effect though. And to do a top only, that would be easy as.

[Will.R]

Wairau Paint Centre will tint nitro and put it in a rattle can. Sit the can in a bowl of warm water before spraying.

What has been your experience with their nitro? What is the end product like?

[robthemac]

Wairau Paint Centre will tint nitro and put it in a rattle can. Sit the can in a bowl of warm water before spraying.

What has been your experience with their nitro? What is the end product like?

Has potential to be excellent. You and your spraying gear will be the issue before the paint will be.

Ask for PPG 262 Speedlac.

[werdna]

Spraying is the easy part. Nitro goes on very thin and is touch dry within minutes. Once it's touch dry, spray again. Each time you spray the next layer melts into the old one, and you can opt for giving many light coats rather than trying to nail it in fewer. There's debate over how thick to apply nitro/how many coats is required. I give more coats than recommended and have nevertheless always got a thin finish.

Post spray, start sanding with say 800 grit until it's smooth. Then I go up to 1200 and then 2000. Then I go to 3000 and then 5000. Each sand is easier than the last. Finally, use car polish. The result is a flawless finish. Use wet and dry paper up to 2000, then at Wairau Paint buy two pads for sanding machines in grades 3000 and 5000, because these grades aren't available in paper. The sanding pads are used dry and without the machine and get a better and faster finish than if leap from 2000 grit to car polish.

Take some before and after photos and post them, if you can be bothered.

[StrummersOfThunder]

I spray myself. I’ve rattle canned in the past to good effect though. And to do a top only, that would be easy as.

I wondered how you got that year round tan

[robthemac]

I spray myself. I’ve rattle canned in the past to good effect though. And to do a top only, that would be easy as.

I wondered how you got that year round tan

Maybe he's born with it.
Maybe it's gallstones.

[jeremyb]

Never sprayed nitro before, but have sprayed other things, assuming you don't have one my best advice is to get a proper respirator, and replace the cartridges if you start to get any smell coming through...

I have one of the 3M half mask setups with the organic vapour cartridges, they're the most common ones you'll find in NZ, even Bunnings and Mitre 10 stock them, but I got mine from NZ Safety Blackwoods, they tend to have a much better range and you can usually try them on for size as they come in different sizes and you want a really good fit!

[Reg18]

Post spray, start sanding with say 800 grit until it's smooth. Then I go up to 1200 and then 2000. Then I go to 3000 and then 5000. Each sand is easier than the last. Finally, use car polish. The result is a flawless finish. Use wet and dry paper up to 2000, then at Wairau Paint buy two pads for sanding machines in grades 3000 and 5000, because these grades aren't available in paper. The sanding pads are used dry and without the machine and get a better and faster finish than if leap from 2000 grit to car polish.

This is good advise……….which I didn’t take this week on final sanding and finishing my own guitar. I went to 1200 (as that was all I could find at hardware shops) and then 2 different grades of polish/cutting compound. Unfortunately it had obvious swirls!
Can I start the process again with 800? I found some 1500 and 2000 at super cheap in the end. Not looking for mirror polish, just swirl free. Matter of fact I’m hoping to age it and crack the lacquer, but gotta start with a good finish first, then ruin it!

[jeremyb]

Damn that looks tasty Reg!!

[robthemac]

Post spray, start sanding with say 800 grit until it's smooth. Then I go up to 1200 and then 2000. Then I go to 3000 and then 5000. Each sand is easier than the last. Finally, use car polish. The result is a flawless finish. Use wet and dry paper up to 2000, then at Wairau Paint buy two pads for sanding machines in grades 3000 and 5000, because these grades aren't available in paper. The sanding pads are used dry and without the machine and get a better and faster finish than if leap from 2000 grit to car polish.

This is good advise……….which I didn’t take this week on final sanding and finishing my own guitar. I went to 1200 (as that was all I could find at hardware shops) and then 2 different grades of polish/cutting compound. Unfortunately it had obvious swirls!
Can I start the process again with 800? I found some 1500 and 2000 at super cheap in the end. Not looking for mirror polish, just swirl free. Matter of fact I’m hoping to age it and crack the lacquer, but gotta start with a good finish first, then ruin it!

You can, but you'll risk randing through, especially if you get all the orange-peel out.

[Reg18]

Damn that looks tasty Reg!!

Once I figure out the swirl marks issue I’ll do some proper pics and post in my other thread.
I just had to put it together to see how it sounded though!

[GrantB]

Damn that looks tasty Reg!!

Once I figure out the swirl marks issue I’ll do some proper pics and post in my other thread.
I just had to put it together to see how it sounded though!

I’d be buffing the swirls out if they’re not too deep

[Reg18]

Damn that looks tasty Reg!!

Once I figure out the swirl marks issue I’ll do some proper pics and post in my other thread.
I just had to put it together to see how it sounded though!

I’d be buffing the swirls out if they’re not too deep

I think one of the cutting compounds was the problem, I’ll go back to a swirl remover type one and try again, might be a back to 800 grit to get right though….will see.
Looks ok from 5 metres though!!! Haha.

[GrantB]

Nice work on the colour

[StrummersOfThunder]

Oh man that’s epic well done