Stage 4 - Primer
OK... This is where we spray the body with primer. ONLY continue if the body is absolutely perfect. The primer is the base coat that our primary paint will go on. This is why if the body is not smooth now, with no imperfections, they will show up hardcore when you polish it in the end. That little dip that you got lazy on and said "fugg it" will appear as a massive crater by the time you finish. The primer you will want to use is made by Zinnser, and is called B.I.N.'s. It is a white shellac. Home Depot sells it for $4 a can, and I would suggest buying 3 cans to be on the safe side. I used roughly 2 and a half cans on mine, but I wasted quite a bit because I did not want any runs so I sprayed very cautiously. If you do get a run, apply some paint thinner to it, let it dry, and then sand it down. No biggie. |
| Before you spray, you obviously need to mask the body. If you are doing the entire body in a solid color, then no masking will be necessary. Since I am applying a quilted maple veneer to the top, I had to mask the top and neck joint. Buy the blue painters tape from Home Depot and cover everything VERY well. Here is the neck joint covered. Use a bare razor blade to cut the excess CAREFULLY. | |
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| Rather than using newspaper, I used an old ASU poster that had a thick stock to it. Trace the outline of your body, and make a mask with it. Then trim away about 1/2" to 3/4" all around to leave room for the tape to make direct contact with the body. | |
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| Here is the mask with tape all around the body. The tape needs to be TIGHT, no air bubbles, no seams. Completely sealed or you will hate it later. |
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| This is what your body will look like after you have neatly trimmed away all of the excess tape. Again, use a plain razor blade and neatly slice all along the edges. Don't carve into the wood, or you suck. |
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| When you spray the primer, you will want the body to be hanging. I went totally ghetto style on this mo fo and took a thick piece of cardboard and wrapped it in duct tape. I used some threaded screws and nuts to fasten it to the neck. Use screws that are SMALLER than the neck holes. You do not want to jack up your neck threads. |
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| To keep the primer out of the output jack, string ferrules, and neck joint holes, I used some cardboard, rubber grommets, and some tape. use your imagination. Whatever it takes to keep the stuff outta there... Tape your control cavity covers with masking tape, then screw them in. Then tape over the screws. |
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| Again, I went totally ghetto style and setup a "spray booth" in my backyard tool shed. I used a bungee cord through my cardboard piece, and hung it from a rafter using a swiveling eye hanger. I was able to position the guitar exactly where I wanted it, which gave me a lot of freedom. For painting the bottom, sides, and front of the guitar, I suggest laying it down on a type of "lazy susan" rig so you can freely spin it around and get the exact shot you are after. |
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| First coat of primer applied. Use smooth strokes, and don't go too wet, but at the same time, don't go too dry. You don't want "orange peel" here. Let the first coat dry 15 minutes, then spray another coat. Let this dry about 30 minutes, then sand it all down baby ass smooth using 220grit, then 320grit. |
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| Another view of the guitar after the 2nd coat of primer. You don't want any runs or wet spots. Practice spraying the can on a junk board to get the hang of it. Patience, and do it right. |
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| Higher resolution photo in better light to show what you are after with your primer coat. No runs, no wetspots. Just smooth level surface with a completely even coat all over the guitar. I used 2 1/2 cans of the BIN's to get it where I wanted it to be. |
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| And... one last high rez pic of the finished primed body with the control cavity plates removed. I left the cardboard in the neck holes, and left the tape on the string ferrules. I am now ready to spray my Gloss Black Nitrocellulose lacquer over this bad boy. |
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