Dumb Question-How to Hold the Body to Spray

[toddfan]

Sorry...I've got a (probably) really dumb question--

I've read several of the posts of persons building and finishing some really nice guitars.

I've seen photos of the "sticks", "posts" and other assorted hangers that people place into the neck pocket to allow them to hang the body while they spray the paint.

QUESTION: Are you guys matching up this temporary post with the neck holes in the body? Are you drilling "new" holes into the neck pocket that will be covered by the neck, and NOT using the "final" neck holes? Do you screw into the bottom or side of the neck pocket?

Can someone tell me HOW they go about attaching the temporary hanger they use to maneuver and hang the body while they are applying the spray finish? Anyone have a nice close-up photo?

THANKS!

 

[RodeoTex]

The paint stick can be attached with a couple of screws into the wood or 4 #10x1" sheet metal screws into the 4 neck holes. I've done it both ways but I like the 4 screw method better, as I once had the body twist off of two small screws once and hit the cement.

I usually hold the body by the stick while painting the inside of the horns, then slip the stick over a vertical pipe stand I made to paint the rest. There is no set way that is best (that I know of).
Some guys prefer to paint horizontally and be able to spin the body to reach all sides.
Sorry, no pictures available now.
Perhaps Colt or Bucko will stop by and show their rigs.

 

[flyingbanana]

I use a stick a little smaller than the pocket and attach it with 3 screws. I use screws that are just big enough to hold the body but no fall out. I don't want to drill additional holes in the pocket or enlarge the standard holes. I've never had a body fall off...knock on wood.

I typically attach the fake neck to one of those televison swivel things or my 2 saw horse contraption thing.

 

[Vizcaster]

I run two screws through the neck pocket holes into the paint stick. The heads don't cover much on the back of the guitar and the area is going to be covered by the neck plate. Since I use a wooden stick, the screws can go threaded into the stick rather than into the body holes.

It's really not a dumb question, because if you use a piece of flattened conduit then you have to have the screws biting into the through-holes of the body; I was curious myself what size screws people were using.

But when it comes down to it, my gloved hand is the carousel for spraying the edges of the body, then I hold the paint stick, and then I hang it up (there's a big hole in the other end of the paint stick).

 

[motor_city_tele]

holder/hanger - just a stick

I mask the entire pocket with FasCal then screw the stick on. I do not use the neck plate.
I use this stick to hold the guitar with one hand and spray with the other.

This is a decent upperbody workout for about 2 hours. (12 bodies)

tootles - jb

 

[flyingbanana]

I mask the entire pocket with FasCal then screw the stick on. I do not use the neck plate.
I use this stick to hold the guitar with one hand and spray with the other.

This is a decent upperbody workout for about 2 hours. (12 bodies)

tootles - jb

Ya got some mass production going on there...

 

[Rhomco]

Please tell

I mask the entire pocket with FasCal then screw the stick on. I do not use the neck plate.
I use this stick to hold the guitar with one hand and spray with the other.

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This is a decent upperbody workout for about 2 hours. (12 bodies)

tootles - jb

Please tell, what is FasCal? Google turns up natta.
Curious,
Rob

 

[Ziggy]

Errr... What is FasCal????

 

[adirondak5]

I use 2 screws in the center of the neck pocket

 

[flyingbanana]

Please tell, what is FasCal? Google turns up natta.
Curious,
Rob

Maybe something like this? I'm not sure, but possibly a liquid type masking solution.

 

[Boolywho]

Has anyone ever taken a piece of metal pipe, flattened one of the ends, then drilled holes in it for the machine screws to attach to the neck? Is this over kill? It just seems like that would be nice because you could mate the round pipe end with a smaller horizontally anchored pipe and get a horizontal swivel with no moving parts?

Am I over-engineering here? Is there an easier way to achieve this? I'm assuming that smashing several inches of a metal pipe totally flat (almost flat, at least) is really hard to do. Any suggestions?

Also, if I'm putting on a tru-oil finish, I even need to be suspending the body in between coats? I'd like to do each coat over the whole body (as opposed to just half at a time), does this change anything?

 

[flatfive]

I use a method very similar to adirondak5's.

It's a 1x2 (I think) screwed to the neck in two spots,
masking tape to keep paint out of the neck pocket,
and the wood pushed into a 2' section of PVC pipe.

The wood fits fairly tightly into the pipe. The body
rotates easily but stays put.

Looking at this picture of my front porch hurts;
I won't be out there again working on a guitar
for at least 4 months.

 

[Warren Pederson]

I put long narrow machine screw through the existing holes with nuts on them, 2 is enough. The screws have a much smaller diameter than the holes so I'm not reaming out the holes at all. I've only painted one guitar, but it turned out real nice.

 

[motor_city_tele]

FasCal is clear sticky - like packing tape

1 mil mylar with adhesive backing -

 

[cj11l]

Here was my setup on my partscaster I built couple years ago. Was strong enough to do all my sanding/sealing etc...

 

[Colt W. Knight]

The paint stick can be attached with a couple of screws into the wood or 4 #10x1" sheet metal screws into the 4 neck holes. I've done it both ways but I like the 4 screw method better, as I once had the body twist off of two small screws once and hit the cement.

I usually hold the body by the stick while painting the inside of the horns, then slip the stick over a vertical pipe stand I made to paint the rest. There is no set way that is best (that I know of).
Some guys prefer to paint horizontally and be able to spin the body to reach all sides.
Sorry, no pictures available now.
Perhaps Colt or Bucko will stop by and show their rigs.

Here is my sophisticated system

I cut a stick that fits in the neck pocket, then I use my bandsaw to cut a hook in the end, and hang it from the rails of my garage door in my shop. With it hung at the right height, I can spray the entire body without ever having to reposistion it. Which is a plus in my shop, because the less movement, the less chance a stirring up dust.

 

[dsutton24]

I use the 'stick and screw' method too. I put a half-inch spacer between the body and the stick. The spacer makes it easier to paint the edge of the body where it meets the neck, and keeps the stick from sticking (er... adhering?) to the newly painted body.

I've tried the conduit trick, but the round shape makes it harder to turn the body and hold it in some positions.

 

[Bud Veazey]

For what it's worth, here are some shots of my spraying setup. I made several sticks by cutting a length of 1x2 and attaching a piece of quarter inch plywood cut slightly smaller than the neck pocket. I shave down one end of the stick to fit into a length of 1 1/4" PVC pipe.

I hold the body by the stick to paint the cutaway and the rest of the edge. I used to then insert the stick into the PVC pipe and spray the front and back. However, lately I've had better results and fewer runs by holding the body by the stick bottom edge up and spraying across. It may be my imagination, but I seem to be getting less orange peel by holding the body while spraying. As someone else mentioned, I'm also getting more upper body workout.

Whatever you use for a paint stick, be careful when you remove it. You can really screw up the finish around the edge of the neck pocket if you don't carefully cut away any finish that has bridged the gap between the body and the paint stick.

For initial drying I clamp bodies to saw horses so that the top is parallel to the flow. Once again, it may be my imagination, but this also seems to reduce orange peel.

I secure the paint stick with four 1 1/4" wood screws screwed into the neck mounting holes. The connection is strong enough to hold the body in a vise for sanding and polishing.

 

[RodeoTex]

Has anyone ever taken a piece of metal pipe, flattened one of the ends, then drilled holes in it for the machine screws to attach to the neck? Is this over kill? It just seems like that would be nice because you could mate the round pipe end with a smaller horizontally anchored pipe and get a horizontal swivel with no moving parts?

Am I over-engineering here? Is there an easier way to achieve this? I'm assuming that smashing several inches of a metal pipe totally flat (almost flat, at least) is really hard to do. Any suggestions?

Also, if I'm putting on a tru-oil finish, I even need to be suspending the body in between coats? I'd like to do each coat over the whole body (as opposed to just half at a time), does this change anything?

This pretty much what you are talking about I think. I believe it was Jack Wells' idea.
The stand is just an old desk chair base with a piece of 3/4" electrical tubing.
Sorry the picture isn't closer.




Oh, forget to mention that the paint stick is 1" PVC with the end heated and squished flat in a vise. I used a neck plate as a pattern to drill the holes.

 

[adrianjordan]

I have a question for you guys, how do you keep dust from settling on the bodies while the nitro cures?