Yet another finishing option

usedtobe

Because we haven't got enough, already, right...?

I thought I'd share my experiences of a recent Partscaster finish I did. I think it worked out, ok. I thought the stuff was easy to use, and provided a finish I could be happy with. 

The guitar had a really nasty 'Swift'? Strat body, before. I'd painted and messed with, but it looked pretty nasty in some ways, and quite cool in some ways. 

Bought one of those Guitarbuild bodies off the bay. First off, I thought 'chalk paint'. Other people have had good results with chalk paint, right? Not me though. I didn't get on with it, at all.

So I rubbed that right back, and primed with acrylic primer/undercoat. 2 coats. Bit of a rub down. Nice. Forgot to take pics.. Then I got some of this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371094208263?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Paragon Paints Enamel paint.  Semi-gloss finish. Hard wearing, heat resistant, and all that.. Other brands are available, but this is the one I used. 3 coats - first 2 with a brush, and the third with one of those mini rollers, and a smooth surfaces roller sleeve. Rubbing down, wet, in between. 800 grit, if memory serves. There might've been some 1200 around...
The paint goes on really well. Wasn't prone to runs and sags, and covers great. Dries pretty well, so rubbing down doesn't wreck it. Comes in some nice colours, too.. I picked Duck Egg blue. Cornflower Blue looks like a good option, too!
The paint cleans off brushes with ordinary white spirit, although you can get 'special' thinners from the same place as the paint. If I was thinning the paint, I'd use them, just to be safe, but I didn't. The half litre tin goes quite a long way. There's loads left, after doing the one guitar.

I gave it a wet rub down after the 3rd 'rolled' coat. Just to level it - there wasn't much unevenness, but I wanted to get rid of the edges, a bit. I was planning to put some kind of clear coat over, but tbh, I was getting bored/impatient, and I actually thought the finish was fine. Got some black marks on it which came off with a scouring pad, quite easily - so it's pretty durable. The fact that I didn't clear coat over it, probably means it'll age sooner, but it's pretty hard stuff, so it's not going to be some kind of 'instant relic'. 

I've babbled a bit, partly because I'm waiting for the last pics to upload.

There are, of course plenty of finishing options, out there, but this one worked for me, and if I can get half decent results with it, then I reckon anyone can!

Anyway - pics: 


I've rubbed through the finish, slightly, in a couple of places - unintentionally, but I've let it go, because, as I say, I'm fairly short on patience, sometimes, and this was one of those times..

Deadman

Looks great. If you do decide to lacquer down the line make sure you don't put nitro (C)ellulose on it because it'll react with the (S)ynthetic enamel. As a general guide, you can put (S)alt on (C)hips but not (C)hips on (S)alt. 

usedtobe

Thanks @Deadman ;
I'll keep that in mind in case I decide to clear coat it, later!