No stupid questions, only stupid people...

So I am about to embark on my first sprayed finish after sticking with Tru Oil so far. I'm after a Mary Kaye Sonic Blue over an alder body. I started unable to decide between Mary Kaye White and Sonic Blue, so I got a can of each from Reranch and a couple of cans of gloss nitro. After seeing a pic of a Grosh in Mary Kaye Sonic Blue I knew it was what I was after.

So for the stupid questions, I assume that the best way to pull this off is by just emptying the blue can into a jar, doing the same with one of the nitro cans, and mixing them together at maybe 3:1 gloss to color, then loading the mix into a Preval and spraying away, right?

Seems simple enough, but simple always eludes me, and when I think I know what I am doing, I'm usually wrong...

Is the reranch in a can or a spray can?

The clear is usually put over the base color, not mixed with it. YMMV

If I'm understanding, It seems if you mix your blue with the white, it'll change your base color and it wouldn't be true sonic blue anymore. Mary Kaye white is a translucent color which when applied goes for the "pickled" effect. I.e, the grain still shows. Sonic blue isn't opaque it's a solid color. Here's two options that may work. Try this on scrap wood first. Also, since you'll be working with very thin coats you may consider using a spray lacquer sanding sealer first on either option. Reranch has that too as well as Lowe's, Home Depot etc. The thin coats will go on a little more evenly and easily. Option 1: Spray your blue as thin as possible so you can still see the grain. There's not a lot of heavy grain on alder anyway. Let it dry, sand it down smooth. It'll be thin so sand slowly to avoid "sand throughs". Then do the same with the white. I still don't think you'll have true sonic blue translucent finish but the effect may work. Finish with clear gloss or tinted lacquer. Option 2: Mix the colors strategically like you said and go for it but still making very thin coats. Reranch sells a tinted gloss topcoat. It's good and darkens it up a bit. The tint may knock off your new base coat's Carolina blue nature to a somewhat convincing sonic blue. Good Luck and keep us posted.

So I am about to embark on my first sprayed finish after sticking with Tru Oil so far. I'm after a Mary Kaye Sonic Blue over an alder body. I started unable to decide between Mary Kaye White and Sonic Blue, so I got a can of each from Reranch and a couple of cans of gloss nitro. After seeing a pic of a Grosh in Mary Kaye Sonic Blue I knew it was what I was after.

So for the stupid questions, I assume that the best way to pull this off is by just emptying the blue can into a jar, doing the same with one of the nitro cans, and mixing them together at maybe 3:1 gloss to color, then loading the mix into a Preval and spraying away, right?

Seems simple enough, but simple always eludes me, and when I think I know what I am doing, I'm usually wrong...

This technique will work but I cant say what the resulting Color will look like. Do some tests for sure. I like to use scraps of mdf.

The other nice thing I have seen is to mix sonic blue with clear for a semi transparent. But this looks better over swamp ash.