Auto Parts Store Paint Job aka Urethane

[hoz]

Had a job to paint a guitar from black to silver. Thought I would try to do it all from the auto parts store, and paint a second guitar as kind of a bonus! This was the first time I've tried urethane, and didn't really know what I was doing. It was a short interesting journey screwing up paint and going back to the parts store for more. I depended on the person working at the counter, which meant I was talking to someone else who had no clue because they only worked part time or whatever.

[hoz]

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No real paint booth at the moment. I pulled a car out of the garage and just shot out the door. The spray gun is a $10 harbor freight job. I have a small Cambell Housefield air compressor. Initial materials cost was around $40. I had some metal flake in a jar. I bought the spot clear because it dries super fast and it was the same cost.

[hoz]

After sanding both guitars then masking off the neck of the Melody Maker I shot everything with shellac as a sealer since it seams to be pretty universal. The Melody Maker had that dull Gibson finish. At this point I really should have focused on the EB0 bass copy. The body was kind of rough and has issues. But, it is my bass.

[Deleted]

I always found with auto paint, that it works good as long as the body was prepared right.

I too had to go to the auto store a few time back when I first started to build or re build guitars...

It was John that told me about shellack primer... If I am going to paint a guitar a solid color I use that primer first. It will seal off anything that is in the wood, and it gives the body and really nice surface to work with.

Auto paint is touchy when it come to oils and sap in wood. But auto paint is some of the best looking paint out there... Plus it dries or cures pretty fast.

But two cool looking projects you have going on.

EB

[hoz]

The cure time is crazy. And it's nice to be able to run down to the store and have a color mixed up on the spot. Not sure how it would pan out with tints on wood though. I' m sure I will just stick to nitro or waterbase for those situations.

[dnic]

Can't add anything as far as paint goes, I've not used auto paint on guitars yet. The price has keep me away.

But I have a question, you say Melody Maker but they both look like SGs to me. I know in 60' the SG shape was called Les Paul. But was it also a Melody Maker at some point?

[hoz]

In the late 60's they started making SG bodied Melody Makers. By 1970 they turned into the really hideous SG 1, 2, and 3. The black guitar is a 2000's model. The woody bass is made in Japan, and a copy of the Gibson EB0.

[hoz]

The owner requested silver for the Melody Maker. I thought I would go for boat flake instead since I listen to the owners carefully. Pouring a bunch of flake in clear didn't work. I did recreate a Danelectro Silvertone paint job though.
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[hoz]

This was the clear w/ activator I thought I was going to reuse the next day! My Dad later told me he puts his in the fridge and manages to paint with it later.
 

[hoz]

The next day I was at the auto parts store spending more money$$$ Got silver. Now I'm listening to the owner. Straight plain 'ol silver.

[hoz]

Scary guitar hanging area. Don't throw the garage door wide open! I still need to make a new paint booth.

[hoz]

I still wanted to play around with some sort of Kustom paint. I made a couple stencil masks using an old design I came up with. I went to the auto parts store again! I got some black in a half pint can, I started to learn ,don't buy so much paint from those guys! I chose Ibanez for the guitar maker. It coulda been Aria or Eldin, all same factory. Besides, it's Kustom!

[hoz]

After peeling back the masking tape I realized It would look cleaner to stripe the edges. After a qiuck internet search I figured out I could just add the hardener/ activator to the one shot lettering enamel. The trick was to let it set for a day before spraying clear over it. Maybe also spray a dry coat over it at first. I should have listened to the second recommendation. I did have a little bleed of red in the clear.

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[hoz]

I did shoot some gun metal flake over the silver on this guitar only. This is when I learned the flake should be a lighter color than the base paint. Because it looks like it has dirt in it, until the sun lights it up.

[hoz]

I like it because it reminds me of the original TV series Batmobile!