Sleep deprived finish idea!!!

[genie_V]

whatcha think of this idea, a dano style guitar with a thin sheet of aluminum foil glued to the top, then mask off 1'/1' squares then spray a really bright color or a color that contrasts well over the tape. ten pull the tape off. then use a thin coat of deft clear lacquer for the clear coat. the thinner the finish the natural relic will be off the charts!!

does this seem possible?
(it is more of a theoretical idea... but i thinkn itd look pretty cool if i can do it right.... lol)

[jamie cowan]

sounds AWESOME !

[motor_city_tele]

get some sleep before you hurt yourself

btw - of course it would work
but I think you meant 1 inch squares though

[deaconque]

Wouldn't the aluminum foil rip when pulling off the tape?

[Zenzeypher]

glue the foil down first.

[Rockdog]

I like the idea, but one suggestion: use something other than Deft, if possible. Deft is notorious for remaining soft long after application. If you're looking for a thin finish that will relic nicely, avoid Deft. You'll want something that will dry nice and hard. For rattlecan lacquer, ReRanch would be my first choice. Otherwise, Minwax clear lacquer (the one in the black can available at big box stores).

[genie_V]

i think i have some of that minwax lacquer if not i can always go buy some.

the aluminum foil will be secured with the strongest 3m adhesive u can buy at lowes! the foil should be secured enough if i can get good glue coverage on the whole top.

i was thinking of doing the back in gloss black.

im gona try to run a few test pieces this weekend with a few different paint schemes.

any suggestions on colors that would contrast good with black and aluminum?

[Keyser Soze]

You should probably do some testing to ensure that the color coat will securely adhere to the foil.

Also you may need to experiment with your choice of adhesive. 3M spray adhesive is solvent based, and degasses - which can lead to bubbles and blistering with an impermeable film/foil layer. Glue size (basically thinned Elmers) might actually work better.

As an alternative you could use metal gilding foil (but this is much more expensive.) With that stuff you'd paint first, then mask off the body, apply the adhesive to the exposed sections, then remove the mask and apply the gilding. The stuff only sticks where there is adhesive present. Then clear coat for protection.

[motor_city_tele]

This guy's icon looks good - the reds and peach colors contrast well with the black and silvers.

[genie_V]

i will definately do some testing this weekend!

keyser soze: u mentioned elmers glue, do u mean the white craft glue or thinned wood glue? if its craft glue i have alot of that and itd be easy to thin or use straight up depending on viscosity of the glue. that gilding foil looks cool but dang that stuff expensive...

motor-city-tele: that icon is a tattoo design a buddy of mine came up with for me.

i do like the red, black, and silver color idea! thatll look super good!

[Silverface]

You'd better plan on finishing the top - or at least sealing it real well - before applying the foil. Aluminum foil does not like to lay out smoothly; add glue to the mix and you'll have a lumpy, bumpy surface. that will look more inconsistent the more gloss you give it.

Also, as previously mentioned you will have a very hard time getting any coating to stick to aluminum (unprepared aluminum) at all, and if you acid-etch the aluminum for proper adhesion of coatingit'll look blotchy AND lumpy.

IMO a bad idea - it'll look inconsistent and if you don't like it you have a LONG road ahead of you removing it.

[genie_V]

im gona run some test pieces this weekend to c how it works out. if not... ill prolly end up spraying it silver and tape off the design then spray crimson on it...

who knows i might be able to get the foil to behave for me. i sometimes have that random lucky streak.

[motor_city_tele]

When I first heard this idea I immediately thought of 3M spray adhesive. You spray the wood and you spray the foil. you let both dry for a few minutes and then you press the two together. - simple right?

I would insert a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between the two and slowly work from one side pressing the foil onto the body. slide the parchment about 1/2 inch at a time. after the foil is adhered, you could run a hot iron over it to smooth out any places where the glue might be a bit thicker.

I've never done it but that is how I would attempt my first time.

[genie_V]

motor_city_tele: i will definitely try that when i do my test pieces! thanks for the input. i really hope this finish is a success cause it would sorta double as a part of the shielding of the guitar. if im successful i might have the quietest single coil dano out there! lol

[Keyser Soze]

You can use dilute craft glue, or dilute wood glue - either will work. Contact cement (spray adhesive) will give you the best adhesion, but as Motor City Tele noted, you need to give it plenty of time to set up, otherwise I all but guarantee you will have issues with blistering.

[genie_V]

well it rained all this weekend... which sucks cause i wanted to run some test pieces of the finish but the humidity was just way too high...