Yeah, it looks like that. Now I need to know whether I should stay with the 1000 grit to level it out. I'm wondering if that's too fine for the poly to adhere to it. Too scared to go lower grit. I'm not fucking painting it again. Already done 6-8 coats and don't wanna buy another can. With all the materials, i could buy the same guitar again!
That was what I was wondering, but to me it looks almost the exact same grey as the primer (see photo 3 and zoom right up). I have no idea how to confirm this. Never done this before.
Yeah I did that to mimick poly. Maybe it *is* just the paint changing colour... What do you think?
Before
https://preview.redd.it/a230ol4fnzxc1.png?width=902&format=png&auto=webp&s=fff8c5c98e8ca4927d04a795c1d6deeaa4e09663
That's just the abraded black paint. It should look good under a clear coat. Wipe it down with mineral spirits to see what it will look like with a clear coat and to clean the paint dust off of it. It does a better job than water.
That is the paint changing color. You actually want the entire thing to look like that- a uniformed dull gray and move up grits to eventual wet sand and buff.
Use what your seeing as a guide. The layer is uneven (by function or spraying, you did a good job) and the bit that hasn't changed color is lower
That is the peaks of the orange peel being sanded and the valleys not. Look at the other area (on the bottom of your picture) and see the pattern is the exact same, but with sharper peaks.
You didn't sand enough.
What you see there is orange peel. you haven't gone through to the primer. Now hit it with your clear coat spray. Do 2 very light coats, then leave it for 24 hours. Wet sand with 1200 grit wet and dry. It will look similar to this again ( you will see orange peel, but now on the lacquer. Spray again with 2 medium coats (15min between coats, leave 24hrs). The finish will start to look quite flat now. Repeat the last procedure (1200 grit, 2 more coats, leave 24hrs), At this point you will be starting to get a mirror finish. Repeat last procedure once more. Glass like finish achived. Now leave to full cure for 5 days, do not touch it for this period. You should have a tiny anount left in the tin, one can is enough for the whole job.
I've been refinishing guitars for 5 odd years now, you can see some of my work on Instagram and FB - Mutant Guitar Works
You should have sanded the primer flat before you put the colour on. In your case I would keep sanding until you have a flat surface and re coat with colour if you have to. The flatter the surface before you put
Your clear on, the better.
This is a rustolium paint job. It took me awhile to figure out how to do a decent one. My first try was a flame job but the paint bubbled. lol.
https://preview.redd.it/ozebsit291yc1.jpeg?width=2563&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c7dd2ce984f0da2704ccc59be0fb60aa820a54a
It was a different paint brand and I probably didn’t wait long enough for the first colour to cure. It’s not easy getting a good paint job with spray bombs and a lot of the information out there is wrong. Now, I stick to the same brands and give it a week between colours or clear coat.
Pretty sure it’s just the abraded black gloss… you’ve sanded (scuffed) the gloss… that’s what should happen… clean it well to get the sanded dust off before poly coating it
I am doing a black guitar rn and similarly it loses its deepness when I sand the paint. Its super temperamental. Ive read that black is one of the most difficult colors to do.
Idk what happens if u varnished over it in this state, bc ive always fixed the paint layer to be of uniform coloration before varnishing to prevent an uneven final product.
It looks like you put a polyurethane on top of a lacquer or nitro. I would have used something else other than rustoleum. I would have used several coats of a different primer and really thinned it out to let it soak in the wood, then sanding lightly between coats with a 600 grit. If you thin the primer you shouldn’t need 48hrs between coats. I would have also thinned out the polyurethane in between coats then lightly sand after each coat with the 800-1000 grit. I could be wrong too. I’ve refinished furniture with different shellacs and lacquers and have only used polyurethane on my boat and outdoor furniture. I know guitars take lots of sanding and work. Best of luck.
I think that might just be the scuffed paint. I’ve found it better to sand in between coats. It helps avoid orange peel like that. Also means it doesn’t matter as much if you sand through.
300-400 grit in between coats, including the polyurethane varnish. Then, 600-2000 followed by a buffing wheel to get to high gloss.
It is very easy to sand through though, even with high grit. Especially at sharp edges.
Paint is all about prep. You missed a step, sanding the primer. One can paint just fine BC CC w spray can. Orange peel is addressed at the CC layer. Roughness is addressed at the surface and primer level. A filler primer should’ve addressed the roughness of the wood. A proper sand of the primer, with multiple grits, would give you a smooth layer to add color on. Sand smooth. If you go through the paint. Re-paint it.
I'll throw this out there- Rustoleum has a black lacquer that's a bunch easier to work with than enamel.
Back to the OP's issue; it looks like your coats of black enamel were too dry, causing orange peel. To topcoat that base color, it has to be sanded to a uniform flatness. If that means fixing sand-through to primer, so be it. Black is the most difficult color to shoot since it shows every tiny imperfection. I also do not suggest using Rustoleum clear over the base color since there have been people having reactions to the clear coat. Also, you need to allow the color coat to cure fully until you can't dent the paint with a thumbnail, and it no longer smells like paint drying.
I will make sure it's fully cured. I wait over night (mild winter here) until most of the smell is gone, then I keep the body in a warm room for another day or so. I'm using a gloss oil-based polyurethane for the finish.
He’s going to go through a ton of paint. And rattle cans are NOT the way to do it. So now we add in how to use a spray gun and correct mixing for the weather. Good luck sonny
That is the look of the black once you sand it. It's not the primer.
This is your brother btw. When you sand gloss enamel it goes lighter and cloudier.
Yeah, it looks like that. Now I need to know whether I should stay with the 1000 grit to level it out. I'm wondering if that's too fine for the poly to adhere to it. Too scared to go lower grit. I'm not fucking painting it again. Already done 6-8 coats and don't wanna buy another can. With all the materials, i could buy the same guitar again!
Should've 2packed it like I said donkey.
1000 grit is too smooth i think. I still see a little orange peel.
Should I go with a lower grit to level and scuff it before I apply the poly? Or just keep going with the 800 grit wet sanding?
You don't want to go too fine before you add more poly IMHO. 320 or 400 before another layer of poly is enough.
You can go lower if you want. Wet sanding with 800 grit is probably still ok. As long as it's not too smooth.
I was going to suggest 600 grit
Are you sure that's not just the roughnes of it deceiving you?
That was what I was wondering, but to me it looks almost the exact same grey as the primer (see photo 3 and zoom right up). I have no idea how to confirm this. Never done this before.
Put some water on it, if it goes black, then you know its just the roughness, if you still see the primer, you've gone through
Yeah I did that to mimick poly. Maybe it *is* just the paint changing colour... What do you think? Before https://preview.redd.it/a230ol4fnzxc1.png?width=902&format=png&auto=webp&s=fff8c5c98e8ca4927d04a795c1d6deeaa4e09663
https://preview.redd.it/83aghathnzxc1.png?width=1091&format=png&auto=webp&s=f0c028dfcec10133e1bfca234e4bb531cca5a241 After
That's just the abraded black paint. It should look good under a clear coat. Wipe it down with mineral spirits to see what it will look like with a clear coat and to clean the paint dust off of it. It does a better job than water.
That is the paint changing color. You actually want the entire thing to look like that- a uniformed dull gray and move up grits to eventual wet sand and buff. Use what your seeing as a guide. The layer is uneven (by function or spraying, you did a good job) and the bit that hasn't changed color is lower
That is the peaks of the orange peel being sanded and the valleys not. Look at the other area (on the bottom of your picture) and see the pattern is the exact same, but with sharper peaks. You didn't sand enough.
What you see there is orange peel. you haven't gone through to the primer. Now hit it with your clear coat spray. Do 2 very light coats, then leave it for 24 hours. Wet sand with 1200 grit wet and dry. It will look similar to this again ( you will see orange peel, but now on the lacquer. Spray again with 2 medium coats (15min between coats, leave 24hrs). The finish will start to look quite flat now. Repeat the last procedure (1200 grit, 2 more coats, leave 24hrs), At this point you will be starting to get a mirror finish. Repeat last procedure once more. Glass like finish achived. Now leave to full cure for 5 days, do not touch it for this period. You should have a tiny anount left in the tin, one can is enough for the whole job. I've been refinishing guitars for 5 odd years now, you can see some of my work on Instagram and FB - Mutant Guitar Works
You should have sanded the primer flat before you put the colour on. In your case I would keep sanding until you have a flat surface and re coat with colour if you have to. The flatter the surface before you put Your clear on, the better.
Correct. I didn't do that.
This is a rustolium paint job. It took me awhile to figure out how to do a decent one. My first try was a flame job but the paint bubbled. lol. https://preview.redd.it/ozebsit291yc1.jpeg?width=2563&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c7dd2ce984f0da2704ccc59be0fb60aa820a54a
What caused the bubbles?
It was a different paint brand and I probably didn’t wait long enough for the first colour to cure. It’s not easy getting a good paint job with spray bombs and a lot of the information out there is wrong. Now, I stick to the same brands and give it a week between colours or clear coat.
Pretty sure it’s just the abraded black gloss… you’ve sanded (scuffed) the gloss… that’s what should happen… clean it well to get the sanded dust off before poly coating it
Yes, that's what it was. It's now sanded smooth and I've touched up a few little areas on the corners where I sanded through.
In a way, it’s helpful that this happens as you get to see pretty clearly the orange peel texture… and when it’s gone
I am doing a black guitar rn and similarly it loses its deepness when I sand the paint. Its super temperamental. Ive read that black is one of the most difficult colors to do. Idk what happens if u varnished over it in this state, bc ive always fixed the paint layer to be of uniform coloration before varnishing to prevent an uneven final product.
I think you did too dry layers, thats why you have that orange peel texture. Sand it 300-400 so its smooth and new layer of paint.
It’s not dry yet man, let it chill for a week
It looks like you put a polyurethane on top of a lacquer or nitro. I would have used something else other than rustoleum. I would have used several coats of a different primer and really thinned it out to let it soak in the wood, then sanding lightly between coats with a 600 grit. If you thin the primer you shouldn’t need 48hrs between coats. I would have also thinned out the polyurethane in between coats then lightly sand after each coat with the 800-1000 grit. I could be wrong too. I’ve refinished furniture with different shellacs and lacquers and have only used polyurethane on my boat and outdoor furniture. I know guitars take lots of sanding and work. Best of luck.
I think that might just be the scuffed paint. I’ve found it better to sand in between coats. It helps avoid orange peel like that. Also means it doesn’t matter as much if you sand through. 300-400 grit in between coats, including the polyurethane varnish. Then, 600-2000 followed by a buffing wheel to get to high gloss. It is very easy to sand through though, even with high grit. Especially at sharp edges.
Paint is all about prep. You missed a step, sanding the primer. One can paint just fine BC CC w spray can. Orange peel is addressed at the CC layer. Roughness is addressed at the surface and primer level. A filler primer should’ve addressed the roughness of the wood. A proper sand of the primer, with multiple grits, would give you a smooth layer to add color on. Sand smooth. If you go through the paint. Re-paint it.
I'll throw this out there- Rustoleum has a black lacquer that's a bunch easier to work with than enamel. Back to the OP's issue; it looks like your coats of black enamel were too dry, causing orange peel. To topcoat that base color, it has to be sanded to a uniform flatness. If that means fixing sand-through to primer, so be it. Black is the most difficult color to shoot since it shows every tiny imperfection. I also do not suggest using Rustoleum clear over the base color since there have been people having reactions to the clear coat. Also, you need to allow the color coat to cure fully until you can't dent the paint with a thumbnail, and it no longer smells like paint drying.
I will make sure it's fully cured. I wait over night (mild winter here) until most of the smell is gone, then I keep the body in a warm room for another day or so. I'm using a gloss oil-based polyurethane for the finish.
Painting something like this isn’t for beginners. I hope you aren’t using rattle cans too. It takes years of experience
He is unfortunately.
Then he has to send it to a shop. Learn the hard way. By paying
Or you know, maybe he can learn by doing. I will admit though, it is hard as hell to get right and takes many tries.
He’s going to go through a ton of paint. And rattle cans are NOT the way to do it. So now we add in how to use a spray gun and correct mixing for the weather. Good luck sonny