flat/satin black auto paint for hard rock strat--- how difficult to do?

[appar111]

I think I may end up going with a flat or satin black auto paint finish for my latest "hard rock" dual humbucker strat.

How hard would this be to do, using rattle cans of auto paint from the local Auto Zone? I'm thinking that flat black or satin paint would hide more imperfections in the paint job. If I went with flat black I could always use polishing compound to get it to a satin finish.

I would probably use a grey auto primer underneath to prep the wood first. I'm assuming that if I'm using auto paint, priming the wood would be a necessity, right?

Going for something very raw, very "rock n' roll"-- would this do the trick? And more importantly, would it be very difficult for me to accomplish?

[Tedecaster]

My very favorite black paint in Krylon Rust Tough Satin Black. The Rust Tough paint has the better quality nozzle & paints very nicely. I have used the Satin Black for tons of stuff (usually things I welded up but some wood projects) & I buy it whenever I see it to have it on hand. I have never sprayed a guitar with it though. I think Advance Auto has it & matbe AutoZone too.

I have to say I didn't have as good results with some of the other Rust Tough colors. (not sure why?)

[NewOldStock]

Originally Posted by Tedecaster

My very favorite black paint in Krylon Rust Tough Satin Black. The Rust Tough paint has the better quality nozzle & paints very nicely. I have used the Satin Black for tons of stuff (usually things I welded up but some wood projects) & I buy it whenever I see it to have it on hand. I have never sprayed a guitar with it though.

This was my old bike before I began my chopper build. This is the flat black Krylon Rust Tough after 3 years. You can see my new bike using the same paint in yesterday's "Skull & Bones" thread in the Black Dog Cafe. It's just the spray cans. It's survived salted roads, 2 deer collisions, plowing through snow banks, ditch rides, and sliding down a frozen lake while entering a snowmobile radar run.

Very durable. No primer needed. When I smoked I would put my cigarettes out on the painted gas tank at stoplights or when I was pulled over. You couldn't even tell. There's quite a bit of dust covering the one in the picture. I hadn't washed it for 3 years either. Women seem to be attracted to the color like a magnet. I now buy it by the 6-pack at NAPA and have painted all my furniture and a couple firearms with it also.

[appar111]

I just picked up a couple cans of Dupli-Color Acrylic Enamel paint (flat black) and some of the Dupli-Color sandable primer.

I saw some of the Krylon "Rust Tough" enamel paint, but I didn't check to see if they had the flat black. I may have to go back on my lunch hour and see, because that bike looks like the equivalent of what I want this guitar to look like :)

Since this would be going onto wood, not metal, do you think I'd need the Rust Tough primer?

[Tedecaster]

I don't know what it is about that stuff but it's great. I painted a bunch of out door stuff myself including tractor parts & it really holds up.

Great stories!

[appar111]

Just got back from the Auto Zone-- I exchanged the Duplicolor flat black & primer for a couple cans o' Krylon Rust Tough in Flat Black. I figure I can always use polishing compound to get it to a satin type finish if I want.

This stuff seems pretty hardcore-- polishing compount (Scratch Out, etc.) will work on it enough to get it between flat and satin, right?

With all black hardware & pickups, and a maple neck & fretboard, this will be one "don't mess with me" lookin' superstrat, that's for sure.

[Axis29]

Originally Posted by appar111

This stuff seems pretty hardcore-- polishing compount (Scratch Out, etc.) will work on it enough to get it between flat and satin, right?

Probably not. It's very difficult to get more shine out of a paint that has additives in it to make it flatter.... Taking shine back is easy!

I just saw your thread or I would have tried to tell you earlier. Satin to flat is easier than flat to satin! Sorry.

But it can't really hurt to try! Consider it a low dollar learning experience. IF it never gets shiny enough for you, go buy a can of satin and spray over it. Simple!

[appar111]

Or I can just head back to the store and swap it out tonight on the way home.

thanks!
J.

[appar111]

Whew--- just got back from my 3rd trip to Auto Zone today and now have in hand 2 cans of Rust Tough Semi-Flat Black for this puppy.

I'll be doing sanding tonight to hopefully remove a weird planing mark on the body-- if that don't work, it's gonna be my own version of a Blackout Super Strat.

[NewOldStock]

That semi-flat Rust Tough is nearly an exact match to my neighbor's V-Rod. It's Harley's new "Denim Black". I have a couple cans of that too. It looks like this when painted over metal. Not sure about wood though. We've also been substituting this H-D paint with John Deere's "Blitz Black". It's about 1/5 the cost and way more durable. Also an exact match to the semi-flat Rust Tough.

[martino]

Originally Posted by appar111

Whew--- just got back from my 3rd trip to Auto Zone today and now have in hand 2 cans of Rust Tough Semi-Flat Black for this puppy.

I'll be doing sanding tonight to hopefully remove a weird planing mark on the body-- if that don't work, it's gonna be my own version of a Blackout Super Strat.

Rember to post photos!
it takes to long to rewind the old episodes of son of the return of
mellon caster cant even rember what season it was But!
Buckocaster51 uses a lunch box type cooler to put warm water
(NOT boiling hot) to warm up the cans it gives you a better finer spray
less orange peal.

from Stewart-MacDonald trade secrets

http://www.stewmac.com/tradesecrets/...054&clk=192417

Tips for using aerosols:

Use warm cans, not cold.
Cold aerosols will spit and spatter, so heat your cans to 75 or 80 degrees F. by setting them in a pan of warm tap water. This does the trick.

Use multiple cans!
Keep one can warming while the other’s spraying. When one can becomes cold to the touch, swap it for the cozy warm one. And if a nozzle becomes obstructed by built-up lacquer, pop it off and drop it in lacquer thinner while the other nozzle takes a turn.






.

[appar111]

Originally Posted by NewOldStock

That semi-flat Rust Tough is nearly an exact match to my neighbor's V-Rod. It's Harley's new "Denim Black". I have a couple cans of that too. It looks like this when painted over metal. Not sure about wood though. We've also been substituting this H-D paint with John Deere's "Blitz Black". It's about 1/5 the cost and way more durable. Also an exact match to the semi-flat Rust Tough.

So the John Deere paint is more durable AND cheaper than the Rust Tough, or is it more durable and cheaper than the Harley paint?

I figure I only bought $10 worth (2 cans) which should be enough for this project (one guitar).

[appar111]

Originally Posted by martino

Rember to post photos!
it takes to long to rewind the old episodes of son of the return of
mellon caster cant even rember what season it was But!
Buckocaster51 uses a lunch box type cooler to put warm water
(NOT boiling hot) to warm up the cans it gives you a better finer spray
less orange peal.

from Stewart-MacDonald trade secrets

http://www.stewmac.com/tradesecrets/...054&clk=192417

Tips for using aerosols:

Use warm cans, not cold.
Cold aerosols will spit and spatter, so heat your cans to 75 or 80 degrees F. by setting them in a pan of warm tap water. This does the trick.

Use multiple cans!
Keep one can warming while the other’s spraying. When one can becomes cold to the touch, swap it for the cozy warm one. And if a nozzle becomes obstructed by built-up lacquer, pop it off and drop it in lacquer thinner while the other nozzle takes a turn.

Great tips on using warm water to keep the paint cans warm-- never thought of that, or how it might cause orange peel.

thanks!
J.

[NewOldStock]

So the John Deere paint is more durable AND cheaper than the Rust Tough, or is it more durable and cheaper than the Harley paint?

Sorry, I meant the Harley paint. The Rust Tough is equal to the JD paint as far as durability.

I spend half my day here at the TDP, and the other half over at V-Twin Forum. Sometimes my universes collide and parts of one run into the other.

Below is what would be considered a good example of satin. It's a little shinier than the 2 motorcycle examples I gave. BTW-The only real way to see what you're getting is to sample them all. I probably have 3 dozen different types of blacks around hear. The distance at which you spray with the cans has more to do with the sheen than the color's name on the can(flat, semi, satin, gloss, hi gloss). It took a lot of trial & error to settle on the Rust T flat-black for me.

[Newfie_J.]

OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
I just got big dream visions of building a primered Kustom or Hot Rod witha matching Tele.
oooooooohhhhh. And pinstripes too.ooooohhhhh.
Now all I need is cash. Simple right.

That has got to be one beautiful '55 from what I can see.
Flat black is one of the coolest colours ever. Whenever I get a can of the stuff its hard to keep from painting everything in sight.

[martino]

NewOldStock PLUS ONE for this "BTW-The only real way to see what you're getting is to sample them all. I probably have 3 dozen different types of blacks around hear. The distance at which you spray with the cans has more to do with the sheen than the color's name on the can(flat, semi, satin, gloss, hi gloss). It took a lot of trial & error to settle on the Rust T flat-black for me."
I will go even further and say your finish can be flat, semi, satin, gloss, hi gloss just by the clear finish you spray over your color.
There use to be an oil-base clear top coat caled "Clear DEAD Flat"
cant for the life of me remember who made it?

We used it at an auto body shop I work at in high school in the late '70's.
this product was made for sign writers who did hand painted
billboards, used as a final coat so the light and sun would not reflect
on the sign.

A few months ago I used some of this stuff
Alsa Soft Feel Paint coating its clear!
Like all auto paint its expensive!!!
look flat feels like suede leather ?





http://www.alsacorp.com/products/kil...t/softfeel.htm
.

[NewOldStock]

Alsa Soft Feel Paint coating

Martino, those are some bad-ass satins. Most don't realize they absorb light more than any gloss in a live band situation(stage lighting).

I just dig the Mad Max, Beyond ThunderDome look, and never sway from the flat-blacks. I like it when people think I'm going to kill them when I pull up, even though I rarely do. I rode with SOS for a few weeks and...yes...I have set my bike on fire before. It was an impulse thing. Still the Rust Tough survived the kerosene burns to the tank, oil bag, and front fender. I just needed a new seat. Common.

There use to be an oil-base clear top coat caled "Clear DEAD Flat"
cant for the life of me remember who made it?

Mohawk & Ronan are what shows up on a google search. I've used that black before on a trike build in which I used a VW 4-cyl engine and an 8 gallon beer keg for a fuel tank, with a 16 gallon keg and axle for a trailer. It had more tractor & Peterbuilt parts on it than motorcycle parts when I was finished.

[appar111]

I think the flat black would have been too flat for me. The semi-flat from what I've gathered is between flat and satin, which is perfect.

The satin wipe-on poly on the san dimas strat body last night looks really darn good though-- not sure if I'll even need to do a black finish on this one at all.

There's gotta be something else around the house that needs painted black :)

[jwells393]

What about Krylon flat black clear coated with Deft Satin? Seems to me like it should work.

[appar111]

Originally Posted by jwells393

What about Krylon flat black clear coated with Deft Satin? Seems to me like it should work.

That would most likely work too, but I really like the idea of the Rust Tough-- it's apparently very tough, no primer or top coat needed to get to that semi-flat sheen, cheap, and should be able to do it in 2 coats max. Plus since I just bought it yesterday, it's at the ready and itchin' to be used.

[martino]

Originally Posted by jwells393

What about Krylon flat black clear coated with Deft Satin? Seems to me like it should work.

Jack you and your time saving cost efficent ways cant you
just leave us to swimm in your wake.

By the way Jack I Heartily Concur.

[jwells393]

Those pictures of the Colonel Robert guitar make me want to try that. I've never used Deft Satin. I'll get some and test it next time I'm out.

......

[jwells393]

I did a Deft Satin test over Krylon Ultra Flat Black. It seems to have too much sheen to it. I like the Ultra Flat alone better.