Is it possible to do some filling over colour coat?

[GigsbyBoyUK]

I'm doing a rattle can refinish of the top of an archtop electric, using a Gibson style gold top nitro rattlecan.

The top of the guitar was sanded to bare wood and had various dings and dents filled before primer. Twice I then spotted imperfections that required filling, sanding and repriming.

All looked good after the last application of primer so I went ahead and laid on the gold and, although not perfect, generally I am happy with the result. This is a cheapish guitar that will be used as a bit of a rockabilly in bars, so a perfect finish was never expected or required.

However, there is a significant imperfection: a 6 inch by 1/4 inch area that had been filled before painting and is now showing through the gold as a small indentation. It is very shallow - barely noticeable by touch - and only shows up when the guitar is at a certain angle to the light.

As this guitar has binding that took a long time for me to mask off and that has turned out well, I am very reluctant to strip it all down and start again. There is also the small matter of the cost of more paint - I have some gold left but not enough to repaint the top all over again.

I may just get the clear coat on and be done with it. As my wife says, no one will ever notice.

However I was wondering if this sounds like a feasible plan to do a not-perfect-but-better-than-it-is repair:

1. Apply and spread a few thin layers of CA glue (or other fine filler?) into the indentation, being careful not to let any spread much beyond the edge of the indentation itself.

2. Carefully sand down the CA glue and the surrounding surface, with the string likelihood that I will sand through the gold in places.

3. Do an area spray of gold over the repair, feathering the edges so that it hopefully blends in with the rest of the guitar but without going as far as the very edge and the binding.

(I did a similar bit of spraying over one small area elsewhere on the guitar and it seems to have blended in well, although that was when each coat was going on a few minutes after each other, whereas now the gold has been on and drying for three days.)

I appreciate this is a compromise but do you experienced finishers feel there is a chance that this will work out?

Any input from those in the know is very much appreciated.

[Jack FFR1846]

My non-expert opinion: Leave it. Clear over and be done with it. If you really, really, really don't like the dent, Minwax black can nitro is only $8 a can in clear at Home Depot. You could simply put down very thick clear coats and then block it out as if it were a car. There's just too much of a chance with CA glue that the whole thing will be screwed up.

[stingray_65]

I can't tell you how many nearly perfect finishes I've ruined trying to get them perfect.

The few perfect finishes I've done, had perfect prep work.

Good enough IS good enough.

Not good enough isn't.


Ray

[GigsbyBoyUK]

Thanks chaps...I think you are right and it's decision time: either get the clear coat on and hope it's not too bad, or give myself more hassle and cost and go back a couple of steps.

I think I'll get the clear on tomorrow!