The Fiestacaster Project

[Buckocaster51]

In acknowledgement of the (thinly) veiled threats about the size of The BUTTERCASTER Project, and the fact that the MELONCASTER is off getting clearcoated...

...it is time to brush off this nugget...

The Fiestacaster!

Last winter I snagged an ash body from USACG...one of their web specials. This one had a mineral stain in the wood...but since it would be painted that would not be an issue.

First thing is to grain fill it. I decided to just use multiple-multiple coats of DEFT brushed on sanding/sealer.



Put it on, sand it off, put it on, sand it off.



put it on, sand it off...



Put it on, sand it off...

[Buckocaster51]

Put it on, sand it off...



with 220 sandpaper...got to get it smooth...



until we are happy

[Buckocaster51]

Time to get out the primer. Since this guitar is going to be eye-popping Fiesta Red we are going to use white primer. In this case Zinser Bulls-Eye type stuff.



putting it on until everything is white...and smooth...



(don't forget the respirator)

and let's hang it up to dry for final inspection...



and yes...I do know what clotheslines are REALLY for!

[Buckocaster51]

Since it is the FIESTACASTER, we have to put the right color on it...



the primer is dry and the high spots (the few that were there) have been knocked down with 220 paper...let's have at it!

first with a mist coat...to make sure nothing bad happens when it hits the Zinser...



then let's put a bit more on it...



after two full coats of Fiesta Red have been applied (and the few high spots knocked down with 220) we can shoot the first coat of DEFT clear...



It's starting to look like a guitar!

[japasul]

Calm down!

At this rate this thread wont even get to a thousand replies!

Looking good!

Cheers
André

[jwells393]

Good ..................... we needed another project around here. Topics have been a little boring and the Meloncaster project appears to have turned into just an assembly project at this point.

[Big Steve]

Are you really using 220 sand paper before your final color coat? I use 600 grit.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Topics have been a little boring and the Meloncaster project appears to have turned into just an assembly project at this point.

Boring!? Not if you're into triple-tap-tuning tonewoods!



I cut out two bodies yesterday...and I'll have you know, I quadruple-tap tuned them!

If all goes according to plan, Bob the Painter is going to make me shoot the clear and paint on the faux binding. That should give us some hands on pictures of some things we haven't seen before.

The high-density clear needed to be ordered. Who knows from where. All I know is that when you live in a county with 17,000 people, you don't run across the street to get painting supplies.

Not complaining though...it's REALLY nice (most of the time) to have room to change your mind...after all, we do have phones, the internet, and UPS.

What more could you ask for?

Except some rain maybe.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Big Steve

Are you really using 220 sand paper before your final color coat? I use 600 grit.

Funny you should mention that.

I usually use 400.

There was a piece of 220 on the bench. So I used it.

It was SO smooth that I only had to work on a few spots between coats.

Seems to have worked.

You know, there was a time that 220 was considered to be be pretty fine grit. In HS we carefully guarded out 600 because it was hard to find. Of course that was only 40 years ago...

But maybe I just led a sheltered life.

[thatsJared]

I know you have used both the Reranch and Krylon paints. Is there any difference beside the fact that Reranch specializes in actual vintage colors?

You made mention of doing faux bindings which is gonna look sweet against that red.

Any other special design features for the Fiestacaster?

"IT'S BIG CHECK FRIDAY, WEEKENDS HERE, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!!!"

[Steve G]

Good work Bucko.

I always look forward to reading about projects you and Jack Wells have been up to. Im watching the Meloncaster with eagle eyed interest.

Hope Jacks got something in the pipeline...

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by thatsJared

I know you have used both the Reranch and Krylon paints. Is there any difference beside the fact that Reranch specializes in actual vintage colors?

You made mention of doing faux bindings which is gonna look sweet against that red.

Any other special design features for the Fiestacaster?

The ReRanch products are nitrocellulose (whatever that means these days)...Krylon is something else...Jack has checked into it and told me, but on somedays I can't remember my name let alone what paints are made of.

I'm sorry to have confused you about the binding. That is going on the Meloncaster. This red guitar has rounded over edges...binding just wouldn't work.

Special design features? Nope. Just a straight ahead fiesta red Telecaster. I haven't even decided on maple or rosewood yet. I'm leaning towards maple.

No I'm heading out to see how the blush in the last coat of clear I shot is doing. It is getting humid here today.

[WireLine]

That red one is gonna be sweet...

But you HAVE to tell me about that sparkle job on the left of your pic...

[jwells393]

Hope Jacks got something in the pipeline...

I've had to step out of the woodshop for a while because of other obligations. In a couple of weeks I'll have something on making a one piece neck.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by WireLine

That red one is gonna be sweet...

But you HAVE to tell me about that sparkle job on the left of your pic...

That would be the Meloncaster.

[Buckocaster51]

Enough gabbing...time for some more pictures...

I put two coats of clear on last night. Before I sprayed more clear today I knocked down the orangepeel and the odd mosquito with 220 paper and mineral spirits.

Even though it is called "wet sanding" we probably want to avoid using water because it will raise the grain if it comes in contact with the wood.

I'm wearing a glove because I really don't care to absorb many more chemicals through my skin.



The matching red shirt is optional.

The ENTIRE time I was doing this, I was listening to bootliquor.com radio...and chanting to myself...

NO SAND THROUGHS! NO SAND THROUGHS!

It didn't work.



This is the only one I got, and I TRUTHFULLY do not remember sanding there! I guess I was grooving to bootliquor.com!

But it was easy to touch up.

Then I sprayed a couple more coats of clear. Picked up some trapped moisture (blush) in the process on this hot and humid Iowa day, but it went away when I hung it up on the clothesline.



This artsy picture is supposed to show you the high gloss, non-blushed finish on the Fiestacaster. However it is probably a better shot of the neighbor's Buick. The things that look like sand throughs on the edges are actually specular reflections of the house siding. Really!

Oh well. You can't take a perfect picture every time.

Now that thing is going to dry for the weekend before I wet sand and spray some more clear.

[jwells393]

....and chanting to myself...

NO SAND THROUGHS! NO SAND THROUGHS!

It didn't work.

That's what you get for sanding between coats. I only sand out bugs, dust and pet hairs between coats and that is dry sanding ........... and I never sand the edges. I would blame the orange peel on ReRanch ......... as you might know I'm not a big fan.

[telex]

Looking good! I'm sure rosewood would look nice, but maple would look even better!

Great work as usual. I can never get enough of your build threads.

That's a nice pinstriped clawfoot bathtub in that photo.

[bitter]

so Jwells, what would you recommend for us that do not have nor want to get compressors and guns. Is there another brand of can you would recommend?

[jwells393]

Colors may not be true Fender colors but Krylon can be had less than $3 a can and is available almost everywhere. Deft is also readily available, is a nitrocellulose lacquer, is around $5 a can and is compatible with Krylon.

Compare these to ReRanch where a color is $16 per can. Clears are $12 per can. Then you have the added shipping and the fact that the website is often disabled because ReRanch Bill is off somewhere cooking chili.

[bitter]

Thanks Jwells.
Good info, I have read several people say that the Reranch nozzels work better than Krylon etc but it seems to me that the clear coats would level a poor color coat after you sand and polish so a better nozzle may not be an issue.

[lagerhead]

Buckocaster,
You are a telecaster making machine!

I'm really enjoying the detailed posts!

[Buckocaster51]

One of these is painted with ReRanch, two with Krylon, and one with NoName Bargain Brand.

One is finished with ReRanch clear, the other three with DEFT or some house brand clear nitro.

I have a hard time remembering which is which.



But only one is Sea Foam Green.

Krylon makes just about any color you would want. It works. It works well.

Deft works. It works well.

The ReRanch products work well.

Myself I have never had any issues ordering from them...as I am rarely in a hurry to get anything done, let alone paint a guitar.

On this guitar it was important to have a Fiesta Red that is as close to Fiesta Red as it can be. (Fussy client - Me!)

Bottom line is that it is awfully neat to live in a world where with a little effort, a few tools, a place to do it, and some imagination, it is possible to put together a guitar that looks, plays, and sounds exactly like you want.

That's the Cat's Pajamas!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by bitter

Thanks Jwells.
Good info, I have read several people say that the Reranch nozzels work better than Krylon etc but it seems to me that the clear coats would level a poor color coat after you sand and polish so a better nozzle may not be an issue.

Yes. They are quite nice. Really atomize the paint. I have thought about cleaning them and using them on DEFT.

The minor orange peel problem I had on the Fiestacaster was my bad. ReRanch had nothing to do with it.

[Home Grown Tele]

Originally Posted by jwells393

That's what you get for sanding between coats. I only sand out bugs, dust and pet hairs between coats and that is dry sanding ........... and I never sand the edges. I would blame the orange peel on ReRanch ......... as you might know I'm not a big fan.

The orange peel will disappear after all the clear coats are on and sanded out. No need to sand them out. Nitro lacquer coats melt into the previous coats.

[Buckocaster51]

Another option for paint...

if you live in a fair-sized place, you can probably go to a joint that supplies paint to the auto repair "business" and have them mix you a custom rattle can of any color/any make/any year. If they can't they can point you at someone who does.



This is a custom can of 1956 Buick Tahiti Coral. It is an acrylic lacquer and will work just fine under DEFT.

It was not exactly "cheap" but most of the hit I took on this can was for shipping. (I don't live in a fair-sized place. )

This is one of the two bodies I knocked out while I was painting the Fiestacaster. You probably will not be surprised to hear that it is destined for the Coralcaster.

It will just be another in the seemingly endless series of double-bound Colorcasters...

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Home Grown Tele

The orange peel will disappear after all the clear coats are on and sanded out. No need to sand them out. Nitro lacquer coats melt into the previous coats.

Yup.

I probably shouldn't have called this stuff "orange peel." It was more like a gathering of runs.

They had to go.

All is good now.

[moo55]

This is terrific stuff fellas! I just love this site!
Can anyone point me to a place in Canada that sells Deft? I can't seem to find any place on the web?
Will the clear used on cars do the same job? I did find a site here that sells a product that is waterbourne one is Target and the other is called Fuhr.
Both are water based and can be sprayed. Any info will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Moo

[Buckocaster51]

moo55...have the Big Box home improvement stores, like LOWES, OFFICE DEPOT, MENARDS, etc. crossed the border? They may be a source.

Some WalMarts on this side sell DEFT.

I haven't tried any water-based spray clear. Can't say anything about it one way or the other.

[milkshape]

so 3 builds going at the same time, it must be Summer, go buck go!

Which Zinnser primer didja use? Oil Based? How confident are you that it won't react with the reranch nitro?

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by milkshape

so 3 builds going at the same time, it must be Summer, go buck go!

I think it's actually sort of more like five (5)!

They will all get their day in the sun...when the time if right.

Sort of like the boys at American Hot Rod.

[milkshape]

very interested in the coral, I'm looking to do a lime green metallic, a VW color I think is called turbonium. If the paint scratch looks good I'll get the VW color code and have them mix it up. Ever spray a metallic? Did I mention I'm learning a lot from your endeavors? thanks.

[spankdplank]

Moo55--Thumbs up on the Deft clear gloss--it's tough to beat, but if you can't find it, I have done several guitars with Duplicolor gloss from the autoparts store, over Duplicolor color coats, and it works really well. Because it is made to match car paint, there are great choices of colors, especially metallics and pearls.

[Buckocaster51]

Oh my gosh...this sitting around waiting for things to dry is tough...



I'm hoping that one more day of Iowa sunshine (and low humidity today!) will get this hard enough that I can 400 sand some of the rought spots, bugs, and dust out of the 6 coats of DEFT that are on it...might be able to shoot the last clear tonight.

Did you kids know that you can hang wet clothes on those lines too?

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by milkshape

so 3 builds going at the same time, it must be Summer, go buck go!

Which Zinnser primer didja use? Oil Based? How confident are you that it won't react with the reranch nitro?

Funny you should ask...

it's this stuff right here



and nowhere on the can does it mention Zinsser.

it dried fast and caused no problems with the reranch nitro...of course I put the color coat on pretty light at first.

This is the KILZ MSDS ...looks like it is pretty much titanium dioxide an volatile organics that come out of the ground.

The Zinsser BIN (that I thought I was using...and have used before) appears to be pretty much the same stuff. Zinsser MSDS & TDS except it has some alcohol in it, making it a sort of shellac I guess.

It looks like sometimes I get confused!

[tdowns]

There's just something about that color that gets my heart racing.

She's goona be a beauty!!! Thanks for posting.

[milkshape]

Thanks buck, good to know a readily available primer that works well with nitro.

[Jellecaster]

Grain filling ash has proven to be the bain of my existence. How many coats/sandings of the brush on Deft did it take until it was smooth?

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Jellecaster

Grain filling ash has proven to be the bain of my existence. How many coats/sandings of the brush on Deft did it take until it was smooth?

Grain-filling! Ugh!

This technique seems to have worked pretty well...

BUT IT WASN'T FAST!

I went through the better part of a quart can...the whole part if you consider I left the lid off of it one night and it filled up with DEAD bugs! (They weren't even swimming...not a little...they were DEAD! )

I brushed it on with a foam brush. Let it dried to the touch. Put on another heavy coat. I would try to do that three (3) times in a day.

The I REALLY tried to let it sit for a week (sometimes longer) before I would sand it with 220 paper.

Did that about 6 times before I got to the point where I couldn't see any grain and I was basically getting no sand throughs to wood...even though in some of the pre-primer pictures you can see some bare wood on the side...but the grain there IS filled.

That last coat was on there and drying for well over a month before I sanded it. It was rock hard...at least as hard as sanding/sealer gets...and ready to go.

I imagine you could go faster...a lot faster...but it was still cool when I did most of that and the stuff just wasn't drying.

Something I have learned over the last couple of years of doing this...if you rush these things...don't let them get good and dry and outgassed...they will eventually "suck into" the wood and you will be able to see the grain in the color and clear coats.

That has to be one of the BIG attractions for modern finishes in a factory situation. You can't make money on product as you wait for it to dry before you go on to the next step in its production.

On the other hand, a hack like me can wait as long as I want...and then a little longer.

I really wanted to bring the Fiestacaster into the house tonight and wet sand the clear that I have on it...but dang it...it still smells like DEFT...no way is it hard and dry. I'll give it another day of hanging in the sun tomorrow.

In the meantime I can sand the binding on the Coralcaster and start filling that grain...and since it is alder that should be an easy job. Or I can start binding the Rubycaster....

There is also that doublenecked Doublecaster template I have to start working on...

This is actually getting to be fun!

[jackdc100]

Originally Posted by jwells393

That's what you get for sanding between coats. I only sand out bugs, dust and pet hairs between coats and that is dry sanding ........... and I never sand the edges. I would blame the orange peel on ReRanch ......... as you might know I'm not a big fan.

Not a big fan? Why? I didn't realize you could get the lacquer in a spray can. How does it compare with using a spray gun? I am considering a build myself now.