Guitar finishing: Flatting and polishing the clearcoat or lacquer

Ive been asked hundreds of times to do a video on clearing/finishing a guitar so here you go :)
I cant show the clearing process im afraid, my cam would get destroyed from all the overspray (its a messy process) but i can show you how i finish off the clear once its cured.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Guitar
• clear
• clearcoat
• varnish
• lacquer
• finish
• finishing
• buffing
• polish
• shiny
• coat
• flatting
• compound
• airbrush
• airbrushed
• airbrushing
• custom
• paint
• painted
• painting
• draw
• drawing
• svee
• sveeart
• rob
• chappers
• chapman
• ml2
• ml-2
• guitars
• artist

[theringer1217]

Then after applying the dark edges and blending them in with the lighter center, I would have to apply a clear coat? Is the clear coat that polishing compound? I don't think it is. If not, how many layers would I apply of clear coat and would I sand in between each one? Thank you for your help so far

[svee]

@theringer1217 Not all guitars have a binding mate. To do what you want you will need to seal the bare wood, then grain fill, sand it nice and flat, then seal again, then paint it blue, then paint the black edges, then clearcoat the whole thing. A local automotive body shop would be able to clearcoat it for you fairly cheaply. Use black and blue paint, not black and blue lacquer. The polishing compound is for polishing up the clearcoat once its all finished ;)

[spaceweaver1]

When painting a guitar, is it best to airbrush the image before the lacquer(straight onto your painted guitar) or get it lacquerd after base coat and then wet and dry the lacquer and airbrush over this, then lacquer again over airbrushed areas? and do you ever need to wet and dry a base coat before airbrushing onto? Hope you can help answer my questions and thanks for all the videos!!!!!!! ps i like the sound of those trident paints!

[svee]

@spaceweaver1 you could clear after basecoat but you really dont need too and of course the more paint/clear layers you add to something like a guitar the more chance you have of possibly changing the sound of the instrument. Just basecoat, do your airbrushing and get it cleared when it is finished mate, thats what i do. You should never need to wet & dry a basecoat that you have just sprayed.

[dfstein]

Thanks for the video. I couldn't find Meguiar's Cut & Finish anywhere on line, even on the UK Meguiar's site. I found SOLO CUT & POLISH CREAM on Amazon.com US.

How critical is it to use this particular product. I have Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Swirl Remover 2.0, for example. Do you have any idea where Cut & Finish falls on the Meguiar abrasiveness scale that they now put on certain products?

Thanks for the great video and info!

[svee]

@dfstein Oh you dont HAVE to use what i do mate. Another good one is called "G3" compound made by Farecla. All you need is a good cutting compound and then maybe a de-swirler for that bit of extra bling ;)

[mpaz48mo]

Hello Daniel, I'm at the clearcoat curing stage, what amount of time do you recommend for the curing process? I've heard 1 to 4 weeks, is that feasible? Michael.

[ibleed1]

surely a 3" or 4" pad would be a better tool for this job.

[vulcanchama]

so when i clear coat do i use something such as minwax or varathane

[nikiskitin]

I live 20km from Mirka! you use finish sandpaper ftw! not hard to get the same  paper now :-)

[LPSGRGES]

Is there a reason you left those little bridge pieces in, aswell as the pickups or whatever was taped over there? Also, what song? :)

[Green071191]

What an interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

[theringer1217]

Thank you for the video. I've watched numerous videos on youtube and have found myself in a state of confusion. I have a very low budget as a college student and guitars can be quite expensive, but I would love to build my own. I plan to buy an sg guitar kit and make it a black and dark blue sunburst, but without the yellow. I was confused about the bindings. Do they have bindings? I figure first I have to sand it down and then put a base coat of black lacquer and each coat gets sanded down?

[ComeOnYouBoyzInBlue]

Nice !!