I'll hit up my luthier friends. I know they never want to do that stuff but maybe someone does.GuyLaCroix wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:22 am I have a guitar body that I successfully slapped some paisley fabric onto. Looks pretty good by my estimation.
I need somebody, anybody with a spray booth or facilities to help me finish. Nobody is biting. I've called every auto shop in town, hit up Texas Toast guitars down in Denver (fuckin don't even get me started on the phone conversation I had with them), called all the indie guitar makers I can find on Google.
I'm thinking of doing the finish myself with a couple rattle cans from Oxford Guitar Supply when it warms up. I haven't used spray paint since I was in highschool and tagged a girl's name on a building.
Am I gonna screw this up?
Tips? Tricks? Some other type business I could call in the northern Colorado area? I was thinking someone at a body shop could do this on their lunch break for a benji, but nobody wants to work anymore. <Sarcasm>
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1842FM CJury used to do this too.
You can get good results w/ rattlecans these days - just do some practice runs, watch youtube videos, etc. With fabric I'd think you'd need quite a few more coats than what you'd use for normal paint if you're really wanting a smooth finish which might be why others didn't want to touch it? But the up-side would be that it should be way more forgiving, hiding things like dust a little bit better.
The better "professional-grade" rattlecan stuff needs good ventilation and PPE - please do not skip this step. Better to be over-protected than under.
You can get good results w/ rattlecans these days - just do some practice runs, watch youtube videos, etc. With fabric I'd think you'd need quite a few more coats than what you'd use for normal paint if you're really wanting a smooth finish which might be why others didn't want to touch it? But the up-side would be that it should be way more forgiving, hiding things like dust a little bit better.
The better "professional-grade" rattlecan stuff needs good ventilation and PPE - please do not skip this step. Better to be over-protected than under.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1843There's a shop in the Denver metro area that does nice nitro finishes called McGibney. The bad news is the last time my buddy checked it was $600. Rattle can might be the way.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1844The black cans of Minwax lacquer are nitrocellulose, if that's what you're looking for. That fabric is going to drink the lacquer though, so be prepared to go through a lot of cans.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1845I wonder if you could wax the fabric first to make it less absorbent.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1846It would never stick to wax. I'd probably brush a few coats of shellac on the fabric first to set it, as it's cheaper and more forgiving, then spray a bunch of thin coats of lacquer. Everything sticks to shellac.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1847I'm not a luthier obviously but I think a glue of some kind would be a better way to go than trying to spray it. Maybe lacquer over glue? Modge Podge is meant for decoupage but IDK if it would cure hard enough to use as a guitar finish.
Wallpaper or ordering a sheet of the actual metallic paper print that Fender used/uses might make your life easier?
Wallpaper or ordering a sheet of the actual metallic paper print that Fender used/uses might make your life easier?
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1848Fabric is already on there and it ain't coming off.
Thanks all. I found a video of a lovely British woman doing it to an old strat with floor laquer, I imagine that's quite a bit thicker than what I would prefer.
Thanks all. I found a video of a lovely British woman doing it to an old strat with floor laquer, I imagine that's quite a bit thicker than what I would prefer.
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1849Maybe a more furniture appropriate lacquer is the way to go. I've sprayed a couple project guitars with StewMac satin nitro and even with 5 or 6 rounds you can scratch it off with your fingernail. Great for neck feel perhaps (and mojo), probably not so great as a protective/adhesive layer.
Share pics when you're done. I love paisley shit!
Share pics when you're done. I love paisley shit!
Re: Small questions that don't fit anywhere
1850Best way to deal with bad connections on 1/4" unbalanced jacks.
I have a few unbalanced jacks on rack effects, mixers, etc. that are either noisy and intermittent and need to be fussed with, or don't reliably pass signal if pushed in all the way (Tascam line inputs). Contact cleaner? Re-tensioning of the contacts? Tiny bottle brush? I've been fucking with stuff like this forever but never sought a definitive approach.
I have a few unbalanced jacks on rack effects, mixers, etc. that are either noisy and intermittent and need to be fussed with, or don't reliably pass signal if pushed in all the way (Tascam line inputs). Contact cleaner? Re-tensioning of the contacts? Tiny bottle brush? I've been fucking with stuff like this forever but never sought a definitive approach.
Radio show https://www.wmse.org/program/the-tom-wa ... xperience/
My band https://redstuff.bandcamp.com/
Solo project https://tomwanderer.bandcamp.com/
My band https://redstuff.bandcamp.com/
Solo project https://tomwanderer.bandcamp.com/