Good quality finish with sanding and spray cans?

axisus

I hate sanding. I'm rubbish at it and get very lazy, especially with difficult bits like the inner horns of strats. I have a tele body and I'm trying to make it look half decent for my older daughter (all my guitar finishes so far have been knackered/aged things). Any tips? sand paper grades, time sanding, number of coats etc?????

phil_b

I have just been watching some very good youtube videos on this very subject.

some of it depends on the type of wood ie some woods need grain filling first. and different types of finish require different techniques

but if you want a top finish you can not be lazy and you definitely can not rush it.

what type of wood and finish are you using?

paulnb57

phil_b said:

I have just been watching some very good youtube videos on this very subject.

some of it depends on the type of wood ie some woods need rain filling first. and different types of finish require different techniques

but if you want a top finish yo can not be lazy and you definitely can not rush it.

what type of wood and finish are you using?

What he said, there is no way round having to sand, sand and sand again...then sand some more, it bores me shitless, but it has to be done, otherwise it shows through the paint....I have decided that next the next body I do, I will do the cutaways and horns first as the flat areas are much easier....
Ive had some cracking finishes straight out of the can, only to be disappointed when I see swirl marks from the sander or not using fine enough grit.......then you have to start all over again to remove the finish and paint it again (or shove it in the loft and sulk!)

GoldenEraGuitars

The end result is a culmination of many things. But sanding is a key (get it?) part of the process. You’ll want to use anything from 120-360 to remove left over paint and sealer. My advice is stick on a good album, pour a large coffee and make yourself comfortable. Get that body as smooth as you can. If this is done well then the rest is straight forward, in a way. Any low points, gouges, dings etc can be filled putty and if you’re using ash then some grain filling may be needed. And yes, that’s a lot more sanding. 

For spraying... Taking how unpredictable spray cans can be out of the equation sanding is essential to prep work and your overall level of finish. 

It’s easy to be fooled by pics online when someone posts a non descript picture of a guitar from 5 feet away and tells you the aerosols worked brilliantly. If you take closer shots you’ll see orange peel. No matter how fine it is, it’s still there. Nothing wrong with that, if it doesn’t bother you. But once you’ve got your clear coat on you’re going to want to keep levelling/wetsanding. And once you’ve done a small area you’ll see the difference and want to do the rest of the body. How you apply your final coats of clear affects how much wetsanding will be needed at the end. If it’s rough then 600 is a good starting point. 

I spend half my working life (actually... half my life!) sanding or wet sanding the refinishes that come in. Everything from urethane to nitro.. it all needs sanded and levelled. 

Ps - you might want to open a packet of biscuits with your coffee, you’ll need to keep your energy up