Painting a design over stained wood? [Archive]

ghost

June 25th, 2012, 11:19 PM

Colt W. Knight

June 27th, 2012, 12:23 PM

I just ordered a Mighty Mite Telecaster body and despite my little woodworking experience I'd like to try and give it a "Natural" finish, but with painted/brushed on designs underneath the lacquer coating (So that the designs aren't on top of the lacquer but beneath the nice glossy finish)

So far my most definitive resource for how to do something like this has been this Stew-Mac link: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Finishing/Colors,_stains/a-blueguitar/a-blueguitar_1.html

They seal the wood, stain the guitar blue (I would use a more natural stain), use a sanding sealer (fancy name for varnish?)Sanding sealer is not simply a varnish. It is a specifically formulated sealer that "seals" the pores of the wood, and makes the finishing process easier. Most of us using nitrocellulose lacquer utilize a vinyl sealer, then apply a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. I would caution you to test your paints and nitro on scrap. Mixing paint types generally yields poor results. For example, lacquer can shrivel up and strip enamel.

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Heres my question:

Whats the general process? I searched the forums and saw some builds with acrylic paints.

How would you prime the wood for the acrylic? Can you paint right on top of the stain?

Then would you apply a sanding sealer or just go straight to the lacquer finish?

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m67gc4iV811qkqflko1_1280.jpg

This is more or less the idea I've came up with. Have a natural-ish stain, then with white blocks of color and black lines painted over that. I'm not really sure how to go about this so any help would be appreciated

With an ASH body, you are going to have to deal with open pores in the grain of the wood. In order to be able to paint over those pores accurately, and spray on a smooth glossy finish, you will need to grain fill the wood.

I would recommend

1. Finish sand the wood to 220 grit.
2. Apply your stain
3. Appy a sanding sealer. Allow to dry, and light sand the wood with 320( this will knock down some raised grain or whiskers)
3. Apply another coat of sanding sealer
4. Sand flat with 320 grit
5. Paint your body how you will and allow to dry thoroughly
6. Apply numerous thin coats of clear lacquer
7. Allow to dry thoroughly, wet sand through 2000 grit
8. Polish with automotive rubbing compounds
9. Apply a wax and buff with a chamois.

I hope that helps.


	Telecaster Guitar Forum > The DIY Channel > Finely Finished > Painting a design over stained wood? PDA Painting a design over stained wood? ghost June 25th, 2012, 11:19 PM I just ordered a Mighty Mite Telecaster body and despite my little woodworking experience I'd like to try and give it a "Natural" finish, but with painted/brushed on designs underneath the lacquer coating (So that the designs aren't on top of the lacquer but beneath the nice glossy finish) So far my most definitive resource for how to do something like this has been this Stew-Mac link: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Finishing/Colors,_stains/a-blueguitar/a-blueguitar_1.html They seal the wood, stain the guitar blue (I would use a more natural stain), use a sanding sealer (fancy name for varnish?), then apply a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. ------------ Heres my question: Whats the general process? I searched the forums and saw some builds with acrylic paints. How would you prime the wood for the acrylic? Can you paint right on top of the stain? Then would you apply a sanding sealer or just go straight to the lacquer finish? http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m67gc4iV811qkqflko1_1280.jpg This is more or less the idea I've came up with. Have a natural-ish stain, then with white blocks of color and black lines painted over that. I'm not really sure how to go about this so any help would be appreciated. Colt W. Knight June 27th, 2012, 12:23 PM I just ordered a Mighty Mite Telecaster body and despite my little woodworking experience I'd like to try and give it a "Natural" finish, but with painted/brushed on designs underneath the lacquer coating (So that the designs aren't on top of the lacquer but beneath the nice glossy finish) So far my most definitive resource for how to do something like this has been this Stew-Mac link: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Finishing/Colors,_stains/a-blueguitar/a-blueguitar_1.html They seal the wood, stain the guitar blue (I would use a more natural stain), use a sanding sealer (fancy name for varnish?)Sanding sealer is not simply a varnish. It is a specifically formulated sealer that "seals" the pores of the wood, and makes the finishing process easier. Most of us using nitrocellulose lacquer utilize a vinyl sealer, then apply a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. I would caution you to test your paints and nitro on scrap. Mixing paint types generally yields poor results. For example, lacquer can shrivel up and strip enamel. ------------ Heres my question: Whats the general process? I searched the forums and saw some builds with acrylic paints. How would you prime the wood for the acrylic? Can you paint right on top of the stain? Then would you apply a sanding sealer or just go straight to the lacquer finish? http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m67gc4iV811qkqflko1_1280.jpg This is more or less the idea I've came up with. Have a natural-ish stain, then with white blocks of color and black lines painted over that. I'm not really sure how to go about this so any help would be appreciated With an ASH body, you are going to have to deal with open pores in the grain of the wood. In order to be able to paint over those pores accurately, and spray on a smooth glossy finish, you will need to grain fill the wood. I would recommend 1. Finish sand the wood to 220 grit. 2. Apply your stain 3. Appy a sanding sealer. Allow to dry, and light sand the wood with 320( this will knock down some raised grain or whiskers) 3. Apply another coat of sanding sealer 4. Sand flat with 320 grit 5. Paint your body how you will and allow to dry thoroughly 6. Apply numerous thin coats of clear lacquer 7. Allow to dry thoroughly, wet sand through 2000 grit 8. Polish with automotive rubbing compounds 9. Apply a wax and buff with a chamois. I hope that helps.