Shooting reranch amber over reranch nitro clear gloss.

Shooting reranch amber over reranch nitro clear gloss.

I am in the process of finishing my first vintage style allparts neck. I am using reranch nitroclear gloss and reranch tinted Fender amber. The process I am following is shooting 7 coats of clear and I want to sandwich a layer of amber tint between the base and final clear.

Questions I have:
1. Should I level/sand out my base clear before tinting with amber?
2. Should I lay wet clear prior to tinting with amber to allow give my amber better adhesion?
3. I live in a warm 70's, relatively moderate climate (no rain in months). How long should I wait after the last coat of clear before sanding?

Thanks,

I would just put on a coat or 2 of clear, then the amber. Several more clear coats on top of that.
You'd probably not like the natural wear eating away at the amber, leaving a white/maple brand new look.
I oversprayed RR amber on the white maple neck of my Squier about a year ago and it is wearing away already. The cowboy positions of my playing are in true positions but really look funny, being shiney white and all.
Bury the amber way down there.

thank you Tex

I take it you mean the rr neck amber? Tex has it. Do a coat or two of clear then lay on some amber. Let it dry a bit. Keep adding amber until you think you like it. Shoot a coat of clear. Decide if it needs more or not. If it does, shoot some more and then shoot clear. Keep doing it until you like it. Then shoot more coats of clear and hang it up for a month or two. Don't let it hang you up. It is science. Just not rocket science.

I take it you mean the rr neck amber? Tex has it. Do a coat or two of clear then lay on some amber. Let it dry a bit. Keep adding amber until you think you like it. Shoot a coat of clear. Decide if it needs more or not. If it does, shoot some more and then shoot clear. Keep doing it until you like it. Then shoot more coats of clear and hang it up for a month or two. Don't let it hang you up. It is science. Just not rocket science.

+1 Layers is the best way to go. Also, don't try to get to much tint at once. The clear on top tends to change the look a bit. That's why most suggest spraying a little bit then spraying some clear and look at it. If you need more then repeat. Once you reach your look, spray the rest of your clear.

Very important IMO to lay down some wet clear coats first, so when you mist on the toner or amber, there's existing wet lacquer for the mist to soak into and assimilate. If you spray the mist onto a hard surface, the surface tension of the lacquer might cause it to bead up into individual, easy to see freckles. Bad news.

I hear what Rodeo Tex is saying, except in my cases they were tiny nicks and scratches but the net result was the same. Looked funny. So I try to intersperse the toner mist all through the various layers and I am not seeking as big a color shift because losing the finish back down to whatever base you had is a cruel thing if you try to tone too much.
Another reason why I grain fill with some tinted filler to give the maple a "head start" on color.

Groovey, thanks for posting this.

I am in the process of finishing a neck for the first time. I say first, but I spent last night surfacing orange peel from spraying way to close.

I will take these suggestions to heart, and let you know how it comes out.


-Mike

Guys,

When you mist your clear coats from a decent distance, should the layer look frosty dew-like or clear wet?

Thanks,
- Mike

Guys,

When you mist your clear coats from a decent distance, should the layer look frosty dew-like or clear wet?

Thanks,
- Mike


Is the humidity over 50% or so? If so, wait until it is lower. Sounds like the lacquer is picking up moisture on the way to your neck.

I get good results with a wet look.

I finally got my Springsteen neck the way I want it. Laid on the first coats of Watco clear fairly thick to get a good base coat, then started misting with the Neck Amber until I got it the way I wanted, then barely misted with Behlen's Star Amber which is a orangy butterscotch color to get that Springsteen dark Amber. I then misted clear over it to give it more depth.

I also darkened the edges up a little more by spraying the Star Amber.

I also found that taking a rag with a little lacquer thinner, and wiping away some areas lightens them up giving that uneven, realist aging. Springsteen's headstock is dark amber around the edges and lighter amber on the face. You need to let it dry and harden for a day or two first otherwise you will wipe it all off, down to the wood.

Is the humidity over 50% or so? If so, wait until it is lower. Sounds like the lacquer is picking up moisture on the way to your neck.

I need to grab a hygrometer. I felt like I should know before starting, and just spaced it.

Web suggests it's 67% outside.

I'll pick one up.

Thanks,
Mike

Thank you Bossaholic,
I am recording all of these suggestions in my notebook.


would love to see pics!
-Mike